Don't Manufacture - Re-manufacture - Made in America: How To Reinvent American Manufacturing - Slate Hive

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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.

8:22 am - Mon, Sep 24, 2012: 31 notes

Don't Manufacture - Re-manufacture - Made in America: How To Reinvent American Manufacturing - Slate Hive

Over at Slate, they’re having one of those “ask the crowd” discussions, soliciting ideas for addressing a big issue. In this case the question is “how to reinvent American manufacturing.” One of the proposals caught my eye: “Don’t manufacture, re-manufacture”:

While labor prices in China create a competitive disadvantage for US workers, there is nothing preventing us from changing our laws to require that a more significant portion of durable goods be re-manufactured. The automotive industry has created a thriving economy in re-manufactured goods but the supply of low cost new parts is always a temptation that keeps this industry from completely taking off.

If you want to cast a vote to support that notion, or leave a comment about it, head over to Slate.