So I was out in Denver recently to revisit the Peter-Pan lifestyle that I used to lead not all that long ago. While pulling out of the Whole Foods (which used to be a Wild Oats) I noticed perhaps one of the most effective (public) rhetorical maneuvers that I’ve seen in a long time.
Envision if you will walking up to these two containers:
As I walk up with a plastic bottle, I look for the recycling option, which is not only there, but has a nice list of what’s acceptable and what’s not. I was thrilled with the fact that an effort was being made to not only sort but educate at the same time, knowing that recycling literacy is pitiful — even among those that self-identify as “green.” (Click here to see what Columbus accepts, which is a pretty standard list.)
But I was even more THRILLED when I saw this label on the other can:
What an effective way to redirect someone’s thought-path to consequences that aren’t otherwise considered in throwing away something into a “trash” bin. Even though it’s a move done by Whole Foods (a company whose ethical principles sometimes walk the line), it’s an excellent example of micro-politics: the making of everyday occurrences into conscious political acts.
And here’s the best part: this is easily transferable into an activist project that anyone can participate in. Stickers, stencils, or a simple crossed out “trash” with a penned in “landfill” in its spot will redirect otherwise mindless acts of devastation.
Perhaps someone should take the time to create a “landfill sticker depot” where you can get landfill stickers sent to you so that you can do some redirecting whenever you find the chance. A similar thing happened with the “Fuck” project. If you want to get some immature kicks, the book, “Fuck this Book” is relentlessly funny. Some sample shots below. Enjoy.
But seriously, thoughts on trashy rhetorics?
I love this strategy of gentle guerrila rhetoric. It reminds me of a more confrontational “movement” from a few years ago where people were going around slapping bumper stickers on SUV’s that said “I’m destroying the planet. Ask me how.” or something close to that. What’s cool about that one, I think, is its move towards dialogue, prompting people to ask about and answer for their consumption — which is, in many ways, far superior to (if less immediately satisfying than) my own tendency to flip off every Hummer I see… though I suppose that too may prompt dialogue one of these days…