New analysis: We are what we throw away
JAKARTA (JP): Last month, a certain TIS came up with the question: "Are you what you are?" (Sunday, May 4). TIS gave several possibilities on how to reveal your identity: your car, your food and the programs you watch on TV.
I found the answer for TIS in a New York Times book review by Wytold Rybczinski. The writer wrote: "We are what we throw away." He was reviewing a book titled: Rubbish! The Archeology of Garbage by William Rathje and Cullen Murphy (Harper Collins, New York, 1992).
Garbage doesn't lie, according to the authors. The evidence of junk food wrappers, liquor bottles and girlie magazines often goes against what we tell ourselves -- and what we tell others -- about what we do and... what we eat. It seems that people like to boast about their "lean cuisine" diet and like people to know that they are only living on fruit and vegetables, but keep quiet on the fast food they consume.
In Indonesia, archeologists have been able to analyze layers of "rubbish" and have been able to reconstruct history by the shards of ceramics and other valuable items. For present day Indonesia, we probably have to add a few more dimensions. One is "How do we throw rubbish away?" and the other is "Where do we throw rubbish away?"
We don't have portable rubbish bins here, at least not in Jakarta. Our rubbish bins consist of a concrete structure in our front yard with a lid which house owners can throw their rubbish through. The garbage collectors have access to it by opening a metal or wooden door from the street. This door is often missing for unknown reasons. In such cases, the rubbish pours out onto the street and whatever is left by the pemulung -- the people who collect everything from cigarette stubs to plastic bags to be recycled -- can be seen.
The sight makes me wonder why people who throw away plastic shopping bags as well as other rubbish, don't always put the rubbish in the plastic bags first. Some people say the pemulung have inspected the bags first and they are to blame for not putting the garbage back.
Sometimes the cats are to blame for tearing the bags apart to inspect the contents inside. The only solution here is to tell the owners not to bring the garbage out until the collectors come.
When it comes to a place to throw the garbage, we face other problems. We know there are no strict garbage laws in Indonesia, such as in Singapore where littering results in a hefty fine. In our country, the rivers have become a very convenient place to deposit garbage. Behind my house is a small river and I can sometimes see the strangest objects on its banks or floating by and when the water level is low everything become visible. Shoes and sandals are quite acceptable, but what about pots and pans or a rattan chair? Car tires, clothing, schoolbags, are they things that are normally thrown in the river?
The sea may be another place to survey. The ferries that carry thousands of passengers daily do not have many accessible rubbish bins on board. This means rubbish is thrown all over the place or is left on the seats. On one of my trips to Lampung I noticed that one woman collected all her rubbish in a plastic bag. She seemed to be a village woman, returning home from a visit to Jakarta, so I was quite impressed. I smiled to her, while nodding approvingly. But my approval came too soon. Just as we were about to arrive she took the bag with her and lo and behold... she threw it all in the sea!
Before we criticize this woman for not knowing better, maybe it is a good idea to reflect on our attitude toward the highly educated scientists who dump nuclear waste in the ocean or elsewhere.
-- Myra Sidharta