I totally admire the ingenuity here — I keep...

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

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[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.

11:57 am - Thu, Jun 28, 2012: 70 notes

High-Res

I totally admire the ingenuity here — I keep meaning to buy a bike light, and this person fashioned one out of a spice jar and easily obtainable parts (lots of which I probably already have, sitting around):

So many objects are made to break and be thrown away, but many are easily fixed if one takes the time to examine their faults. DIY not only functions as a way to easily fix broken products, but also as a way to build your own sturdy designs.

I have had so many bike lights break, get stolen off my bike, or just fall off while riding (or getting hit by SUVs) that I created LED bike lights made from recycled jars. I have never had one of my handmade lights stolen or fall off.

Recently, I found myself on the West Coast borrowing a bike from a friend, which had no light. The nearest bike shop was five miles away, so I came up with this design for an easy-to-build bike light, using parts from the local hardware store, an LED from an electronics chain, and a small plastic spice jar.

I want to try this. If I do, I’ll report back!

(via How-Tuesday: DIY Bike Light | The Etsy Blog)