Every Little Bit Hurts

Recently, I was at a function at which I was involved in the sale of drinks in plastic bottles and tin cans.  With all the pre-planning and the last-minute-rush, I forgot to bring the recycling bins from home to capture some of the recyclables.

I lamented to a friend who reassured me that I wouldn’t forget next time and that “every little bit helps”.

The “every little bit helps” comment really stopped me in my tracks.  This is very common thinking on a host of topics, but it was revealed to me in that moment how this line of thought is so destructive.

The truth is not that every little bit helps, its that every little bit hurts. 

Now that we are aware of recycling and the adverse affects of non-recycling, its not that everything we recycle moves the needle in the right direction, its that everything we don’t recycle continues our self-destructive preference for convenience over sustainability.

What else do we self-appease with using such comforting language as “every little bit helps” when what we really need to focus on is “every little bit hurts”?  Hunger, poverty, caring.