Where is "away?"

I heard an interesting anecdote a while back on Big Ideas for a Small Planet. One of the scientists on the show said something to the effect of: "You know, our whole lives we talk about throwing things away. 'I'm going to throw this away'. Where is away? Away doesn't exist."

Upon hearing this it occurred to me how true this sentiment is, and it startled me to think that something as simple as realizing that trash doesn't just disappear can change your whole outlook on how the system works.

I had a conversation with my parents about this during our visit to their house over Christmas. Shortly after returning home, my mom sent me a link to The Story of Stuff which is a great way to learn how our American system of consumption is hurting our planet in more ways than many people are aware. The video is about 20 minutes long, but it's fast paced, so take the time to watch it - it might change your outlook.