Chris Jordan does crazy-scale pieces of art that depict real life statistics. For example, he has a canvas depicting what looks like an intricate system of tubing, but then you look closer and realize that it’s actually 1 million plastic cups. That’s the number of plastic cups used and thrown out by the airline industry in the United States every 6 hours. That’s 4 million plastic cups a day!
I was going to try to edit this clip so it only addresses his waste related art, but who am I to tamper with a TED talk? (also, I ran out of time)
His general point is that we are all collectively contributing to things that we don’t think are a really big deal (what’s a plastic cup or two?), but when it is multiplied by everyone who is doing it, it actually turns out to be a pretty big deal. Anyway, he can explain it much more eloquently, so I’ll just let him take it away.
Check out Chris’ website for more. He has got a beautiful one on there that is made out of 2.4 million pieces of plastic collected from the Pacific Ocean. That’s equal to the estimated number of pounds of plastic pollution that enter the world’s oceans every hour.
Puts it all in perspective eh?
The Clean Bin Project Blog 
Chris Jordan is a powerful speaker. Thank you for sharing this.
He might also have mentioned, as a social concern in the US, the 50 million babies murdered by abortion since the terrible Roe vs. Wade ruling thirty years ago.
Keith
Thanks for your comments Keith. Jordan did explain his art very well. We really do want to keep this blog non-political (except in a green activism kind of way), so I’ll leave it at that.
This is not exactly related to this blog but not sure where to leave this comment that is on my mind.
I keep thinking about something mentioned in a previous blog about cheese in reference to leaving our packaging with the store we purchased them.
I keep having this fun, and maybe possible vision, about 1 day a year ( maybe earth day) where stores are prepared to take back their packaging. Customers would be prepared to return it upon purchasing.. It would be a great way to keep businesses, and in turn distributors, on their toes annually.
I am sure there are lots of logistics involved in organizing such a thing. Do you think such a thing is possible? How do special days like that get approved?
Thanks for your time and work on this project.
I am traveling across the US right now trying to implement your methods whenever possible. It is frustrating when in a place of little resources to do so. We are carting 3 containers of compost now waiting to find a whole foods again or a farm who will help and the other day we came across a store that had some bulk but no idea how to deal with tare weights.
Interesting world we love in, I love the progression daily. Thanks again
Hmmm, that’s a good idea Kelly. I don’t know how you go about getting “a day” authorized, but if you do like the Buy Nothing Day people did, you just get a bunch of friends together, do some stealth advertising, and just do it.
You are so right that traveling is way harder than staying home when it comes to waste. Not only are facilities unknown, those little convenience foods keep popping up. I love the fact that you’re carrying your compost with you! Best of luck finding a whole foods. If worse comes to worse, you can always do a little guerrilla gardening (or should I say composting) in a municipal park.