If you have holiday decorations to take down, here...

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Your daily source of inspiration for creative reuse and mindful consumption.

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We welcome your tips, suggestions, and feedback. Contact: unconsumption@gmail.com

[Background on, & press coverage of, Unconsumption can be found here and here.]

Consumption is a word used to describe acts of acquisition – generally, the acquisition of things, in exchange for money.

Unconsumption is a word used to describe everything that happens after an act of acquisition.

Unconsumption is an invisible badge.

Unconsumption means the accomplishment of properly recycling your old cellphone, rather than the guilt of letting it sit in a drawer.

Unconsumption means the thrill of finding a new use for something that you were about to throw away.

Unconsumption means the pleasure of using a service like Freecycle (or Craigslist, Goodwill, or Salvation Army) to find a new home for the functioning DVD player you just replaced, rather than throwing it in the garbage.

Unconsumption means enjoying the things you own to the fullest – not just at the moment of acquisition.

Unconsumption means the pleasure of using a pair of sneakers until they are truly worn out – as opposed to the nagging feeling of defeat when they simply go out of style.

Unconsumption means feeling good about the simple act of turning off the lights when you leave the room.

Unconsumption is not about the rejection of things, or the demonization of things. It’s not a bunch of rules.

Unconsumption is an idea, a set of behaviors, a way of thinking about consumption itself from a new perspective.

Unconsumption is free.

CONTRIBUTORS:

Founder & Editor: Rob Walker, journalist, Savannah, GA

Editorial & Community Manager: Molly Block, marketing and business development geek, Houston, TX

Brian W. Jones, designer & writer, Göteborg, Sweden

Kashvi Kumar, Environmental Studies and Economics major at New York University

Deirdre Nelson, ever threading artist, Glasgow, Scotland

Shanna Trenholm, writer. catalyst. force of nature. San Diego, CA

* * *

Alumnus & Unconsumption logo creator: Clifton Burt, graphic designer, Portland, OR

Further information about Unconsumption can be found here.

8:10 am - Wed, Dec 28, 2011: 65 notes

If you have holiday decorations to take down, here are a couple of storage ideas to consider.

Repurpose egg cartons to use as storage for ornaments. (via Unconsumption’s “holiday things” Pinterest board)

If you’ll be storing items in a basement or attic, reuse packets of desiccant, if you have some (e.g., from purchases of shoes or purses); toss them in to help keep things dry.

Use empty coffee cans to help keep strings of lights organized. Store spare bulbs and the string’s plug end inside the can. Cut a slit in the can’s top, poke the cord through the slit, then wrap the rest of the strand around the can. (via Real Simple)

Use some lights year-round: Drill a hole in an empty wine bottle, then thread a string of lights into it. Plug in and enjoy. (via an earlier Unconsumption post here; how to drill a hole info here)