Instead of bringing a stroller on board a flight...

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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.

9:48 am - Thu, Jul 5, 2012: 180 notes

High-Res

Instead of bringing a stroller on board a flight from Japan to the U.S., Amber Dohrenwend of The Cardboard Collective blog used a sturdy cardboard box — with casters attached to its bottom — to help tote both her toddler and her three-year-old daughter through long airport terminals and checkpoints.

Amber used a produce box — the kind with a waxy coating — that has holes already in it. An old necktie threaded through the box’s holes made a handy pull-strap.

Amber placed an extra piece of cardboard in the bottom of the box (pictured below), to give the box added stability and to cover the casters’ screws and bolts (so her kids wouldn’t sit directly on them!). The box’s dimensions are within those for carry-on items.

Find additional photos on The Cardboard Collective blog, as well as posts on other projects Amber’s made from cardboard.