By: Misty Murph'Ariens

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Not too long ago I used the age-old expression, “Waste not, want not,” and I was met with confusion. “What does that mean, anyways?” I was asked.  I explained, “If you do not waste, you will not be left wanting.”  Upon reflection, it does not surprise me that this adage would fall from memory in such a society as ours has become.  I think if aliens were to observe us, they might believe that we worship at the altar of wastefulness.  For example, there is an automatic assumption, even in middle class families, that we will run out and purchase new clothes every season (to stay in fashion, of course), regardless of whether or not we need them. Gone are the days of darning socks, resewing buttons or patching of knees.  Perhaps I should be grateful of this trend, for it is this compulsive consumption that stocks the thrift stores with like-new, brand name clothes so that I may apparel myself at a fraction of the cost.  Once I am done with the clothes, many years later, after many a repair here, and an alteration there, they are no longer fit to give to the thrift store.  Of course, they still make excellent rags, stuffing for dog beds or fuel for our bee smoker.  And, once they have done that duty, we can always compost them to add fertility to our vegetable garden.  You see, my husband and I are heathens to this new religion of waste.  We still cling to an older superstition of observing what nature does, in all her wisdom, and emulating that process.  In nature, there is no waste.  That which is not eaten by large animals is consumed by microorganisms, whose excreta are, in turn, consumed by plants to repeat the process.  If you do not believe that our society has adopted a doctrine of wastefulness, take a closer look.  What do we call the excretions of animals (no matter how necessary and useful they are for soil fertility)? Waste.  How about that municipal service that carries away the items that may have served one purpose (if at all)?  Waste management.  Indeed, municipalities must have forgotten this helpful adage some time ago, and I believe many of us have been left wanting as to their services versus their cost.  For instance,  when the road north of us was being widened, many trees were cut, both hardwood and cedars.  We watched in horror as these trees were then shredded with a gas powered wood chipper and then buried under tonnes of gravel.  These trees could have been used by the township, sold, or given away as firewood, timber, fence posts or at very least wood chips.  This would have potentially offset some of the costs of the project, not to mention saved tax payers the expense of operating the chipper and paying the six or eight men who stood by watching the precious resource shredded and buried.  This destructive doctrine is everywhere, and the consequences of it are quickly piling up.  It does not need to be this way.  Each time we reuse an item, each time we say, “no, I don't need that thing,” we are keeping money in our pockets and resources on the earth for future generations.  Each time we utilize land for the growth of much needed human nourishment instead of useless concrete medians and high-maintenance grass, we save land for the conservation of clean air and water.  If you don't want to cut down on consumption for the good of your children, or for future generations, do it for yourself.  If we do not make sustainability of all things a key consideration in our choices very soon, we will all be left severely wanting—of air to breathe, of arable land to grow food on, of anything useful at all.  Of course, if we want any of these things in the future, we could always just look in a landfill, thirty feet down, under a compacted mass of 'waste'.  It's your choice.​