Reducing waste
Shot in the dark: I would like it so that when we purchase physical goods, it didn’t immediately generate un-recyclable waste. I do shit all day long by going into an office that generates needless waste:
- Carbon emissions from driving cars (hello, need to start biking again)
- Coffee cups (I actually used my HydroFlask today, so - that’s a win)
- Food containers from food carts and grocery stores
- Shipping boxes
- Fucking paper junk mail
- All the fucking packaging on everything
It makes me wince whenever I make a purchase. Bam, another box in the trash, just so I could have that thing.
I'm not really thinking about recycling here, it's too haphazard and non standardized, and China isn't buying it anymore. I think we have to not generate unnecessary waste in the first place.
My skill set is software development. I do software consulting. I'm not super jazzed about creating another recurring revenue SaaS. Any body have any potential world changing, save-the-planet level ideas in this area?
Here is one that would be a huge win for me: a way to opt out of all the physical junk mail I get. Verizon keeps sending me offers to join Fios (no thanks), my own cable company keeps sending me offers to upgrade my internet and add phone and cable (no thanks), and e-commerce shops keep sending me new catalogs (no thanks).
Each time I throw this junk mail out, I think about how much waste this produces!
Thanks for the reply. There was an app I used a couple years back, where you could take pictures of your junk mail, and they would supposedly take care of unsubscribing for you. I don't think it worked very well, I continued to get junk mail from the same places.
Each time I throw away junk mail, I get mad it was sent to me.
If you ever decide to pursue this project...let me know how I can help out!