Matter Out of Place – Jar of Loose Change

The object I chose for this prompt is a plastic jar I got in my second year of high school. I got it after buying some overpriced popcorn from a school club fundraiser, and after finishing the popcorn, I decided to hold on to the jar since it looked useful. I cleaned it completely, as I did not want to attract insects to my room or allow mold to grow from the food residue. This jar that once held food would be seen as completely out of place in my bedroom, a location that is in no way associated with food storage, making this jar, in the eyes of Mary Douglas, waste. Not only is this matter out of place, but the container was also intended to have the lifespan of the food within it. Once the food inside had been consumed, it was meant to be thrown away, just like any other container. This knowledge makes the container out of place no matter where you decide to keep it. Once the food that lives in the container is gone, the container is meant to be out of sight, an idea we use for most of the waste in our lives.