Eco-etiquette: What’s the Rule?

In our eco-concious society that seems to be ever more mindful of the merits of recycling and conserving, I can’t help but wonder just what are the rules of eco-etiquette? The other day I was at Starbucks putting cream in my coffee when I pulled out a wad of napkins mistakenly. In the olden days, I would take my handful of napkins, use one or two, and throw away the rest. Instead, I find myself stuffing the extra napkins back into the dispenser for fear of disapproving looks by surrounding coffee customers. I didn’t want to be a wasteful citizen of the world, needlessly squandering felled trees, so I actually stuffed the napkins back in the dispenser to be “recycled” by the next customer.

Another recent incident of eco-confusion, I was at a friend’s house party and finished a bottle of beverage. My first instinct was to chuck the bottle into the kitchen can but these days everyone has a green recycling bin. Concerned about creating another eco faux pas, I dutifully ask if my gracious host recycles. Of course she does and she points to the laundry room, which serves as a staging area for empty party recyclables. Glad I asked.

Peer pressure has even got me thinking about bringing a refillable water bottle to the gym in lieu of my store-bought bottled water. Lately, I’ve noticed many others are toting around water bottles and suddenly I feel reckless about my gluttonous consumption of consumer water.

It seems there are defacto rules of eco-etiquette evolving but apparently I am slow to grasp this greener social code. I’ll admit it: I’m a recycler of convenience. I sort out the plastic and glass recyclables from my trash when the mood strikes, or if I have the time. If not, I shamelessly throw it all in with the rest of my discarded items destined for the landfill.

I am guilt-ridden about my contribution to global deforestation but old habits die hard. So my addiction to magazines continues unchecked as no less than 16 glossy guilty pleasures arrive in my mailbox each month. I realize that I can get much of this information online but there’s nothing like the experience of thumbing through magazine pages with a good cup of coffee.

The little voice of reason in my head rationalizes that my magazine subscriptions should be on an “as need” basis but I really do need to learn about the latest celebrity gossip, fashion trends, and current events, all in tangible, touchable print. Maybe I should encourage my eight-year-old to use my magazine piles for arts and crafts projects such as papier-mâché or collage. (Doesn’t that count as recycling?)


Alas, recycling is one of my character flaws and I’m working through it without formal therapy. However, I do have a few moral principles- my “no no” rules that I absolutely do not break, such as throwing away batteries, electronics or any mercury containing product, and disposing grease down the kitchen drain. I cannot mindfully contaminate our drinking water but as for the rest of recycling-the process of reusing of materials-let’s just say without social pressure, I don’t exactly behave green- more like a pale shade of moss, which happens to be all the rage right now.