(Readers’ Pick) When environmental advocates go on about sustainable living, the concept can seem murky at best. The Unconsumption project seeks to provide inspiration for everyday people to creatively reuse items and reduce waste. The Tumblr account provides creative ideas like using wine bottles as candle holders and turning board games into jewelry boxes.
Somehow it’s extra cool that we’re a “readers’ pick,” no?
The entry is here.
Today’s tutorial: How to turn old t-shirts into rugs
Major supplies needed include a piece of latch-hook canvas, a latch-hook tool, and several t-shirts and hours. For how-to / DIY details, see this post on Xoelle.com, where previous readers have added some good suggestions.
(via Craft)
Beelden Bouwers, a Dutch design studio, reuses surplus wool to create lamp shades.
We’ve spotted some creative new uses for tennis gear (here), and now there’s this use of netting to add to that group:
Dutch designer Bertjan Pot uses tennis nets, edged with seat belts, in the production of his all-weather chairs.
(via Co.Design)
See also: Earlier Unconsumption posts on chair-related repurposing here.
Waste not, want not
‘Second-hand becomes second-foot with Worn Again’s sports shoes crafted from charity store coats, military parachutes, prison blankets, car seat scrap leather, old towels and recycled rubber. At least 1.3% of the production cost is also set aside to balance carbon emissions.’
Via Design Indaba
Here’s another use for outdated maps: Use as window covering.
To make classic window shades (from maps or other material), a helpful tutorial can be found here. (via Martha Stewart)
See also: Earlier Unconsumption map-related posts here.
Very cool news the other day via the Unconsumption Facebook page, from Alpha Wilson:
Greetings, today I modified the t-shirt totebag idea that is floating around Pinterest by adding a sewn-in drawstring bag to use to tote the tote bag when it isn’t full of stuff.
I inkjet printed the Unconsumption logo to the outside of the drawstring bag, which is made from a couple of pieces of cut-up t-shirt.
That’s awesome!
And definitely a worthy addition to The Uncollection — Unconsumption’s brand-with-no-products experiment, made up of things you have creatively reused or remade, and spruced up with Mr. Cart.
For more how-to detail on the T-shirt tote: Green is Universal ReUser’s Guide | FASTEST RECYCLED T-SHIRT TOTE BAG
For a photo journal detailing Alpha Wilson’s add-on, go here.
And if this inspires you to use Mr. Cart and join the Uncollection yourself, post info and pix here.
A very clever way to bind together a booklet or document with nothin more than a hole punch, rubberband and a paper clip.
(via Studio EMMI | work)
1) cigarette butts
2) paper pieces
3) plastic pieces
4) styrofoam
5) glass pieces
6) plastic food bags
7) plastic caps and lids
8) metal beverage cans
9) plastic straws
10) glass beverage bottles
11) plastic beverage bottles
12) styrofoam cups
— Plastics in our Oceans
(Source: marcons.env.duke.edu)
Big Island of Hawai’i latest to ban plastic bags
See also: Earlier Unconsumption plastic bag-related posts here.
The toaster that has lasted as long as the marriage… SIXTY years and still going strong
They believe their toaster is the oldest in Britain.
And Fred and Joan Horley have no problem remembering just how old their appliance is.
The Morphy Richards device was a gift for their wedding which took place on May 23, 1953, and has been going strong ever since.
‘We didn’t consciously keep it it is just that we never had any reason to replace it. The only other thing I’ve still got from my wedding day is my wife.’
(via UK’s oldest toaster: wedding gift going strong after 60 years | Mail Online)
Sweet story.
I’m all for biodegradable products but I never imagined I would find them in the form of utensils! Ori Sonnenshein, an Israeli designer, makes these biodegradable kitchen accessories from orange peels. They can simply be added to the compost after some use.
(via TreeHugger)
