Susan Baur, an 85-year-old retired psychologist, was fed up with all the trash in a Cape Cod pond where she loved to swim. She shares in an interview with AARP Online, "I started the 'Old Ladies Against Underwater Garbage' (OLAUG) because I was sick and tired of swimming through trash."
How did it begin?
- YouTubewww.youtube.com
Susan is a swimmer, and the ponds have been her lapping ground for years. Back in 2017, she had been swimming with friends and thought, "There's too much stuff in here." She told AARP, "We commandeered a guy in a kayak and said, 'Follow us, we're gonna hand you trash.' It was fun, and it felt good to swim and see it so clean." She adds, "Someone said we’re a bunch of old ladies against underwater garbage, and it stuck."
Since then, each summer she leads 20-30 women on dives to clean up the ponds.
What kinds of trash do they find?
People tend to use bodies of water as dumping grounds.
Photo by Tobias Tullius on Unsplash
When it comes to what they dig out of the ponds, nothing is all that shocking anymore. Susan shares they typically find golf balls, beer cans, and even dog toys. "And then there's the really interesting stuff: garden gnomes, tires, a toilet." She thinks about it for a moment. "The toilet wins."
But it gives them a sense of adventure. "The dives are like treasure hunts for things that shouldn't be there."
Who can join the club?
Not just anyone can be a part of this Garbage Avengers team. She states very clearly, "The requirements for being a member of OLAUG are you have to be a woman over 64 and an excellent swimmer. We give tryouts every spring. Swim half a mile in under 30 minutes and be able to dive a minimum of 8 feet."
According to an interview on WGBH News, Susan is very strict about those membership rules. “There was a guy who absolutely wanted to join. I said, No. Often they’re men, very often they're not old at all, and they're quite miffed when they say, ‘But I could help. I’m stronger than you guys. I could do this.’ I said, ‘Yeah, there's nothing three women can't do.’'"
What are the women like?
Susan shares, "Many of these women have a career or even two careers. Some have lost their husband, lost their house, lost their health, and they never imagined that there would be such an adventurous next chapter in their life."
One team member, Marci Johnson (age 73), says the club gives her a sense of purpose. "Having retired, you lose that whole sense of what do you do? Who am I now? And this is something I can do and do well, and I enjoy it."
What's next?
The team has worked their magic on over two dozen ponds. And it’s not going to stop with Cape Cod. The squad is expanding "farther into Massachusetts." Susan exclaims. "There's even a woman in Southern Illinois who wants to do the same thing we're doing there."
Why they do it
The 1440Daily on Instagram, a daily news page, claims there are at least 30 active members in the club, with their dives helping to "support wildlife conservation and environmental preservation in one of Massachusetts' most scenic regions."
The comments on the thread are incredibly supportive. One rightfully points out that not only does this obviously benefit the ponds, but it has great health benefits for the women. "This is awesome! Plus the extra benefit of longer, healthier lives with all that swimming, coordination, and social interactions."
Susan herself is not surprised that she takes part in this but she's amazed that people have joined her. "It does not shock me at all that I'm swimming around picking up garbage. I'm just that kind of person. And when I'm 90, if I make it to 90, I’ll be swinging from trees or doing something strange and wonderful. But that these people would JOIN me, and wear orange hats and have the enthusiasm, it sets me back on my heels."
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"Now I'm intrigued." 
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21 products that are gaslighting us into thinking they’re essential when they’re not
Some things in life are actually necessary—clean water, decent healthcare, basic human decency. But then there are the things that feel like they’re gaslighting us. The things we’re told we can’t live without, even though we survived just fine before they existed. Things like "smart" fridges, lawn fertilizer services, and yes—whole body deodorant.
Recently, our sister-site Upworthy asked their Facebook audience the question: What's a product or service that feels like it's gaslighting all of us into thinking it's necessary? More than 8,000 responses poured in. The answers were passionate, funny, and surprisingly unified.
Here are 21 products, services, and systems people called out for pretending to be essential—when they might actually be optional, overpriced, or flat-out invented.
1. Whole body deodorant
"Take a shower," said Shannon H.
“How did we ever manage all those years without it!! 😂😵💫” added Karen R.
Others noted it may help people with medical conditions—but for the average person, it's definitely a marketing creation.
2. Health insurance
It topped the list. Erica L. explained: “My doctor prescribes, the pharmacist issues meds, nurses care for people, surgeons do surgery—Health Insurance stands between health care and patients and says no, exclusively on whether they think it’s financially effective to treat you.”
Important note: Health insurance can provide life-saving access for many—but what people are frustrated by here is the profit-first system, not care itself.
3. The wedding industry
Multiple people slammed the high cost of modern weddings.
JoElla B. put it plainly: “We spend too much time and money planning one day, and not enough thought on how to blend two lives in a mutually beneficial one.”
Others called out expensive dresses, venues, and pressure to perform for social media.
4. Bottled water
Carole D. said: “Water in plastic bottles! Get a cup!”
While bottled water has value in emergencies, it’s often just filtered tap water—sold for profit in plastic.
5. Baby product overload
“Most baby products,” wrote Kelli O. “They really aren’t as needy and complicated as companies want us to think.”
6. Fabric softener
“It’s bad for clothes, bad for the Earth, bad for the wallet, and totally unnecessary,” said Gail H.
Some experts agree—many softeners contain chemicals that can reduce fabric lifespan and irritate skin.
7. Smart appliances
“Adding ‘phone controls’ to every appliance instead of making them last as long as they used to,” wrote Sherry S.
When your fridge needs a software update, something’s gone off the rails.
8. Makeup and anti-aging products
“Anything anti-aging,” said Melissa T., “Please just let me age into the gargoyle I was meant to become.”
Others questioned products designed to “fix” eyelashes, eyebrows, pores, and graying hair.
April S. added, “Products that women are convinced they MUST have in order to be ‘beautiful’ and therefore ‘loved.’”
9. Cosmetic surgery
Ron P. called out the industry as a whole. And while body autonomy matters, many commenters questioned whether insecurities are being commodified and sold back to us.
10. Ticketmaster and “convenience fees”
“Let’s go back to waiting in line at a record store,” wrote Nicole C.
Zaida B. added: “Convenience fee for online purchases—then charging $10 more at the actual event.”
11. Engagement rings
James P. didn’t mince words: “Engagement rings.”
The diamond industry has long been criticized for manufactured scarcity and marketing-fueled necessity.
12. Lawn chemicals and services
“Plant native grasses and you don’t have the pests or need for constant watering,” wrote Jamie B.
Environmental groups have raised similar concerns over runoff and unnecessary pesticide use.
13. AI and generative tech
“This stuff squeezes the lifeblood and individuality out of the human experience,” said Teresa L.
Saskia D. and others echoed skepticism about its necessity, even as many of us are being pushed to use it.
14. Funeral services
Amy W. shared: “My parents both have already paid to have themselves cremated and are very adamant that they do not want anything big done for them. In their words, ‘I won’t care, I’m dead.’”
Of course, some families find comfort in tradition—but the cost and pressure can feel overwhelming and predatory.
15. Rinse and repeat
Amy D. nailed it: “It’s just to sell more. Not even sure you need it at all.”
16. Credit Card Surcharges
Shawn S. took aim at the extra fees popping up at checkout: “That is the cost of doing business and shouldn’t be the burden of the purchaser.”
Many questioned why customers are increasingly being asked to pay extra simply for the convenience of using a card.
17. Constant phone upgrades
“Apple are notorious for releasing the same shit every year,” said Steph S.
Diana H. added, “Needing to upgrade our phones so frequently.”
Built-in obsolescence and marketing cycles drive most of the demand.
18. Vitamins and supplements
“If I took every supplement they say I NEED I wouldn’t need food. Nor could I afford it,” said Tausha L.
19. Fake pockets on women’s pants
Jessica W. said, “I have to buy men’s pants for work because women’s pants would just get torn up too fast!”
Form over function, and then they charge more for it.
20. Disposable everything
“The ‘convenience’ of disposable everything,” said Rick R.
It’s killing the planet—and draining wallets.
21. Tipping
“I’m sick of supplementing for corporations that refuse to pay a living wage,” wrote Susan V.
Tipping culture has evolved into something far removed from its original intent, and for many, it now feels like a burden shifted onto the customer.
The bigger picture
People aren’t saying all these things should vanish tomorrow. But when we start seeing convenience sold as necessity, and insecurity turned into billion-dollar markets, it's worth asking: who benefits from all of this?
And more importantly—who pays?
This article originally appeared earlier this year.