Michigan: Land of Riches (2010)
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DISPOSABLES
“Disposable” lighters". We use that phrase unconsciously, failing to consider the absurdly irresponsible values it suggests.
1.5 billion “disposable” lighters are buried in landfills each year, useless.Each is constructed of non-biodegradable plastic, low-grade steel, and filled with a concentrate of highly-refined butane. Mining and manufacturing these raw materials consumes oil and water in the millions of gallons.
Discarded disposable lighters are so commonplace in the gutters of our city - another layer of brightly colored trash - that for over a decade of collecting found objects I simply ignored them.
Only in January of 2009 did I begin to pick them up, which renders it both remarkable and disturbing that my collection already exceeds 200.