Every day, people and businesses across the globe dispose of clothes, food, and home appliances that are still usable. Activist Anna Sacks is drawing attention to this wasteful practice through the use of social media. Originally an investment banker in New York City, Sacks was feeling unfulfilled, and so she joined a farming program in Connecticut to learn about sustainable living.
Afterward, she returned to New York and was shocked at the immense amount of waste being produced on both corporate and residential levels. Many usable and unopened items were just carelessly tossed in the trash. Sacks began what she calls “trash walking,” which is going through dumpsters and bags left on the street and taking usable goods, either for herself or for charities. Sacks’s hauls often contain food, books, clothes, and toiletries.
Sacks documents her trash walks on Instagram and TikTok, where her videos show products discarded by businesses for having minor damage or defects. One reason for this policy is that in the US, if businesses claim something as trash, they will get a larger tax refund than from donating the item. In addition, certain stores, especially high-end luxury brands, will purposely destroy items so they cannot be salvaged or donated in order to prevent theft and maintain the exclusivity of the brands. Sacks believes that legislation is the only solution to these wasteful policies.
PHOTO FROM INSTAGRAM / 照片翻攝自IG
Ultimately, Sacks’s goal is to combat the culture of consumerism in the US. She urges people to be mindful of what they purchase and to use what they already have as much as possible. By sharing her trash walks, Sacks aims to change people’s mentality toward waste. Sacks encourages others to carry out trash walks in their own areas. “It is something people should be proud to do,” she said. “Doing so helps the planet and helps people.”
每一天，全球人民和企業都會丟棄仍然可用的衣服、食物和家電。行動家安娜薩克斯藉由社群媒體使人們注意到這種浪費的常態。薩克斯原先是紐約市的一名投資銀行家，但她不為此感到滿足，所以她參加了康乃狄克州的一項農業計畫，以了解永續生活。
之後，她回到紐約，對公司行號和一般住宅所產生的大量廢棄物感到震驚。許多可用和未拆封的物品都只是被毫不在乎地扔進垃圾桶。薩克斯開始了她所謂的「垃圾行走」，就是仔細翻找垃圾箱和留在街上的袋子，為自己或慈善機構拾取可用的物品。薩克斯努力的成果通常包含食物、書籍、衣服、和盥洗用品。
薩克斯在Instagram和TikTok上記錄她的垃圾行走，她的影片揭露企業因輕微損壞或缺陷而丟棄的產品。這項政策的其中一項原因是在美國，如果企業表明某物品是垃圾，他們將獲得比捐贈該物品更高的退稅額。此外，某些商店，尤其是高檔精品的品牌，會故意銷毀產品，使其無法被回收利用或是捐贈，藉此防止盜竊並維護品牌的排他性。薩克斯堅信，立法是這些浪費政策的唯一解決辦法。
薩克斯的最終目標是打擊美國的消費主義文化。她力勸人們留意自身購買的物品，並盡可能善用自己已擁有的。薩克斯藉由分享她的垃圾行走，目標是改變人們浪費的心態。薩克斯鼓勵其他人在他們自己的社區進行垃圾行走。她說：「這麼做能幫助地球與他人，人們該為此感到自豪」。
MORE INFORMATION
dumpster n. 垃圾箱；廢料桶
toiletries n. 盥洗用品（恆用複數）
defect n. 缺陷；瑕疵
high-end adj. 高檔的；高價位的
exclusivity n. 排他性；專用權
consumerism n. 消費主義
KEY VOCABULARY
1. activist n. 社運人士；激進分子
Many animal rights activists do not eat meat, because they don’t want any animals to suffer.
許多動保權益人士不吃肉，因為他們不想讓任何動物受苦。
2. dispose of 丟棄；清除
The government should dispose of nuclear waste in a manner that won’t harm the environment.
政府應該要以不傷害環境的方式來處理核廢料。
3. appliance n. 家用電器；裝置
Michelle asked her landlady if she had to pay to fix a broken appliance in her kitchen.
蜜雪兒詢問她的房東，她是否要付錢修理廚房中壞掉的家電。
4. residential adj. 住宅的；居住的
This is a residential area, so there are not many shops or offices here.
此區是住宅區，所以這裡沒有太多的商店或辦公室。
5. haul n. 努力獲得的成果；戰利品
Jessica went clothes shopping and then made a video showing her haul from the store.
潔西卡去買衣服，然後拍了一段影片展示她在商店買到的戰利品。
6. salvage vt. 挽救；（廢物）利用
It was impossible to salvage any of the furniture that was inside the burning house.
想要從燃燒中的房屋內挽救任何家具是不可能的。
7. theft n. 偷竊
The woman reported the theft of her purse to the police.
那名女子向警方報案說她的皮包遭竊。
8. legislation n. 立法；法律
The government is drafting legislation that will increase fines on environmental polluters.
政府正在草擬法條，這將會提高汙染環境者的罰款。
9. mindful adj. 注意的；留神的
be mindful of 注意……
The manager asked her employees to be mindful of the new rules in the office.
那位經理要求她的員工注意辦公室的新規範。
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