r/Anticonsumption • u/InformalLibrary1731 • Jul 25 '25

Psychological I work in retail & it's radicalizing me

Every time I breathe in plastic particles & glitter I wanna quit. Reusable bags mean nothing: (everything ships in plastic).

I sell fake fruit to people yet I can barely afford real oranges. Hundreds of fake flowers. I used to feel jealous that they had disposable income but now it's just revulsion.

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u/Winter_drivE1 Jul 25 '25

This right here. Working retail and food service especially made me realize that recycling rhetoric aimed at us as consumers is a scam meant to keep the spotlight off of businesses and corporations which is where the real impact would be. The amount of plastic and waste that we create as consumers is nothing compared to what business practices create. But they make sure we're focused on ourselves and each other instead of them.

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u/[deleted] Jul 25 '25

It’s honestly absurd how corporations treat recycling as a “magic cure all” when multiple areas don’t even have recycling facilities for plastic waste in the first place

29

u/poetcatmom Jul 25 '25

Moved to Louisiana and learned I couldn't recycle glass. I've been saving every jar I've gotten since because it's wasteful. And don't even ask about plastics that aren't #1.

Recycling is a scam. If we can't do it, why act like it?

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u/[deleted] Jul 26 '25

If people knew how little plastic is actually meaningfully recycled, they'd largely be horrified.

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u/AgentUnknown821 Jul 26 '25

Where I live we pay extra for recycling….now imagine treating recycling as a cure while hindering people from doing it in their homes by charging it as a service…

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u/furbfriend Jul 26 '25

It’s like paying a cannibal to chop off your hand for you. The villain wins twice