An item on the eBay Stories blog describes some...

About

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

Join us on Facebook and Pinterest, too.

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.

8:11 am - Wed, Apr 25, 2012: 35 notes

An item on the eBay Stories blog describes some auctions of art made from “trash” donated by celebrities:

If that sounds, well, weird, it really isn’t, once you get a chance to look at the pieces this person has created. In fact, we think it is a cool idea.

The theme of the artwork is “wild life,” inspired by the idea that if your life is wild at times, things may break and then need to be thrown away. So, don’t worry: the art is made from broken items, not rotten banana skins or dirty diapers.

One of our favorites is this one, a Jason Mecier Original “Wild Life” Raccoon Artwork presented by GLAD Black Bag.

The raccoon piece includes trash from Lauren Conrad and Constance Zimmer. Fashion designer Lauren Conrad is reported to have scoured her trash one day, coming up with green and white pencils, bottle caps, wrappers, magnets, and more to contribute to the project.

Proceeds benefit Keep America Beautiful. More here: eBay stories blog | What would you pay for trash?