Meg Whitton, residing in Simcoe County, southern Ontario, found herself facing a towering heap of discarded wood at the local dump. Drawers from dressers, broken chairs, and wooden pallets littered the three-story structure. Despite mixed feelings about witnessing people’s discards, Whitton felt a peculiar fondness for the dump.
During a routine visit to dispose of an old broom, Whitton’s eyes caught sight of two weathered Cedar Muskoka chairs that appeared salvageable. Seizing the moment when no one was looking, she surreptitiously loaded both chairs into her hatchback, fully aware of the prohibition against such actions.
Arriving home, Whitton saw potential for the chairs in her backyard. After some minor repairs by her partner, the chairs found a new purpose by the fire pit, where Whitton savored moments with a glass of wine. This unexpected discovery solidified her affection for the dump.
In a surprising turn of events, Whitton later secured a part-time job at the dump and spent every Saturday there from April to November, all while maintaining a full-time media job. The dump, acting as a transfer station, impressed Whitton with Simcoe County boasting the second-highest landfill diversion rate in Ontario. Contrary to her expectations of merely guiding people to the correct disposal areas, she found most visitors eager to sort their items correctly but lacked knowledge on how to do so.
Engaging with dump visitors opened Whitton’s eyes to the personal stories behind the discarded items. Accounts ranged from faulty coaster production woes to sentimental clear-outs of deceased loved ones’ possessions. Witnessing these moments, Whitton acknowledged the emotional weight carried by the act of discarding.
Reflecting on the disposal of almost-new items and encountering individuals like Freddy, tasked with discarding unsellable donations, Whitton realized the complexity of waste management and personal attachment to possessions. This experience prompted her to question the reasons behind acquiring items that eventually end up discarded.
Currently, Whitton grapples with finding a new home for a red plastic Paw Patrol fire engine, a toy her children have outgrown. Despite attempts to give it away, she faces challenges as local organizations decline toy donations, and potential recipients already have an abundance of toys. This predicament prompts Whitton to reconsider past purchasing decisions and the significance of possessions in our lives.