Vent: My neighbor in Boulder said he was done with recycling because it 'didn't matter anyway'

This was maybe 8 years ago, right after a big windstorm knocked over all our bins. He was picking his trash out of the street and just said it with this tired look. It hit me hard because he used to be the guy who'd sort everything perfectly. I still think about that moment when I see people feeling burnt out on small steps. Anyone else have a chat that made you realize how much climate fatigue is out there?

3 comments

3 Comments

murphy.linda24d agoTop Commenter

But like, is one guy giving up on recycling actually a big deal? Most people still do it. Maybe he was just having a bad day after cleaning up a huge mess.

the_angela20d ago

Yeah that's so real, my cousin gave up on composting after her building's bin got infested with flies. It's that same defeated feeling lol.

emma_clark24d ago

Read a study that said this kind of burnout is a real problem. It's not about the one guy, it's about the feeling that your effort doesn't count. When people see big companies making a mess, they wonder why they bother sorting their cans. That neighbor probably felt like he was doing everything right and it still got blown away.