Companies try to recycle all waste, send nothing to landfill – USATODAY.com

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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

Lee Sachs, writer, user experience consultant, filmmaker, New York, NY

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

* * *

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

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Further information about Unconsumption can be found here.

8:19 am - Fri, Feb 3, 2012: 96 notes

Companies try to recycle all waste, send nothing to landfill – USATODAY.com

There’s no national tally of companies or organizations that have achieved zero-landfill status, but reports of success are increasing.

General Motors said this month that 81 of its manufacturing plants earned this designation and that it recycles 92% of the waste generated by its facilities worldwide.

Toyota reported in November “near zero landfill status” at its North American manufacturing plants. Spokeswoman Cindy Knight says the plants divert an average of 96% of their waste from landfills, and nine of the 14 divert 100%.

Honda Motor said in July that 10 of its 14 North American plants had zero-waste operations.

Sounds like progress, no?