Plastic Explosion

A 1950s newspaper shows a man, woman, and child standing in a dark room. Their arms outstretched wide as an abundance of disposable plastics resides in the air. Plastic utensils, trays, cups, buckets, and plates seem like rain, filling the crevices of the image as they fall from the sky. Have they thrown these plastics or are they embracing its arrival? Perhaps both? Though either option does not change the fact that the trash can is still going to overflow, the joy on their faces proves that they do not understand the consequences of their actions on the planet. Their smiling faces haunt me, forcing me to accept that while I live in a world where plastic is pollution, they got to live in one where it was praiseworthy. In the 1950s plastic was advertised as a way to cut costs while also being convenient and easy to dispose of. Many people switched to using disposables because of ads in newspapers. It is a huge irony. Plastic used to make life easier but now all it does is make life harder. The same plates, utensils, and cups that they are throwing are the same that I saw along my walk in Worcester a month ago, and the same ones that I will see tomorrow.

 They appear to be a family of three, a mother, father, and daughter. However, the trash can is positioned in such a way, in between the mother and father, that it seems as if it has taken the spot where a second child should be standing. It is as if the family adopted this trash can, brought it into their home, and included it in the photo of a group hug where all they are hugging is trash. Without it, they would need to confront the sheer amount of trash that they produce, and try to break it down themselves instead of neglecting it and relying upon others. That trash can has become an irreplaceable part of the function of their family. It’s a livelihood that has evolved to be so vital in our own day-to-day lives that the amount of trash the family has in the photo pales in comparison to the waste of a modern one. And while we may not be cheering as we see plastic fall from the air we are still enjoying the benefits, consuming the same materials simply without a smile.