Waste not want not

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, so the saying goes. That is certainly proving true for the growing economy of producing perfectly new goods using surplus, the more tasteful term for waste. This economy is born from a waste not want not mentality.

Our planet’s resources are finite

It’s great that we are finding ways to repurpose that which would otherwise be rendered useless. After all, the planet’s resources are finite. This fact is true whether you are a friend of the earth or foe, whether you are driven by love and kindness or capitalism. Whichever way we look at it, we must adopt a waste not want not attitude. There is only so much we can take from the earth and turn into a form that the earth cannot easily digest. Once the resources are gone, there are no more. No more resources, no more economic growth.

The earth we leave behind is our legacy

We justify this wasteful conduct because we take a short term view. That must be what we are doing, we reason that the earth will be ok for the duration of our lifetime, and heck, our childrens’ lifetimes and maybe even for the generation following them.

But, it is human nature to want to leave a legacy we can be proud of…a brood to continue our name, a successful business, a big house, tangible contributions to the community. So, why are we, as a collective, not bothered about the legacy we leave when it comes to the earth? Why are we ok with leaving behind a depleting earth? What is the point of a big house that will be standing when we don’t have enough fuel to light and heat it? What sort of logic is that? Why do we not have the waste not want not mentality?

Consider the total amount of resources used

Perhaps, it’s logic we should be concerned with. Perhaps we should recondition ourselves to take pride in preserving the earth’s resources, be it because we care about our planet or because we care about the economy or some other reason. This requires a shift in mindset on a large scale.

Let’s focus on reducing the amount we consume and hence waste. For everything you consume today think about how much you are consuming – from the soil it took to grow your food, to the labour and fuel used to mine the ore used to make the ship or plane to transport the goods you consume, to the energy it takes to collect and dispose of your rubbish or recycle for another use. Think of the full cycle of the product, think even of the resources that do not automatically come to mind. Share your thoughts with your friends, colleagues and family. One by one we can make a difference.

Waste not want not!

Our aim at Virtuelicous is to offer a more sustainable way to eat the food you love: see our mission here: https://virtuelicious.co.uk/about-us/