Welcome to my humble heap of trash 🏠 And, possibly the original Take your Dog to Work Day

I choose a) MacKenzie Scott pays garbage collectors worldwide to strike for a year.

Imagine it.

We wake up tomorrow to learn curbside garbage collection is no more.

Instead, everything we’ve bought but no longer want stays in our home until we manage it — every item of clothing, gadget, furniture, electronic device and other stuff.

Would it stop us in our tracks? Make us avid recyclers, devoted upcyclers, and careful consumers singing reuse and refill?

Would we become waste wranglers, start garbage co-ops and trade trash with our neighbours?

Would rubbish become currency?

Some estimates suggest the average household fills 100 trash bags per year. That’s a lucrative stash of resources piling up on your front step, balcony, or garden.

Let’s chew that thought. I’d love to see the solutions this future scenario could unleash.

I don’t know about you, but I’d turn my nose up at new stuff with no reuse value faster than you can say “walkies” and guard my stash like my dinner depends on it.

ANDRE HUNTS DOWN THE ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS

‘I adopted Luna during the pandemic when I was working from home. Now, I’m heading back to the office. How do I make my absence easier for her?’

Shout out to all the pandemic pets out there. You found your forever home during the weirdest time in living memory. You gave your lonely humans so much comfort as they sat on the couch watching box sets.

But suddenly your human has to ditch the pyjamas and go back to the office. Cue furniture chewing, barking at the milkman and pacing the house until you hear their key in the door.

Luckily, there are some ways to make the change in routine easier for pandemic pooches like Luna.

• Establish a new routine: walk, food and play at the same time every day
• Start small: go out for just an hour at first, building up slowly
• Leave toys or games to distract Luna in your absence
• Up the exercise: take a long walk before work to tire her out

Get more pandemic pooch tricks

Or, chat to your boss and see if they need a new Barketing Manager. June 24 this Take Your Dog to Work Day, if you need another excuse.

THE DIRT WORTH ROLLING IN…

1. Sitting on a throne of trash: the beauty of furniture made from waste {link}
2. What if…? Forecasting futures with the futurists {link}
3. Sweden’s shrinking landfill — now just 1% of waste {link}

DID YOU KNOW…

In the 19th century, workers in the French cutlery industry were called yellow bellies due to the face-down position they assumed to grind blades on sandstone wheels.

In perhaps the first ever example of the Take Your Dog to Work movement, the workers’ pet dogs would lay on their legs to keep them warm during a long session at the wheel.

Sign me up for the night shift!

HUMANS WHO PLAY NICE WITH THE PLANET ™

Untrashy

Untrashy’s vibe is fun and respectful. They offer realistic and affordable, sustainable and reusable alternatives to help us tread more lightly on the planet.

And they walk the walk by supporting some praiseworthy causes, including the Stop Seismic Testing campaign and Australian Seabird Rescue.

Originally published at https://hijac.com.au on June 5, 2022.