Not Global Warming - But Still Important

I watched an environmental film this week. It's hard to swing a plastic grocery bag full of used plastic grocery bags these days without hitting onto another film about the environment. But here I was, captured in an audience while a short film played about the hazards of not conserving, the dangers of polluting and the costs of not recycling.

Here's the rub though: the film was made by Disney. Usually that's not a problem. However, after leaving the Disney theme park and returning to the Disney Resort where we were staying, we found absolutely no recycling at the hotel. There was no blue box in the room for newspapers, no plastic/can recycling bins on the grounds and when I asked where I should put the plastic bottle that I was charged a five cent recycling fee, a staffer said, "put it in the garbage."

"You guys don't recycle?" I asked incredulously.

She simply shrugged her shoulders and walked away.

Sorry Disney, but you can't preach to save the planet and then do the opposite. I'll admit that being environmentally conscious is pretty trendy right now. But being "trendy" is not leadership. Leadership is about actions matching words.

I refused to put plastic bottles and aluminum cans in the trash. Instead, I placed them beside trash cans where recycling bins would normally be found. Sorry but it's just not in me to throw recyclables in the trash. I'm not physically (OK maybe mentally) capable of throwing recyclables away.

After I made my protest statement of not using the trash can (it was probably nothing more than a mere annoyance to a staffer to pick up a recyclable and toss it out), I told you and hopefully, together, we can express our desire to make the big players do something so effortless and make their actions match their words.

I will send an email to Disney to express my concerns as soon as I'm back in the office. Feel free to check out your own company's environmental policy and suggest a correction if it falls a little short.

P
Kevin Burns - The Chief Instigation Officer of Laugh-Long Learning!

http://www.kevburns.com

1-877-BURNS-11