That is called a "Gap Year." Understood on both sides of the pond.

Someone remarked about chip bags and such on a post about recycling water bottles, and there is a point - those mylar bags are a problem. The point of recycling the bottles is because at least the plastic can be reused. Another thing that became apparent, though wasn't mentioned in an essay I read today, is that most of these movements to recycle, to buy in bulk with your own containers, to not put everything in the landfill, is largely managed by and aimed at urban populations.

I lived out in the county for a few years when I was at the university, driving in 30 miles for classes. And when I had enough bags of separated glass and plastic on the porch I'd load them in the back of the pickup and drop them off at the campus recycle center. I was probably the only person on that end of the lake doing anything about recycling. They probably still don't recycle out there. They haul their own trash to the dump and everything goes in it. We really do need to look at some of these services the way the Rural Electrification program worked years ago - if you don't include everyone in the benefits of this society, those who are on the outside will lobby for it's destruction.