Welcome to the STUFF Toolbox. Here you can find the research, writings and some of the exercises/techniques we used to build our play.

We encourage you to use this Toolbox to guide your interest in learning more about STUFF, as well as the impact of human production & consumption of “stuff” on climate change. There’s hope, too: read about the many people working for positive change and questing for solutions.

You can contact us if you discover something that you think we should add to our Toolbox.

Table of Contents

You can use this table of contents to jump to a particular section:

The Manifesto (the Official Document of the ITTF, International Teenage Task Force), written in collaboration between the 100 Watt Youth Ensemble.

Toolbox Research: Here you can find our research & sources, framed by questions, that we explored when creating our play. You can read what each Youth Ensemble artist discovered, and how they chose to share this research.

Click on the topic questions below to move to the section that addresses that question.

• What Really Happens to our Recycling? 
• What’s the Situation with Landfills?
• What’s the Problem with Stuff? 
• What is Fast Fashion and what are its effects?
• What are Microplastics?
• What about Upcycling Poop?
• What are some Good Waste Management Practices around the World?
• What is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch / Trash Vortex?
• What is our Psychological Relationship with Stuff?
• What are the Politics of Waste?
• What is the History of Plastic and are there Benefits?
• Who are some of the Youth who are Making Changes?
• Miscellaneous

In Simple Terms : this section explains words and concepts that STUFF references in the play.

The Making of STUFF: Activities & Exercises you can do with your group of participants, whether in school, at work or with your family.

Curriculum & Connections with STUFF: STUFF is communicated in the form of theatre, its content speaks to many areas of life. If you see a curriculum connection that we haven’t made yet please let us know!

The Manifesto

The Manifesto: the official document of the ITTFOSTWNDN (International Teenage Task Force of Stuff That We Don’t Need)

Background:

As part of the creation of the world and characters in STUFF, the 100 Watt Youth Ensemble and I (Kristina Watt) asked ourselves: what if the youth around the world (196 Teenage Task Forces) invented an official document that tells all about their vision, goal, who they are, and how they hope their year of eliminating stuff will go? We created The Manifesto of the ITTFOSTWN, and you can read it below.

The Manifesto is key to the action in the play. For instance, as part of the story, each of the 9 characters read The Manifesto before deciding to be part of their country’s TTF. They find out which Role they are assigned and can read about what is expected for that Role. The Keeper of the Manifesto refers to the document throughout the play, making sure they follow the “rules.” And very key to the story inside STUFF, because of The Manifesto, the characters realize that planning is one thing; actually doing it is another. Part of the conflict in the play is that collision between the expected and the living experience.

The Manifesto is ©2024 100 Watt Productions  All Rights Reserved.

Toolbox Questions:

What really happens to our Recycling?

Research by Adele Harden (Fact Checker in STUFF)

• So many of our daily things contain plastic: Stove, Toothbrush, Toothpaste, Pajamas, Shirt, Makeup, Bus, Phone, Computer, Shoes, Deodorant, Basketball, Skis, Shaving cream, Guitar strings, Mop, Candles, Cushions, Glasses, Contacts, Shampoo, Shower curtain, Water pipe, Life jacket, Paint.
• 2.8 million out of 3.3 million tons of Canadian plastic waste ends up in landfills. That’s equal to the weight of 24 CN towers.
• Germany uses the green dot system where the more packaging there is the higher the fee this led to less paper, thinner glass and less metal being used, thus creating less garbage to be recycled.
• At the Disney World Resort in Florida, food waste from the resort is sent to an off-site commercial composting facility where it is broken down, naturally, and is then recycled into soil used for gardening, farming, and landscaping. In 2021, Disney World composted 15 million pounds of unusable food scraps.
• 8 million metric tons of plastic end up in the ocean each year.
• Most landfills and all dumps are among the biggest contributors to soil pollution – roughly 80% of the items buried in them could be recycled.
• 9 out of 10 people said they would recycle if it were “easier”.
• The energy it takes to make 1.5 million tons of plastic could power 250,000 homes.
• On average, Americans use 700 pounds of paper a year. Each.

Sources and for more information: 

What’s the situation with landfills?

Research by Alex Farnel (Time Keeper in STUFF)

In Canada:

Before engineered landfills –

• Just dumps. Dumps are basically a big hole where you put garbage. They are very different from landfill.
• Garbage also gets burned some of the garbage
• If you lived close to the water, many would just push it in

And now –

• Starting in the 1980s, landfills began being engineered, because the government started enforcing environmental laws. Rules got stronger as time went on.
• New landfills have an engineered bottom and top to contain contamination, and to protect the environment.
• Garbage in most of Canada is contained by the municipality.
• In northern communities where the ground is frozen and there are not as many reSources and for more information:, they  make a pile of garbage or burn it.

In the United States:

• Similar to Canada but more “entombing”,  i.e. they make a tomb as a landfill, solid on the top and bottom.

• They have massive landfills run by HUGE  companies.
• Some landfills are bigger than the Eiffel Tower.
• A whole portion of New York City used to be a landfill and they just built over it. 

Focus: in India:

• There are massive dumps in New Delhi. They have one 69 acre landfill (like 53 football fields).
• Some people in India live on landfills and pick the garbage for supplies and things to sell.

Some added facts about landfills?

• Uncontrolled and unengineered landfills (dumps) can catch on fire or have landslides and can end up burying people. Dumps are not the best way of dealing with garbage.
• In countries that don’t have a ton of land available (like Europe) landfills aren’t as popular because it actually is cheaper to incinerate. 
• That is the difference in North America: there is a lot of space whereas other places don’t have that. Same thing on island communities: it is hard to manage garbage because there is limited space.
• In Hawaii, landfill garbage is often swept out to sea in big storms. 
• In places that are close to sea level you can’t dig a hole because of the water: more challenging.
• In developing countries there are many more dumps instead of landfills, such as in Africa 90% of their garbage goes to dumps (uncontrolled landfills).
• On the whole, engineered landfills are a great way to manage waste.

View all the dumps/landfills in Ottawa here.

Sources and for more information: 

My Mom, Megan Farnel, a solid waste Engineer.

McKinley, J. (2023, September 17). New York’s Biggest Landfill Could Get Even Bigger. The New York Times. (link)

Renwick, D. (2023, September 21). A look at the secret world where our waste ends up. Corporate Knights. (link)

United Nations Environment Programme. (n.d.). Africa Waste Management Summary for Decision-makers. (link)

 What’s the problem with stuff? 

Research by Brianna Lortie Chartrand (Bailiff in STUFF)

The problem is called overconsumption. We buy a lot and we toss a lot of what we buy. Consumerism is one of the world’s leading causes of climate change, but people seem to overlook it or not notice it a lot because we don’t usually directly see our impact. When you are in a car, you see the gas being emitted and sent into the atmosphere; you see the pollution. But when we buy stuff, we don’t seem to realize the amount of trash we create. And the more we buy, the more pollution we create. This includes the creation of the stuff, its manufacturing, its transportation… It all adds up to so, so much that I even have trouble comprehending.

“The way in which individuals consume reSources and for more information: — whether its energy, food, or clothing —  is paving the planet’s way towards a tipping point which may not be reversed.”

The countries in the world that make the most trash are the U.S.A and Canada. Why? because they are high income countries. With stuff just a click away and a shop close by, we can bring a lot of stuff into our home and just toss it out afterwards.

“U.S. consumers spent $17.4 trillion on goods and services in 2022—a number that has doubled in 17 years, as it sat at $8.8 trillion in 2005.”

“Each Canadian generates approximately 2.7 kg of garbage each day.”

“The average American produces 2.04 kg of trash each day.”

In the clothing industry this problem is year round because microtrends and cheap, low-quality items of clothing lead to massive overconsumption. Consuming more and more impacts the planet in multiple ways:

• Resource depletion: “The more we consume, the more reSources and for more information: we deplete. The production of new goods requires extracting natural reSources and for more information:, including minerals, fossil fuels, and wood. This leads to environmental degradation and ecosystem disruption.”
• Energy consumption: All of this stuff being manufactured and transported and distributed uses a lot of energy, usually from fossil fuels. This contributed to greenhouse gas emission, pollution and climate change.
• A generation of waste: With bringing new stuff into our home, we often throw away the old stuff, creating a lot of waste which poses numerous challenges. Many products, like plastics, aren’t easily recyclable, adding to landfill waste. In addition, other disposal methods, such as incineration, can emit toxins and pollutants into the air.”

Let’s overcome the “consumer mindset”. Stop collecting stuff to throw it out. This will heal the planet. We hurt the planet with the linear system: taking reSources and for more information: from a source that is not infinite, not sustaining that source, creating stuff from the reSources and for more information: in a very polluting way, and overbuying the stuff and throwing it out. The disposal of that stuff can end up in garbage patches in the ocean, and in natural habitats everywhere.

Solutions?

• Stop using single-use products!!! Single-use products are like plastic bags, paper towels, Q-tips, they are thrown in the trash after one use. Use eco-friendly and reusable products to reduce waste and save money.
• Skip fast fashion and furniture. Invest in things that last longer. Only invest in what you really need.
• “Declutter” doesn’t mean just throwing stuff in the trash.

I read this, which I think is pretty powerful, and I think it’s true! “Most importantly, acknowledging that material goods are not a source of happiness can help prevent the impact of materialism and consumerism on the planet. Showing gratitude for what one has rather than thinking of what there still is to have can improve the impact of the masses. All of the causes of the climate crisis seem to have a common enemy — consumerism. From garbage patches in the oceans, to mass deforestation, to air pollution, all of these problems stem from the need to make more, own more, and consume more. If humans don’t alter this mindset, there might not be anything left to consume. We will drown in unwanted garbage.”

Sources and for more information:

• Baker, R. (2023, June 28). How Our “Stuff” Problem Impacts the Planet (and the Key to Beating Overconsumption for Good). Brightly. (link)
• Kukawska, M. (2022, November 7). The Problem with Stuff. The Tower. (link)
• Waste. (2014). CRC Research. (link)

What is Fast Fashion and what are its effects?

Research by Jax Young (Fact Seeker in STUFF)

What is fast fashion?

• Cheaply produced and priced clothes that copy the most recent styles. They get pumped quickly through stores in order to maximize current trends. 
• Rapid design, production, distribution, and marketing of clothing means that retailers are able to put out large quantities of product variety and allow consumers to get more fashion at a low price. 
• In 2012, Zara was able to design, produce and deliver a new garment in two weeks; Forever 21 in six weeks and H&M in eight weeks. 

What are the effects on the environment?

• The fashion industry is the second-largest consumer industry of water, requiring 2700 litres to produce 1 cotton shirt. 
• Textile dyeing is also the second-largest water polluter, since the water left over from the dyeing process is often dumped into ditches, streams, or rivers. 
• Synthetic fibres like polyester, nylon, and acrylic take hundreds of years to biodegrade. An estimated 35% of all microplastics in the ocean are from washing synthetic textiles. 
• Cotton, which is in a large amount of fast fashion products, is not environmentally friendly to manufacture. Pesticides deemed necessary for the growth of cotton present health risks to farmers.
• During the decomposition process, textiles generate greenhouse methane gas and leach toxic chemicals and dyes into the groundwater and our soil. 

What are the impacts on society?

• 80% off apparel is made by young women between 18 and 24. 
• A 2018 US Department of Labour report found evidence of forced and child labour in the fashion industry in Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Turkey, Vietnam and more. 
• Rapid production means that sales profits are more important than human welfare.
• These developing nations rarely follow environmental regulations. China, for example, is a major producer of fast fashion but is notorious for land degradation and air and water pollution. 

How about some statistics?

• Canadians throw away close to 500 million kilograms of fabric on a yearly basis. 
• Dyeing and finishing is responsible for 3% of global CO2 emissions and over 20% of global water pollution. 
• 85% of all textiles go to dumps each year. 
• Washing clothes releases 500,000 tons of microfibres into the oceans each year – the equivalent of 50 billion plastic bottles. 
• The world consumes around 80 billion new pieces of clothing every year, 400% more than the consumption twenty years ago.

Sources and for more information:

• Brown, R. (2021, January 8). The Environmental Crisis Caused by Textile Waste. Road Runner. (link)
• Igini, M. (2023, August 21). 10 Concerning Fast Fashion Waste Statistics. Earth.org. (link)
• Maiti, R. (2024, January 5). Fast Fashion and Its Environmental Impact. Earth.org. (link)
• Nielsen, K. (2023, January 23). Canadians Dump 500M Kilograms of Textiles a year. Ontario Researchers Hope to Change That | Globalnews.ca. Global News. (link).

What are Microplastics?

Research by Kat Derikx (Director in STUFF)

Microplastics

Small particles of plastics; synthetic, high-molecular weight compound, that are micronized (broken down) into small plastic particles (5mm or less); these types of materials have a very low biodegradation rate, meaning they will stick around in our environment for a long time

There are two categories, primary and secondary:

• Primary: specifically designed and manufactured for commercial use (cosmetic, microfibres from textiles and fabrics)
• Secondary: come from breakdown of plastic items, often due to environmental factors. Some of the microplastics found in the ocean come from littering, but most of it is due to water runoff, storms and winds that will move plastic and microplastics. Single use plastics are the primary source of secondary plastics in the environment

Exposure to Microplastics?

• Ingestion (eating, drinking, e.g.)

• considered the major route of human exposure
• microplastics  may reach the gastrointestinal system via contaminated food or via the mucociliary clearance (the lung’s defense mechanism which captures toxins and other harmful particles found in the mucus layer and removes them from airways). This may lead to an inflammatory response, increased permeability (which means the gut allows more than just water and nutrients to ge in) and changes in gut microbe composition and metabolism
•  Particles could be adsorbed in the intestine by specialized M-cells, covering an intestinal lymphoid tissue
• Insoluble particles could penetrate the intestinal mucus due to the growth in solubility because of adsorption of a corona of intestinal contents
• Persorption: allows particles to be transferred through the layer of the intestinal epithelium
• Inhalation

•  Less dense and smaller particles will reach deeper in the lungs
•  Clearance by macrophages or migration to the circulation or lymphatic system may cause particle translocation
• Large surface area of small particles in respiratory system could cause a release of chemotactic factors that prevent macrophage migration and increase permeability leading to chronic inflammation
• Dermal (skin) contact:

• Less significant method of exposure, but could be significant for nanoplastics
• Human epithelial cells suffer oxidative stress (where there is too much production of reactive oxygen species in relation to antioxidant defense) from micro plastic exposure 

What are the effects on the human body?

Little is known of the health effects of ingesting microplastics. In high concentration or high individual susceptibility, it is thought that microplastics could cause inflammatory lesions, which comes from the possibility of the surface of microplastics interacting with tissues. Could also cause neurodegenerative diseases, immune disorders and cancers, like many other environmental contaminants. Could alter the intestinal microbiome, which could lead to imbalances with harmful bacteria and beneficial bacteria, causing gastrointestinal symptoms (abdominal pain, bloating, change in

bowel habits). Could cause chemical toxicity, meaning absorbing environmental toxins, which can again lead to

gastrointestinal symptoms (nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain); can be carriers of other environmental toxins (for example, PS), which could damage lung cells. Can cause oxidative stress in the airways, which could lead to coughing, shortness of breath caused by inflammation, low blood oxygen concentration (in fact, nano plastics were shown to

be related to mitochondrial damage in respiratory cells).

Sources and for more information:

• Lee, Y., Cho, J., Sohn, J., & Kim, C. (2023). Health effects of microplastic exposures: Current issues and perspectives in south korea. Yonsei Medical Journal, 64(5), 301–301. National Library of Medicine. (link)
• National Geographic. (2022, May 20). Microplastics | National Geographic Society. Education.nationalgeographic.org; National Geographic. (link)
• Prata, J. C., da Costa, J. P., Lopes, I., Duarte, A. C., & Rocha-Santos, T. (2020). Environmental exposure to microplastics: An overview on possible human health effects. Science of the Total Environment, 702(134455). (link)

What about Upcycling Poop?

Research by Jax Young (Fact Seeker in STUFF)

1. Cow manure can be used to fertilize fields

• Crop yield was found to rise by 12.7% when more than half of synthetic fertilizer is replaced by animal waste. 
• Using animal waste also led to better storage of carbon in the soils, which means less carbon is lost to the atmosphere as the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. 

2. Turn poop into paper

• In Thailand, elephant poop is an ideal candidate for paper, since only about 45% of the plants and fibers the elephant consumes are absorbed. Panda poop is also used because of their high-fiber diet. 
• Welsh company Sheep Poo Paper has managed to get similar results using sheep droppings. 

3. Dried dung for fuel

• Dried poop which is used as a fuel source. 
• Known as ‘dung cakes’ in India and is traditionally used for cooking food, usually made from cow or buffalo poop – easy way to dispose of cow poo, cheap and available. 
• This is used in many countries, including Egypt, where they use camel dung. 
• Downside: increased air pollution. 

4. Biogas

• Biogas is a gaseous renewable energy source produced from raw materials such as agricultural waste, manure, sewage, and food waste. 
• Produced when microorganisms break down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen, a process called anaerobic digestion. 
• Wetland soils are the main natural source of methane. Other Sources and for more information: include oceans and forest soils. 
• Made of mostly methane and carbon dioxide – able to be used as fuel for cooking, used to create electricity, or power vehicles. 
• Can be produced industrially – as landfill gas (produced by decomposition in landfills) or by an anaerobic digester (air-tight tanks where decomposition happens). 
• Downside: The air pollution is similar to that of natural gas. 

5. Building with poop

• Additions of fecal matter up to 20% by dried weight in clay bricks does not make a significant functional difference to bricks. 

6. There’s Gold in poop!

• A Japanese sewage treatment facility extracts precious metals from sewage sludge (semi-solid material produced as a by-product of sewage treatment). 
• This is probably due to the large number of precision equipment manufacturers in the vicinity that use gold. 
• The facility found 1,890 grams of gold per tonne of ash from incinerated sludge. That is a far higher content than Japan’s Hishikari Mine, one of the world’s top gold mines, which contains 20-40 grams of gold per tonne of ore. 
• This idea was also tested by the US Geological Survey which found that the yearly sewage sludge generated by 1 million people contained 13 million dollars worth of precious metals. 

Sources and for more information: 

• Hannink, N. (2017, August 23). The power of recycled poo. Pursuit. (link)
• Recycling Animal Waste into Paper | Animal Waste Products. (2017, August 23). Waste Wise Products Inc. (link)
• Reuters. (2009, January 30). Sewage yields more gold than top mines. Reuters. (link)
• Wikipedia Contributors. (2019, March 10). Biogas. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation. (link)
• Wikipedia Contributors. (2024, March 27). Reuse of human excreta. Wikipedia. (link).

Good Waste Management Practices around the World?

Writings from Research by Sebastien Cimpaye (Keeper of the Manifesto)

RELIGIOUS GROUPS

In the 14th century, there was great debate amongst christian ecclesiastes pertaining to the poverty of Christ and his disciples. Groups of monks had gone rogue and started living in accordance with the teachings of saint Francis which claimed that Christ and the apostles had no possessions and that therefore monks should not own anything as well. There was a lot of pushback from the pope (Jean XXII) who felt personally attacked by these ideas ; he probably owned a lot of stuff ! Nonetheless, waste management concepts are found in many religions : Christianism, Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism and more. What’s interesting about these movements is that they were not intended to better the climate but to better people ! I chose to focus on contemplative nuns. When they enter the order, they are supposed to relinquish all possessions and lead a life exempt from unnecessary pleasures. They eat what they’ve planted in their gardens and sell what they bake. Interestingly enough, they even practice an intellectual economy, an economy of thought and speech. Language isn’t wasted (they speak only at given times and when necessary), mind power isn’t wasted (they are taught to live in the present moment(when they eat, they eat, when they pray, they pray, when they study, they study)), emotion isn’t wasted (it is all geared towards their objective : saving our souls from damnation) and of course, stuff isn’t wasted cause they don’t have any (except from shared study books). Victor Frankl said : When people’s lives lack meaning, they distract themselves with pleasure. I think some nuns are so imbued with passion for what they are doing, and are so convinced of the inherent rightness of their actions that they simply don’t feel the need to consume anymore. Whereas I’m not always certain of what I should be saying, thinking, feeling and producing more waste than them. 

STORYTELLING

The Chekhov’s gun principle is a waste management idea. According to it, you shouldn’t put unnecessary stuff in your narrative. Mel Brooks had similar techniques with comedy and movies. He said that one had to beat his or her first draft with a sledgehammer and only keep what stood upright. I read somewhere that Samuel Beckett realized at some point, after having worked with James Joyce, that he could not out modernist the modernists. Whereas James Joyce’s work was full of meaning and references and resulted of a process of adding more content to a first draft to create a titanic achievement of sorts, he needed to follow a contrary method ; to strip away all he could from text, situation, character, set design, meaning, etc. he really focuses the audience’s attention. He doesn’t waste anything. 

INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE

Heidemarie Shwermer lives in Berlin and was a school teacher before retiring and deciding to abandon money and possessions other than that which she could keep in a single suitcase and backpack. She’s traveled the world trading therapy lessons, gardening and cleaning for food and a place to sleep. 

Andrew Hyde, author and stay at home bartender is a minimalist and spent two years with only fifteen possessions to his name (excluding underwear and socks) :

It was an experiment and it worked, he has since gone back to his former train of life while still advocating for people not letting their lives be controlled by things or debt

BEDOUINS

Bedouins live in the desert and are semi-nomadic. Having too much stuff would hinder their survival. Their tents can be large and often contain three sections : one for women, one for men and one for livestock. Familial units usually own pots and pans, cotton quilts on which they sleep, carpets which they lay on the sand, clothing and things to start fires with. All these things can be loaded onto a camel and traveled for miles. They do not waste anything from the camels. They are used as means of transport, their hides help to make tents, camel milk is transformed into yogurt or butter and camel meat is eaten as a delicacy during weddings. When they need or want something they can’t produce themselves, they trade things with sedentary people. Things have changed but for the longest time, they lived without money. They don’t waste much because they don’t have that much and yet they lack nothing. As opposed to the nuns, they aren’t consciously leaving the world of attachment and material possessions, it’s just more practical because of the region and their need to move quickly. 

PLACES

KAMIKATSU: a japanese municipality aiming to produce no waste by 2030 (their goal was 2020 but it changed).Citizens receive points for acting in eco responsible ways and can purchase eco friendly products with said points. They also have a rideshare system where even the mayor is registered as a driver!

FREA: a zero waste, vegan restaurant in Berlin !!! They purchase the entirety of their products from organic, local farmers. What they can’t use, they put in a compost bin and the contents of that bin are redistributed to the farmers from which they purchase ingredients! 

For more, click here Vegan Zero Waste Restaurant in Berlin | David Suchy and his less is more concept | FREA

KOLO: a reuse center in Bratislava, Slovakia. 1,200 m2  of space filled with usable items donated by citizens. People come to this store and purchase items.

For more, click here: Mesto Bratislava má inšpiratívne centrum opätovného použitia KOLO 

Organizations and Individuals who are Transforming Trash:

CHUK

20% more expensive than plastic-made and styrofoam products. Why? In part, because he pays his employees more than minimum wage. No monetary profit yet.

Biodegradable? YES, if users put it in a compost and leave it 90-100 days. Then it will degrade. But if you put it in a landfill? It will not degrade and be destructive.
Read more here.

SKATEBOARDS: AdrianMartinus

Fact! 2 000 000 skateboards end up in landfills and dumps each year. Skateboarding is very popular now, especially since it became an Olympic event in 2021. 

These are two brothers in Alberta, Canada: Adrian Martinus Pool (established 2012). The brothers turn the skateboards into bowls, earrings, furniture, baseball bat, pool cues. Skateboards often made from wood–7 layers of it, sheets of it that are then glued together. Very hard. Solid. Often Maple. Unique quality ideal for upcycling. The colors are unique and are used as they are. They get them from shops (broken, about 45/month), landfills and parents who donate them. 

How do they do it? They remove all the grip tape and glue on top, and remove the logo and coating. Then they break them into their 7 sheet layers. Curved ends turn into bowls. Boards get clamped together, remove corners, shape and polish.

15 bowls take about 3 weeks to make. $400 each bowl.

Learn more here.

BIOLOGS

In Argentina. At BIOLOG, they turn the debris from making apple cider into logs/bricks that can be used as firewood, cooking logs, etc. Saves on deforestation. But they say it is hard to change established and ancestral mindset about this being the same as wood. 

GLASS HALF FULL

In New Orleans. At GLASS HALF FULL, they turn glass into sand. Used beer bottles, etc. from landfills and dumps. Turn it into gravel and sand: disaster relief, prevention of shoreline erosion. Last year alone, they used 4 000 000 beer bottles. Often people don’t recycle them because there is not a recycling facility nearby. OR, if they were to be recycled, all of the glass, heavy, would then get transported to a facility far away. At an environmental cost. They do it all locally. People drop off their bottles –Glass Mountain–more than they can use! They crush (the Crusher) it into 5 sizes of particles. Bigger gravel is ideal for making gravel and for coastal restoration. Finest is like powder. For sandbags for people–prevent flooding. Sand dredging usually happens in lakes and oceans. Then it is used for concrete. This is not an environmentally friendly process and the resource can get scarcer and scarcer as more demand grows, especially with flooding cities and erosion, etc. 

Learn more here.

Sources and for more information: 

• Age of Happiness. (2016, May 3). Heidemarie Schwermer, Who Doesn’t Need Money. Medium. (link)
• FREA. (n.d.). FREA – das weltweit erste vegane zero waste Restaurant in Berlin Mitte. FREA. (link)
• KOLO: ONE OF THE FIRST PERMANENT REUSE CENTRES IN SLOVAKIA. (n.d.). The Innovation in Politics Institute. Retrieved April 23, 2024, from (link)
• Laskow, S. (2012, January 4). This guy owns only 15 things. Grist. (link)
• Meunier, R. (n.d.). BÉDOUINS. Encyclopædia Universalis. Retrieved April 23, 2024, from (link)
• TSchectman, S. (2018, June 29). The Hidden Life. (video link)
• montrealfilmguy. (2021, May 27). Peter O’ Toole revisits Lawrence of Arabia shoot. (link)
• The Hindu. (2020, September 17). Kamikatsu: The zero-waste town in Japan. (link)
• Umberto Eco. (1980). The name of the rose. Penguin Random House. (link)
• Wikipedia Contributors. (2004, August 20). Chekhov’s gun. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. (link)

What is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch / Trash Vortex?

Research & writings by Sophie Dean (PeaceKeeper in STUFF)

• I found out that there was a boat made entirely of thermoplastics, and a hull made up of solely plastic bottles! It’s called Plastiki, named after the famous vessel Kon-Tiki. The leader of the project, David de Rothschild and his team were inspired by Charles Moore’s discovery/exploration of the Garbage Patch. David’s goal was to repurpose the plastic into something fully functional, so he put together a group of 9 other people to sail from San Francisco to Sydney, Australia with him in 2010–and they successfully did! As National Geographic put it,   “The sturdiness of the Plastiki displayed the strength and durability of plastics, the creative ways that they can be repurposed, and the threat they pose to the environment when they don’t decompose.” Read more here.

• As of April 2023, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch has grown large enough to house a whole ECOSYSTEM. A WHOLE NEW ECOSYSTEM. A researcher said that they “identified 484 marine invertebrate organisms on the debris, accounting for 46 different species, of which 80% were normally found in coastal habitats“. It’s been labeled as “neopolagic communities“; the ‘neo’ part coming from the fact that the coastal species and native pelagic species are now communicating so frequently that they’ve begun to form their own ecosystem on the plastic. Right now, it’s unsure if the species just “hitched a ride” on the debris or if they’re actually in the process of colonizing it, but the fact that they’ve interacted enough for a WHOLE ECOSYSTEM TO FORM ON IT IS SO…AAAAA! Read more here. (content note images of marine life with plastic).

• Then I read, “Without urgent policy action, the rate at which plastics enter the oceans could increase by around 2.6 times between now and 2040“, which is a terrifying thought. The Research Institute spearheading this noted that, “since the 1970s, there have been a slew of agreements aimed at stemming the tide of plastic pollution reaching the ocean, yet they are mostly voluntary, fragmented and rarely include measurable targets.” The president of non-profit Beyond Plastics said that “policies to reduce the amount of plastic produced in the first place are the only real solution.”

• I also found out just exactly how the Trash Vortex works! There are areas of spinning debris located north of Hawai’i, where warm water from the South Pacific meets the cold Arctic water. It’s called the “convergence zone,” and the zone is like a highway that lets the debris move from patch to patch. As for the patches themselves, they move like gyres, and the center of a gyre is like the eye of a hurricane: it’s very gentle, calm, and stable. The whirlpool-like function of the gyre funnels the debris into the centre, where it then gets trapped since it’s too calm for any currents to do any significant displacement. You probably already knew this but I just found it really fascinating!

Sources and for more information:

• Jarrett, C. (2013, August 13). The Psychology of Stuff and Things. BPS. (link)
• Kottasová, I. (2023, April 17). The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is now so huge and permanent that a coastal ecosystem is thriving on it. CNN. (link)
• Paddison, L. (2023, March 8). More than 170 trillion plastic particles found in the ocean as pollution reaches “unprecedented” levels. CNN. (link)

What is our Psychological Relationship with Stuff?

Research by Sophie Dean (PeaceKeeper in STUFF)

• The other papers and studies pointed towards identity being a HUGE factor in our relationship with stuff, which of course makes sense. Something that’s REALLY interesting though is that when looking at brain scans of people talking about their stuff, it activates the same part of the brain that engages when talking about one’s personality or character traits.
• Along the line of identity, I found out about a concept called “backward contagion“. It refers to objects that were owned by people who have done unkind or criminal actions. If a pair of sunglasses was worn by a serial killer, for instance, people won’t want to own it because they believe it’s been imbued with the wearer’s essence. An actual study was done on this, where young kids were shown an image of another kid their age wearing a cool shirt. The kid was told that the child in the image was a “bad child”, and then asked if they wanted the child’s shirt. The kids who were part of the experiment vehemently refused it, but when the suggestion of washing the shirt came up, the kids were more open to the idea of owning the shirt. It’s particularly fascinating because it’s so biologically inconsistent with our understanding of contamination.
• Circling back to identity, one part of an article I read talked about objects being part of one’s identity. An experiment was done where people were asked to talk about themselves. When the people ran out of personal details to talk about, or if the personal details were deemed unsatisfactory, they would resort to talking about their stuff. Material items seem to be linked to self-worth, which makes sense considering the consumerist values instilled in us. People with lower self-worth tend to gravitate towards materialism, believing owning an expensive car or a lot of rare furniture will make them appear more interesting or cool. In support of this, an experiment was conducted, one where a child was asked to describe their favourite object. Then, they were instructed to play two rounds of computer games, both rigged: one in favour, one against. When asked if they were okay with sharing their special object, the children who just lost objected, while the children who just won were more okay with letting someone else have their object.
• Relationships with stuff also seem to be different depending on your age. After reading the articles, my consensus is:
  Children: attachment with items for sentimentality, “I had it first”, comfort/stability, transition items
  Teen: attachment with items for self-esteem boosters, fitting in
  Adult: attachment with items for identity, sense of self, idealism
• Another article I read posed a very interesting paradox about materialism. It said, “It’s normal to feel attached to material possessions, and there isn’t anything wrong with wanting to take good care of and/or protect our things. The imbalance arises when we become so attached to our things that it affects our well-being at the thought of not having them. In this way, we give material things power to dictate our peace and happiness.”   I find it paradoxical because so many people believe that money and material things equal happiness, but because of this belief and our attachment to things, we turn that notion into a self-fulfilling prophecy by letting the items control our happiness, like the article said. 
• My favourite article, aptly named “The Psychology of Stuff and Things,” said this towards the end of it:  “Our relationship with our stuff is in the midst of great change. Dusty music and literary collections are being rehoused in the digital cloud. Where once we expressed our identity through fashion preferences and props, today we can cultivate an online identity with a carefully constructed homepage. We no longer have to purchase an item to associate ourselves with it, we can simply tell the world via Twitter or Facebook about our preferences. The self has become extended, almost literally, into technology, with Google acting like a memory prosthetic. In short, our relationship with our things, possessions and brands remains as important as ever, it’s just the nature of the relationship is changing.” This is just a FASCINATING concept on its own!
• In the same article, they cited a study wherein the results of it showed that people who bought experiences (concert tickets, day pass to amusement park) were happier and felt more fulfilled than those who bought strictly material things. This suggests that materialism isn’t actually that bad. The article itself put it best, I think:   “To the extent that acquisitions are motivated by intrinsic goals such as affiliation, belonging, pride and self-reward, they predict that materialism will improve well-being. Even when it comes to signaling identity to others, they predict no adverse effects of materialism if the signal is true to the self.”

Sources and for more information:

• Russo, F. (2018, June 1). Why we become so attached to our belongings. Scientific American. (link)
• Swann, J. (2023, April 2). Material things – things that benefit us and things to let go. Gone Minimal. (link)

What are the Politics of Waste?

Research by Taiya Peckham (Archivist in STUFF)

In certain communities, both in Canada and worldwide, some people do not have the same access to living a sustainable life. So, how can we expect for everyone to follow what we deem to be the ‘rules’ of environmentalism? 

Middle class citizens in relatively populated and urban areas can fairly easily access and use electric cars. Some people can even have the ability to use no car. But, having no car, or (with current infrastructure) a fully electric car, is simply not an accessible means of sustainability for the majority of people in Canada. 

In Canada, we had a total of 152 685 battery electric vehicles, and 95 896 plug in electric vehicles registered in 2021. Yet, we still only had less than 7,000 charging stations, most of which are located solely in major cities. This means, if you chose a fully electric car as your mode of transportation, you would be completely cut off from the majority of Canada. This also means that if you live in a part of Canada that doesn’t have stations, you would be unable to drive more than a few hours before returning home to charge. 

The widely accepted idea of an ‘ecological footprint’ fosters the mindset that if you eat more animal-based products, drive more, and don’t use public transportation instead, then you are a ‘worse’ environmentalist than someone who does all these things. But, this calculator does not take into account the geopolitical and geographical factors involved. 

There is no way to condense morality, as each decision on how to be a better person is influenced by where you live, what your career is, how wealthy you are, and other factors out of your control. We can all do our best with the reSources and for more information: we have, without relying on westernized and rigid ways of deciding who is doing better.

A couple of added notes:

• There’s a new movement called the “right to repair”.
• 94.9% of all registered light-duty vehicles remained motor gasoline in 2021 vs 11,893 gas stations.

Sources and for more information:

• Canadian Fuels webpage article “Fuel Retailing” (link)
• City of Ottawa Electiric Cars information page (link)
• Automotive statistics from Statistics Canada (link)
• Calculate your Ecological footprint here.

What is the history of Plastic and are there benefits?

Research by Taiya Peckham

Definitions:

“Plastic is a loose term for describing materials that can be formed and molded under heat and pressure.

Polymers are the chemical class of materials that make up all modern plastics. They are large molecules, consisting of a chain of repeating smaller molecules (monomers). The process of combining these monomers (e.g. ethylene gas) by heat and pressure is called polymerisation. “ (Link here) 

History of plastic:

The first synthetic polymer (or “plastic”) was invented in 1869 by John Wesley Hyatt, who was trying (and succeeded) to make a substance that would be a substitute for ivory.  This was a revolutionary invention, as it was the first time that humans created something partially synthetic, most of the molecules could not be found in nature. It was also extremely beneficial to both people and planet, as it created less and less demand for tortoise and elephant ivory, and was seen as a way to protect the natural world from overconsumption. (1) 

In 1907 Leo Baekeland invented Bakelite, the first fully synthetic plastic, meaning it contained no molecules found in nature. Bakelite was made as a substitute for shellac, a natural electrical insulator. It was marketed as “the material of a thousand uses”, and quickly gained popularity, causing many chemical companies to start investing in the advancement of new polymers. 

Nylon, invented by Wallace Carothers in 1935 was used during World War Two to cheaply manufacture parachutes, ropes, body armour, and other items usually made with silk. (2)

During World War 2, plastic production in the United States increased by 300%. Then, the post-war economic boom caused even more plastic to be produced. Plastic, like its original use, replaced traditional materials with cheap alternatives, simultaneously allowing for more people to afford products, and allowing for corporations to increase their profit margin. 

Plastic debris in the oceans was first observed in the 1960s. Due to social movements during this time, people were already becoming more aware of their political and environmental landscapes. As awareness spread, so did concerns over the impact that plastic may have on our world. 

Plastic’s reputation fell further in the 1970s and 1980s as anxiety about waste increased.

Read more here (content note image of a bird carcass with plastic in it’s belly).

Who are the Youth out there who are Making Change?

Research by William Mann (Ambassador in STUFF)

Boyan Slat

Boyan started doing his own research, trying to understand what the problem was. He read thoroughly into the reasoning behind the issues and ways that he can help with his knowledge and interest in technology. He began thinking about this problem seriously, and very frequently. Slat even did a whole high school project about the waste in our oceans and why so many consider cleaning it to be an impossible challenge. In 2012, he did a TEDx talk presenting his ideas and his thoughts that later went viral on the internet. Slat actually dropped out of university in the middle of pursuing a degree in aerospace engineering to dedicate his time to developing his ideas regarding ocean waste inventions. 

It was shortly after this when Boyan Slat founded his project: The Ocean Cleanup. After accumulating $2.2 million dollars in crowd funding, Boyan got to work. The Ocean Cleanup’s main projects are their cleanup systems that basically work as artificial coastal lines. The systems are two boats that haul behind them a large U-shaped piece of equipment that works to trap and concentrate floating plastics to bring them out of the ocean (Figure 1). Read more about Boyan here and the Ocean Clean up here.

Bye Bye Plastic Bags, which is run by the Bali sisters, is an amazing organization that pushes for decreasing plastics in Indonesia and much more. The organization advocates for things not explicitly related to plastic bags as well. They have a very big focus on education and awareness as well. Bye Bye Plastic Bags conducts educational programs and awareness campaigns to inform people about the environmental impact of plastic (bags). They do presentations, school workshops, and they’re active on social media. The best part is that it’s helmed by the amazing young ladies that started it at such a young age. It’s been over ten years since the Wijsen sisters started Bye Bye Plastic Bags now, and they’ve kept themselves busy. Indonesia has improved since the girls started their organization better (Figure 2), and the sisters certainly played their part in that.
Read more here.

Esohe Ozigbo, a 15-year-old eco-warrior in Lagos, is creating a significant impact with her “Trashion Show.” She’s a young activist and her mission is to raise awareness about recycling and the environment. Esohe, along with her fellow activists, collects old items like plastic bottles and shopping bags to create stylish outfits. Then they show off their trashion on runways at malls, mixing fashion with advocacy to spread a green message.

For Esohe, the “Trashion Show” holds personal significance. She’s been dedicated to this cause for years, and it’s become her way of showcasing what can be achieved with items most people mindlessly throw away.

Lagos, with its 20 million people, creates 10,000 metric tons of waste daily. It’s a city filled with plastic waste and litter, making Esohe’s efforts all the more critical.

Beyond the fashion shows, Esohe and her group take part in the  community clean-ups, recently tackling a major plastic pollution problem that blocked a waterway. Their mission is supported by Greenfingers Wildlife Initiative, a non-profit conservation group.Together, they collect and recycle plastics, taking a creative approach to repurpose garbage with their ‘Trashion Show.’

Inspired by people like teenage activist Greta Thunberg, Esohe hopes that their group’s initiatives will encourage people to reflect on their actions and their impact on the environment. She emphasizes the urgency of the younger generation taking the lead in environmental stewardship, as they will be the ones responsible for the Earth’s future. Esohe’s determination and passion shows the power of youth-led activism in making a positive change in the world. 
Read more CBS article here. Reuters article here.

THE INVISIBLE YOUTH

For every teen that is discussed in the media, for every teen that is renowned for their contributions, there are thousands of young people whose contributions haven’t been recognized at that level. These are the people that are saving us. The teens that are doing their part, with attention or not. There are opportunities for everyone to get involved. Beach cleanups, joining a club, attending an event or a protest. There’s always a way. There are probably people out there who are currently doing their part, currently thinking of innovations, currently being inspired and challenged and currently dreaming that they can help just like Boyan, Melati, Isabel and Esohe, and they already are helping. So while I do love the fact that the media picks up on these amazing youth, it’s sort of sad that there are so many out there going unrecognized. Media finds the good stories, and that’s it’s job. Unfortunately, not every young person has created an organization or something on a scale high enough for the CNN to discuss it. However, they’ve still done or are doing their part and I wish that they could get recognition like that.

There are youth around the world who are trying, and succeeding at doing their part. With that, there’s hope.

More Sources and for more information:

• Contributors to Wikimedia projects. (2023b, October 8). Boyan Slat. Wikipedia link.
• Lee, X. E. (2018, October 30). Indonesia is the biggest plastic polluter after China. This 17-year-old wants to change that. CNBC link.

MISCELLANEOUS!

Bioplastics

• Biobased: derived from biological Sources and for more information: eg corn, potatoes, wood, food waste, lobster shells
• Biodegradable: they can be broken down by microbes into natural substances eg water, CO2 and compost under certain conditions
• Both biobased and biodegradable

But many bioplastics aren’t biodegradable. Some are chemically identical to regular plastics. Plastics made mostly or entirely from fossil fuels can be called ‘biobased’ and ‘bioplastics’. Some bio-based plastics are not biodegradable; they can remain for hundreds of years.

To be labeled a “biobased” product (U.S, not Canada – no equivalent), it only has to contain a min. of 25% carbon from biological, not fossil fuel Sources and for more information:; up to 75% of the carbon can come from fossil fuel Sources and for more information:!

Compostable plastics often end their life in places where they don’t have the chance to break down.

Magic of Mushrooms:

• These mushrooms are able to grow in both oxygen-free and oxygenated environments.
• The only thing really holding the fungus from being introduced as a solution right now is the biologists’ hesitance to introduce a foreign organism into an ecosystem.

In Simple Terms: Words and Naming in STUFF

Biocide: the destruction of life. Especially due to pesticides, fungicide or herbicides.

Biodegradable: This means that the item is able to be decomposed by using natural organisms in an ecosystem like bacteria or fungi. They break down the item into smaller components like the sugars and gases that make up the item.

Biome: a geographical region with specific climate, vegetation and life that makes up the biological community through adapting and responding to that environment. Biomes can span more than one continent.

Biosolid: organic matter recycled from sewage, especially for agricultural use.

Biosphere: the worldwide ecosystems that make up life on earth.

Biota: plant and animal life that are part of a particular region or period of time that can be classified together.

Compostable: meaning that the material is able to disintegrate into non-toxic and natural elements. Think kitchen food waste and being able to compost it to make rich dirt to grow more vegetables.

Deforestation: is the removal and destruction of forests and trees from land to be used for non-forest use such as but not limited to housing or farming.

E-waste: also known as electronic waste is the electronic equipment that has been thrown away.

Ecofriendly: the idea and practice of not harming the environment. This can be through your lifestyle such as being vegetarian or vegan, eating locally sourced food, wearing natural fibre clothing and using renewable sources of energy and other items. It can also seen in labels of “eco-friendly cleaning products” etc.

Landfill: is a planned and engineered facility to minimize the environmental impact of disposing of waste.

Microplastic: are small plastic pieces that are less than five millimeters in length (like your pencil eraser). These pieces have been found in our water, the rain, animals and in humans.

Planned Obsolescence: Is a concept that companies that create products intentionally plan to have them become obsolete, which then requires the consumer (the person buying the product) to replace it. This happens through changing the design, making it difficult to repair (with spare parts) and nondurable materials. Ex: iPhones. Check out this section from The Story of Stuff here.

Sustainable: a long-term effect on the environment that is maintained.

Technofossils: are human-made artifacts that become part of Earth’s geology. Think of our technology of computers and cell phones and how quickly these have been evolved or become obsolete.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch: is a garbage patch that is floating in the North Pacific ocean. Due to the cycles of the water this garbage has been collecting here. Learn more with the National Geographic’s article here.

The Making of STUFF: Activities & Techniques

What follows are some of the many, many exercises, games and techniques that the 100 Watt Youth Ensemble did when building STUFF (May 2024 version) over 10 months. Try then out and see what you discover.

1. Build a scene

STUFF actually began as a game, a challenge that I gave to the 100 Watt Youth Ensemble. This game led to actual scenes in the play. 

The Challenge: Can you pick an Object, any object at all, and –from the object’s point of view–have it defend its continued existence, its value to humans and the planet? 

The Process: Research

1. Find out the history of the Object – who invented it, where was it “born” and for what purpose? What was it made of? 
2. What has become of the Object today? How many are manufactured, sold and has that changed from its origins?
3. What is the impact of that Object on the environment?

The Presentation: each person shares their “case” in defense of the Object, and the listeners debate if they feel the Object should be “Stuff Removed” or “Stuff Approved.”

From the research, presentation and debate, we created scenes with one actor representing the Object, and the others as those who have to make what could be a tough decision. Our Objects included: Q-Tip, Cars, the Credit Card, plastic bus pass cases, photo album, the chip clip, pillows, flip flops, trash bag and more.

2. Exercise: A Morning/Day of STuff

Required: a large board or any large writing space. Chalk or markers. Any number of participants.

Everyone in the group has a piece of chalk/marker. Each person writes down every single object (stuff) that they used from waking up in the morning to lunch (or any designated end point). Include every single thing that they came into contact with since waking up. e.g. bed, pillow, sheet, alarm, glasses, glass (of water), door, slippers, towel…bus shelter, bus, ticket/pass, seat, etc. etc.

Everyone can write their used stuff anywhere on the board, no need to organize. No one’s name should be beside the stuff they list.

When complete, everyone stands back and looks at the board. Discussion & Reflection:

1. What did it feel like to do this? (personally)
2. What did it feel like to do this while others are doing the same, words of stuff everywhere?
3. What does is make you feel or think to now look at the board and see all these words?
4. What patterns do you see, if any?
5. Can you see the link between a person and the stuff they own/use?

3. Exercise/Game: “The Thing About Me Is”

A medium-large sized room is required for this and a group of at least 5 people.

The shape of the game is a rectangle, with 4 sides that face each other. 

Everyone in a group gets into a straight line in alphabetical order, based on the first letters of their first names. This becomes the order that the participants will play.

• a) One person goes to one side of the room (the rectangle) and says “The Thing About Me is I Need _____”. They finish the sentence with an Object that they need. Come up with it on impulse, in the moment. 
• b) The others hear this. If they feel the same way, they join that person on that side of the rectangle. If they do not, they go to the other side of the room (rectangle), and face the other group.
• c) Both sides look at each other with curiosity, not judgment. They aim to understand why their needs may be different. Breathe. Silence.
• d) Someone watching tallies the numbers–for each Object, which side has more or less.
• e) The next person in the order goes to the other wall of the room (the other side of the rectangle), and repeats (a). The process is the same (a – d).
• f) The game continues, Object after Object, stating needs for certain stuff, and observing differences within the group.
• g )Everyone gathers at the end, and shares what their experience was at each step of the process. 
• h) The person who was watching lists which Objects received more or less votes. 
• i) OPTIONAL: pick an Object from those that received less votes. Imagine you are a lawyer for that Object. Defend it, and try to bring more votes to your side. 
• j) Discuss/Reflect: what is the balance between human need versus the needs of the environment?

Curriculum & Connections with STUFF

STUFF is communicated in the form of theatre, its content speaks to many areas of life. If you see a curriculum connection that we haven’t made yet please let us know!