“7 Days of Garbage,” by photographer Gregg Segal successfully uses the platform of art to showcase a serious environmental issue, our throwaway consumer lifestyles. “S ubjects are photographed surrounded by their trash in a setting that is part nest, part archaeological record, ” explains the photographer. “ We’ve made our bed and in it we lie. ” These photos got me thinking, what would my photos look like if I was to lay in 7 days worth of my trash? I, along with everyone else in the 1MW office have undertaken the Plastic Free July challenge ( which you can read about here ) which has made me question what I thought was a fairly 'waste-free' lifestyle.
Australians produce almost 4.1 million tonnes of rubbish each year, 1.9 tonnes from each of us.
Some quick facts on Australians and waste thanks to Clean Up Australia :
Waste of resources:
All waste materials represent an investment of water, energy and natural resources, such as coal, oil or trees. Once waste goes to landfill, virgin material has to be taken from our environment to produce new products.
Greenhouse gases:
As waste rots in landfill, carbon dioxide and methane are created. The latter is a major greenhouse gas, which contributes to global warming 21 times more than carbon dioxide.
Landfill space and contamination:
It is difficult to find suitable locations for landfills. At current rates of waste disposal, we are soon running out of space.
Landfills produce a toxic liquid, called leachate. Leachate is a mixture of organic acids, dissolved chemicals and rainwater. It can contaminate surrounding land and waterways.
Threat to marine life:
Every year over 6 million tonnes of rubbish are dumped into the world’s oceans. 80% of this waste is plastic and has led to an estimated 46,000 pieces of plastic for every square mile of ocean and is responsible for killing more than a million seabirds and 100,000 mammals every year.
