Having just read the "I'm not gonna catch it" freewrite, I'm struck by your talent for expressing a theme of nonconformity in so many ways and in so few words.
#WordEconomy is the goal of fiction writers, and most struggle to achieve it, while the poets who also write fiction leave me breathless....
Your story reminds me of the horrific Plastic Utensils solution at a private school our kids attended. Too many high schoolers were throwing way their metal spoons and forks, so the school took them away and offered only disposable plasticware instead. Were the kids dumping their silverware on purpose, or through carelessness?
How environmentally irresponsible can these adults be ...