The Sultan of Garbage Teaches Us How To Reduce Waste

It's Maria as MutS and Stuff.

What a great idea.

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Welcome to Maria's MutS and Stuff. And with me today is author Brian Bellafont with his latest book, The Sultan of Garbage. So hi, Brian, h MA, thanks for having me. Absolutely so okay, I have to give it full disclosure as soon as we start, because I'm kind of old school and I love books and the feel of books. And I know I was sent like a digital copy of your book, and I asked you to send me a.

Book, which you did.

And then it's just really funny because on the back of your book the last line is, you know, I know the irony isn't lost. How many trees were destroyed in order to print this book? Maybe you should buy the digital version.

So I'm sorry.

I don't apologize to me. You know what, here's my thing. You know, I'm not an evangelist as much as I am a guy who just goes.

Let's think about this, right, you know, yes, I like stuff.

Everybody likes stuff, but we live in a world where we consume a lot and we waste a lot.

Absolutely, No, you're right, yeah, you know, it's almost like it goes all the way back to like the George Carland bit about you have a house for your stuff, right, Yeah, and it's true because.

I mean, and I think, and this is terrible to think about.

But it also goes with what your book at this topic is is if I died tomorrow, they're just going to throw out all my stuff.

Not about you know what I mean. So like, why am I saving things?

You know, that's a that's a personal thing for me because my mom passed away last year and I'm doing I'm sorry. Yes, yes, you know it meant a lot to her, some of these things, and it's really kind of amazing the stuff that means something to me that you know, she had that didn't have that special meaning for her. Right, But it's a connection you make.

Yes, So yeah, yeah, no, I get it.

I tell my kids just like set fire to the garage because that's it.

Yeah, No, I get it, that's what That's what I tell them, just you know, throw stuff out. Just what if it happens, Just throw everything out because I have stuff. But okay, so we're both on the same page with that.

But let's talk about this book.

So this is why you wrote The Sultan of garbage, right, to get people's eyes open to the fact that we don't need all the stuff we have. Garbage is there's too much garbage on the earth.

Right, this is the reason why you wrote it.

Well, i'd like to I mean sort of, that's that's that's the way it comes across. But the reason I wrote the book is because I used to work in advertising and marketing. I was the guy who was helping to create the world where we consume too much crap, right, And this is sort of book sort of came out as a form of penance.

Really.

I mean it's about a guy much like myself, but this guy's a product photographer and he's helping to contribute to this world, and he's living in his own world of too much consumption and waste and not being valued and stuff. And it's just a way to work that out what we really value, what do we really need?

Right?

So did I mean your are you Alex a little bit the main character? Or because does he live oh okay, okay, okay, Because I was saying, do you live vicariously through him? Or I think he lives through you?

Right?

I think me.

I mean a lot of the experiences that I put in the book are taken from my own life experiences. I am a photographer. I did study with a photographer and photography teacher in Italy. A lot of the lessons that the photography teacher imparts to Alex are lessons that my teachers imparted to me, and that I came up with my on my own. The experiences you've had or very are drawn from my experiences, they're not directly. So yeah, it is a way to sort of exercise a lot of those demons.

I guess, Okay, that's fair.

Yeah, I mean that's fair because yeah, I get that. And also I feel like with Alex there's always there's like a lesson which is like a to me, it was like a subtle hint about the fact that we have too much stuff, you know, when like when he find he finds the espresso maker and he brings it home and Grace right, and she's like, oh, I wanted a new one, but he was like, well, this one's fine, and you know, the whole thing like we need to recycle.

Thank you.

Yeah, I don't want to be strivent. I mean this guy is trying to work it out. I mean he likes stuff, but he also goes, hey, this old espresso machine has value?

What's wrong with it?

Right?

Yeah, which is also, in an interesting way, kind of how society looks at people sometimes. You know, I feel like in our country, no, but seriously, I feel like we don't value senior citizens like we should with all their knowledge. And you know, and it's not even senior citizens. It's like almost if you're over thirty, you know, you don't know anything, like wait what you know?

Well? Yeah, And not to get too political, but when Rfu was going on about autistic people and how it's like, these are people who will never go on a date, and I'm like, you know what, my son's autistic and he may never go on a date. But that is not the reason to exclude somebody from a society.

Cor kid is my kid is amazing because he's my kid, Right, But do you contribute value? Yeah, that's not.

Right, right, Right, everybody's here for a reason. Their value is everybody has value, And yes, I agree, I agree, And.

You know what, that's not political at all.

I think it's just having a soul and a heart and empathy and compassion. It's not political, and I think many times things that come out that people make it political when it's really just common sense and having a little bit of compassion. You know, absolutely, you know, and I'm sure we both grew up with the same type of parents that told us and many of my listeners the same kind of like put yourself in someone else's shoes.

I heard that my whole life from my parents.

You had better parents than I did.

Oh that's not true.

I've heard you were you know, I was a lat kid kid, and then there was a whole lot of well figure it out right kind of what I.

Got, right, Okay, Well, that's okay, it's all right, it's nothing to be ashamed of. It's fine.

Yeah, it worked for.

Me, It works exactly exactly. So I feel like I'm going to talk to you for like hours now, and we're not going to talk about your book, So let's talk about more of I don't think that people realize. I just know from over the years of interviewing people about plastics in the ocean, and I just remember this from maybe five years ago, that the percentage was very small, and you know, saying like and then I read like in the press release that back in twenty nineteen, only

That could be possible because we're still creating more than we can get rid of. Yeah, and we're also when you look at the plopping countries, people want to move into middle class, and middle class means owning things and having the house to hold the things that they own, and those things, a lot of them come in packages. And those packages, once you open them up their.

Waist, correct go to the supermarket and they and the thing to do that they always say is to take your own bags, like cloth bags to put vegetables and fruits in. I never see people do it, and I always and I have those bags, and I always forget to do it. I'm mean, I have to be honest, So right there, all of those plastic bags, you know, even though they're thin plastic, and I'm sure they break down at some point, but you know, we all.

Do it also.

So it's and then you buy something and it's wrapped in such plastic that it's impossible to even open. That stuff doesn't break down, and yeah, ultimately end up in the ocean.

So well yeah, yeah, when it ends up in the ocean, it ends up in the animals in the ocean, and the animals in the ocean up in your you know, that's right, one way or the other, and then you end up with plastic in your brain.

Exactly now for me, exactly, And I always feel like that's a reason why I always think a lot of the illnesses we have, like cancer, why is it so prevalent now than it was in our grandparents in great grandparents' time.

Well, you know, I think plastics have a lot to do with it, But that's just me.

I agree with you.

But I also think, you know, stress has a lot to do with it, and stress comes from living in a society where you know, yes, the emphasis is on consumption. Yeah, we got to do it, We got to keep up.

We have to keep up Yeah, No, you're right.

You're right. So what would be your first advice to someone who wants to be proactive and try to make the world a better place for themselves and the future generations.

I know it's a hard one.

Sorry, raise really thoughtful kids. That's huge, huge undertaking. And I do think it comes down to general rational shift. We gotta we got to move the ocean miner, and those things move, the changes come slowly. I do think that change. A lot of change that we see is positive. It's just on the one hand, we want to move the ocean miner and change our society for the better. On the other hand, it's oftentimes the little thing's going to make a huge difference. Right, And like we were

That, correct, That's right.

I just have to like the little thing is as I'm getting out of the car at the grocery store, remember that the bag is in the trunk.

Right, not a big big right.

That's true.

Right, And that's true, And that's an easy thing and that's actually an easy assignment for anybody to do.

Yeah. Did that answer your question?

I don't know if it did.

Yeah.

I think it did.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, because I yes, it did, it did, because I just feel like there were so many different things that we can tell people that they need to do, even and you defined it on a really on a smaller scale, and that is a very small scale and something very easy to remember to do. But that makes

It with you. Yeah, And can I just make it like two points here. One is people notice, or maybe the people who listen to your show notice, And I didn't say out of the saddle bags of my bike. You know that Yeah, Okay, I ride my bike to the grocery store when I'm picking up a couple of things, right, But I also take my car when I know I'm going to get two grocery bags full of stuff, and there's no way I'm going to be a pedal home

Correct.

Forgive yourself if you forgot the bags or you left them in the trunk.

Let it go.

Yeah, try and remember next time it's about a lifestyle change, not about all or nothing.

Yeah.

And you know what, And I think that pertains to everything, like you just said, your diet, your lifestyle, recycling, you know, helping out the environment, everything. You're absolutely right, You're right. And I think I don't know if it's our society, I'm not sure, but it's that.

You know, succeed succeed, succeed.

You can't fail, and then you kind of we kind of beat ourselves up if we forget the bag and the you know at home, or you forgot to put it in your in your saddle, you know.

Yeah.

Yeah, And it's like kind of like, lighten up, give yourself a break. It's okay, you'll do it the next.

Time, right.

Yeah, that's a very good point. I like that, and I think it's really no, it is. It's very valuable to anyone who's listening who because everybody can relate to that. You know, I feel like everybody's under so much pressure to always succeed, succeed.

But don't beat yourself up.

Yeah.

I think a good point too is and I see plenty of people walking around with water bottles, but not the plastic bottles like that they can refill.

That's you know, like something like that. It is great to do.

And you know, I got to say, and I'm going to say this because it worked for me, is when you think about these microplastics that basically plastic does disintegrate that comes into these you know, these little particles past plastic end up going into the environment or whatever. But if the plastic is disintegrating, you know what's disintegrating into.

The bottle as well.

I suddenly realized one day that I was drinking microplastics, and I'm thinking, I want to limit my intake of microplastics. Yes, so that's when I started going, Oh, I'm going to carry a water bottle of any kind. It's not going to be the one I buy it, you know at the grocery store or the seven eleven or whatever. Right, it's gonna be a little metal bottle that And the cool thing is, oh, I was just remember the brand.

Yeah.

Wow, great, I got my bottle at the airport because I forgot what I'm supposed to travel with.

And then now I.

Have a water bottle that I put in my satchel that I'm going to go out and do stuff.

Yes, you know what. I know that bottle because I have that, and I saved it. And I can't remember the name, but you're absolutely right.

And I got away Yeah, for the company the water stor Yeah, watermelon flavor.

Oh wow?

Oh really see mine was and I remember and it was a it was a metal bottle, and it had had some it had blue on.

It, okay, yeah, and it was orange pinky.

Oh okay, because mine was just like regular, it was just plain water. But the whole point was that, like you said, you could just keep reusing it because it was a metal bottle and the best thing.

It can have water cold. This poor company, you know, they're doing a great thing. And both of us can't remember the name. I love it.

I'm you right away.

It's really funny. But for everyone who's listening, be on the lookout for that. It's because it's great. I still have mine and I save them, I mean from last year, because I also know I'm not going to be you know, drinking plastics, because that's the thing too. I remember when that came out a couple of years ago about how

Yeah?

Yeah, Well, this is all very good.

I mean I think you know, well, yeah, thank you for sharing your knowledge and in your book and just with me now, because I think most people are good and most people have good intentions, they just don't know where to start. And I think, also tell me if you agree with this. Sometime times people think, well, I'm just one person, so it doesn't matter.

And I agree with you one hundred percent. I think my wife and I you know, I'm not as diligent as she is with the recycling. I sometimes like some stuff just me and I'm just like, can.

I ask you? What? What skis you?

Oh? Okay, we just got back from a trip and we have a little bread box with stuff in there. And there's moldy left over English muffins from before we left and.

Green was it like green and stuff? Oh that's kind of cool though. It's like a science project.

Yeah, it's great to look at. I don't want to go near it.

Okay, I get it.

I understand.

So that's okay, yeah, you know, and so superants out the bag and I'm just like.

Thank you.

Oh yeah, you don't want to have any part of it. I understand that. Yeah, yeah, because it had the moldy English muffin. I got it. Yeah, but I think it's funny. But I understand, I understand. But I think if everybody he does one thing, you know, it's the old thing that takes a village. Right, we can all chip in somehow or other. And and I love the fact that your book kind of tells the story but kind of gives all these little oh and by the way, right.

And can I just say, because I don't think it's really been clear, is that this is not a manifesto. This is not a things you can do to save the planet book.

This is a story.

It's a story. Oh yeah, I'm sorry.

Yeah. Yeah.

And it's like it touches on those things. But I hope it's not preachy. No, you know, it's like trying to work it out.

Yeah, no, it wasn't preachy at all.

Yeah, thank you.

No, no, no, not at all.

And I'm sorry if I didn't explain that better from the beginning. But no, it's not preachy. It's not like a how to guide.

It's a story.

Yeah, it's a story, right.

I mean a lot of times when i'm writing, so it's just the other day I'm working on Southern novel, and it's like, oh, my agenda is showing, and I got to just throw away the whole like everything I worked on for the last three days. Oh, because I don't want to do.

That, right, Oh, but why you shouldn't throw it out? In fact, I was going to ask you, what's next? Can you tell any little bit about it?

Or you don't have to.

Tell you a lot of it?

Okay?

So they're actually I'm working on a couple of things simultaneously, but one I'm most excited about, and I'm going to get in a lot of trouble for this. Uh.

Oh, are you sure you want to tell me?

I don't know, all right.

Okay, so let me just preface it.

I think pretty much everything I do is societal commentary, and I hope it's funny. I think it's intended to be funny. I'll tell you about the manuscript I just finished, rather than what I'm working on now, which is kind of a It's a societal commentary and it goes into some of the same stuff that consumption of waste, but also our culture's obsession with different forms of morality. It's

Wow. It also sounds like it would be a really good movie.

I sure hope. So yeah, to make it a movie.

Yeah, I would like to see that as a movie. And I don't know anything about it except what you just told me.

You sold me yay, I did it. You did it.

Yay.

That's pretty cool.

So that one is done, correct, it's done.

Yeah.

It hasn't found a home yet, okay. I haven't actually started sending it out.

Yet, Okay, but I think that will probably find a home very quickly.

No, I think so.

I like it a lot, Okay, so I'm going to be looking for that. And then the other thing you're working on, which I don't want you to get into trouble, so you don't have to tell me, but you know, we'll talk again because I like talking to you, and then you can you can tell me about it. Yeah, yeah, that would be great. Okay, So before you go, I do have one question, because what I was reading about you on the press release, you have to tell me why your dog does it like Santa Claus.

I don't know. It's the weirdest thing. Okay, So my daughter was seven, she said she wanted a dog. We got this dog, Milo, and we wanted to take him to get his picture taken with Santa Claus.

He's freaked out, freaked out in my way, like barking, panicking.

He didn't want to get in Santa's lap, growled and stuff. And I'm not going to say whether I believe that there's a Santa Claus or not, because some of your listeners might.

Yeah, they might believe in Santa Claus. That's true, you know.

Different from yes, I will say if this was the real Santa Claus, then there's a problem. If it was a guy pretending to be Santa Claus.

Okay, maybe right, right, right, But if there's a yeah, but if there's a real Santa Claus, like no one's getting gifts this year now visiting he's like holding up in the North Pole. Yeah I get it, Yeah, I get it. That's really funny. And you never tried it again.

No, okay, cause you were afraid traumatized. Yeah, for sure, I'm Santa Claus was trumpatized too. I'm sure, I'm.

Sure, but you know, because i'm I'm probably Santa Claus was less traumatized by the dog because Santa Claus sometimes gets screaming children on his lap.

Well, and you got to figure the guy's breaking into people's houses.

Well, that's exactly right, exactly right, And you know that could be why the dog freaked out because dogs have that spidey sense that we don't have. So maybe, you know, maybe Milo sense like, hey, this dude's gonna break into my house, so I'm going to bark at him now, so my parents know that I'll bark at him when he breaks in. I'm just thinking, I'm just I think you're right.

I choose between Milo and Santa.

I picked Milo any day.

Yeah, of course, because Milo's a dog and we love dogs. Yes, I get that. Well, Brian, you are so much fun.

Yes? Can I just say yes, I love that you're doing podcasts. My wife works in animal welfare and it's something really really close to us.

Oh, so I should really plan on talking to her.

You should.

Okay, not only that?

Okay, can I just say one year?

Yes? Weird coincidental? So you did back in December an episode with Michelle Hollow mm hmmm, yes about Mary Annie.

Yes, I know Michelle for many, many, many many years.

Yes, well, my wife is obsessed with Mary Anna.

Oh really, Oh my goodness, oh wow, So I should really connect your wife with Michelle.

Well, I think you should have my wife on the show because she does work for the Humane Society.

Is the vice president of communication.

Okay, Well that's a given. Okay, well that's a given. Okay, So all right, we're going to do this. I'm going to tell my listeners who would like to get a copy of the Sultan of Garbage and digital, so not to be wasteful like me because I wanted a book, and they can go to bellefont dot com b E L E F A n T dot com.

Is that the best place for them to get the book?

Yeah, you can.

Actually, we have a website for the book Sultan of Garbage dot com.

One word, oh, okay, of garbage even better.

And that'll that'll guide you and there if you want hard copies of the book, there's a list of independent books towards that carry the book there too as well. Okay, you don't have to feel like, oh, Barnes and whatever.

Right exactly. Yes, that's perfect. Well, Ryan Bellefont, thank you so much for your time. I know we're going to talk again because I really like talking to you.

Thanks, I can't wait.

I can't wait.

And uh, we're gonna continue talking because I want to get your wife's info.

So thank you.

All right, Thanks Marie

Rader operator, and see your Rader momigator