Do you think it’s possible to not produce garbage? Do you think you could go a year without buying anything?

Film Review

Title: The Clean Bin Project

Director: Grant Baldwin

Running Time: 77 minutes

Reviewed By Laura Tyler

Do you think it’s possible to not produce garbage? Do you think you could go a year without buying anything? The Clean Bin Project documents the process that a couple in Vancouver go through in an effort to do just this. For one year, they committed to keeping track of all garbage they make, in or out of their house and to not buy anything (other than food). There is a competition between the two to see who produces less garbage in the small bins each is assigned. Grant is the filmmaker who captures the action through a variety of visually interesting shots and thought provoking interviews and while the film makes no mention of it, Jen is the blogger. You can check out their site for more information and insight beyond what the movie provides.

The information that the movie does provide is extremely engaging. The film doesn’t go too far into the personal lives of Jen and Grant, opting to devote screen time instead to shedding light on artists and scientists whose work is able to inspire individuals into making more environmentally conscious choices. Photographer Chris Jordan has made an effort to capture the magnitude of the waste created by North Americans and his photo of the massive number of bottles are used in just five seconds in the United States is a knockout. The sailor and scientist who discovered the floating island of plastic in the Pacific is also featured and he shows a shocking sample of the water taken from that area. Viewers are also reminded that recycled plastics can never be used to package food again. The film also spends some time with other people who have chosen to live garbage free. The presentation of information is of a wide enough variety that the attention of viewers is sure to be held.

Some of the facts provided by the film are enough to shock anyone into rethinking the way that they waste. For example, the methane gas from rotting food is one of the worst greenhouse gases and individuals can easily diminish their negative environmental impact merely by composting their food through the easy-to-use service offered in their area. By showing the extreme that Jen and Grant go to, and how they face and overcome their difficulties, puts into perspective how easily anyone can make little changes that will compound to make significant difference. Because Grant and Jen are so engaging on screen the film is all the more enjoyable to watch and manages to avoid being overly preachy. The facts that are given are not shoved down the throats of viewers, and are instead presented for each individual to interpret and digest as they will. The Clean Bin Project is an extremely enjoyable and effective documentary film that masterfully presents the various problems facing planet Earth and empowers each viewer with actions on how they can be part of the solution.

Find out more about the movie at http://www.cleanbinmovie.com/

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