Recycling

02019-09-06 | Uncategorized | 11 comments

A study claims that a lot of American men don’t recycle because they think recycling is gay. Are some American men really this insecure? Please comment.

I have recycled for decades, and I have been composting since 1994… I must be very gay. :-)

Is this also why so many guys do not take their own mug to a coffeeshop nor ask to use a ceramic cup? What can turn this around? Public Service Announcements by Dwayne Johnson or other stars or athletes? What do you think?

11 Comments

  1. Victor H.

    I’m too insecure to directly answer your question. :-) But certainly we Americans assign gender identity in the damndest ways.
    Funny but true story… Several years back a female co-worker asked what kind of music I was into. I said, “My favorite artist is Ottmar Liebert.” She wasn’t familiar so I tried to explain. Finally she said, “That sounds gay.” While this hasn’t kept me from claiming my fandom to other people it made enough of an impression that it popped into my head upon reading this post.

    Reply
    • ottmar

      LOL! Is that what they call a toxic work environment? :-)

      Reply
  2. Victor H.

    I recycle and never thought of it as “gay”. However, I generally favor environmentalism because I think of “efficient” as superior to “inefficient”. I think that environmentalism is mostly framed, and taught, as “caring”. And if you asked me to assign gender values to these concepts I would say “efficiency” is masculine and “caring” is feminine.

    I’ve never considered bringing a cup to a coffee shop. I fear that would be asking someone to break a corporate policy, maybe even a health ordinance! LOL Guess I’m well conditioned to being complicit with toxic environments!

    Reply
    • ottmar

      It seems to me that taking your own cup to a coffeeshop is infinitely more efficient than somebody chopping trees down to make paper pulp to make into cups, to coat them in something to keep them from becoming soggy, and to add a plastic top made from oil, and then to ship everything to your coffeeshop.

      So by your own logic you should be the proud owner of a reusable coffee mug and bring it with you every time you get coffee. Most coffeeshops will also give you a discount for bringing your own cup. :-)

      On the other hand, perhaps you only drink IN the café, out of their ceramic cups…

      Reply
  3. Janeparhamkatz

    That was a fascinating exchange, fellows! Thank goodness we women aren’t subject to these insecurities. :)

    Reply
  4. Victor H.

    O., I do own a reusable coffee mug, but think I need an upgrade bro. Gotta have at least 2 liter capacity, chrome plated stainless, with a trailer hitch dangling genuine brass truck nutz.

    Jane, I can’t fathom the pressures of being a woman.

    Reply
  5. JaneParhamKatz

    Well, Victor, you ARE an angel!

    Reply
  6. Lynne Rouillard

    A most engaging exchange indeed, gentlemen! Now for that upgrade, Victor, I suggest a Frank Green stainless steel reusable coffee mug (us.frankgreen.com). You might like the 16 oz/475 ml unless they could custom make a keg (kidding). “Hey tough guy. . .” (borrowing from the Frank Green website), apparently they’re “Built to last forever (in a good way)”. I received the 6 oz stainless steel coffee mug in “Sailor Blue” with a “Black” lid as a gift. :-) It’s awesome and keeps coffee/tea hot for hours! And, I credit an Instagram post last year by Ottmar (who also happens to be my favorite artist) for inspiring me to switch from paper to a reusable coffee cup. A lot of coffee houses also now sell reusable stainless steel and ceramic coffee mugs. It’s a start and it all helps. . . .

    Reply
    • ottmar

      Good advice. I imagine tough guys love the taste of steel, but I don’t like it at all. I have gone through quite a few reusable cups over the years, made from steel or glass, and last year I ended up with a titanium cup that I love. So that’s an alternative to consider. Tasteless (in a good way) like glass but shatterproof like steel, and double walled so my hand can hold on to scalding liquid.

      That you credit my post with switching to a reusable coffee mug, Lynne, makes me smile. Thank you for that. :-)

      Reply
  7. Cesco

    Different countries, different habits I would say. I’m from Switzerland and here recycling simply is a MUST. Even further, actually its organized by the state or the local communites. Therefore almost any village has its own recycling collection point, where you can bring almost anything really. Old TV’s, unused oils, batteries, bulk waste you name it….

    Sooo, if recycling IS gay after all, the Swiss people are “over gay”, too gay to be gay or gaylordish… ;-)

    Reply
  8. Deane

    Haha silly feelings. Recycling is very important and conservation as well in my book. Sad we live in such a throw away society mentality.. To me if it’s called “gay” then that’s means happy and I am happy to do my part in recycling wherever I can..

    Reply

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