Consume Less

Happy Thanksgiving

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 11:48:02 -0500

Enjoy, but remember two words. Portion control. :-).

And go for a walk after you eat. You’ll feel better. Be thankful.

unconsumption: It’s yet another case of one-man’s-trash...

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 23:53:34 -0500

It’s yet another case of one-man’s-~~trash~~ recycling: London’s Wood Be Waste is a textbook example of upcycling, adding value to materials that wood otherwise be discarded and at best recycled.

Wood Be Waste Upcycled Desktop Organization Solutions - Core77

Organize you’re stuff with toilet paper tubes. Perfect...

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 11:36:53 -0400

Organize you’re stuff with toilet paper tubes. Perfect solution for keeping that box of USB and iPod cords organized. And a great way to recycle your old toilet paper, or paper towel roll tubes. We’d recommend you trim the paper towel tubes in half - unless you’ve got really, really long fingers.

Via Lifehacker.

unconsumption: Via nestfullofeggs: toilet paper tube pencil...

Sat, 10 Sep 2011 14:30:42 -0400

unconsumption:

Via nestfullofeggs:

toilet paper tube pencil holder

See also: Earlier Unconsumption posts on new uses for paper tubes — toilet paper and/or paper towel tubes — here.

unconsumption: Got old meds? Medication disposal is becoming...

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 00:31:56 -0400

unconsumption:

Got old meds? Medication disposal is becoming easier — JournalTimes.com

A Houston-based company, Sharps Compliance, aims to make it easier for Americans to dispose of unwanted medications — 200 million pounds of which are estimated to be improperly disposed of every year.

Consumers can purchase Sharps’ postage-paid envelopes at Walgreens, CVS/pharmacy, Rite Aid, and Kroger stores, among other outlets, to mail in non-controlled substances.

“This addresses a problem we’ve had for years,” David Tusa, president and CEO of Sharps, said. “Meds remain in the medicine cabinet and then people or children accidentally overdose, or people flush them and they work their way into the water systems. It’s estimated that 35 to 40 percent of medicines go unused in any given year.”

Sharps’ envelopes go to a disposal company in Texas that … burns the medicines. The ash in Texas is then repurposed into concrete and used to create roads.

An alternative: Consumers in the U.S. can, on a designated day (most recently April 30, 2011), drop off medications at locations participating in the Drug Enforcement Agency’s National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day.

(photo via Walgreens)

Traffic Light App Could Help You Miss Red Lights and Consume Less Gas

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 18:45:10 -0400

Traffic Light App Could Help You Miss Red Lights and Consume Less Gas:

Would love to see this in practice. Idling is the worst. People need to learn to time lights right so they can coast a major of the time instead of sitting idle. Sounds like this app might be a big step in that direction.

texturism: enough said. | via newspeedwayboogie

Wed, 24 Aug 2011 10:41:05 -0400

texturism:

enough said. | via newspeedwayboogie

unconsumption: Most things you plug into an outlet are...

Sun, 07 Aug 2011 12:10:45 -0400

unconsumption:

Most things you plug into an outlet are designed to drain energy, but the Eliminata is the opposite: The little gizmo serves as a conscientious middleman between your appliance and the socket, killing the flow of electricity during downtime and preventing that “vampire drain” that adds up over the course of a year.

Energy-Saving Go-Between Device from DesignEdge - Core77

Tips on How to Consume Less Disposable Goods

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 18:47:42 -0400

Tips on How to Consume Less Disposable Goods:

Nice list from ReUseIt.com on ways you can reduce your usage (and waste) of disposable goods. I think the idea of reusable grocery bags has caught on well. But ditching those plastic water bottles is an uphill battle. Ditching dyer sheets was one I had thought of before. Good tips.

The New Frugality: How to Consume Less, Save More, and Live Better

Fri, 03 Jun 2011 13:53:42 -0400

Of course we’d recommend you consider the paperless Kindle edition. :-)

Consume Less Water - Shower Together. Get friendly and shower...

Thu, 02 Jun 2011 19:34:59 -0400

Consume Less Water - Shower Together. Get friendly and shower together.

texturism: In terms of re-inventing the everyday, the Melt...

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 22:04:01 -0400

texturism:

In terms of re-inventing the everyday, the Melt Tag concept is genius. Each tag is made from a paper soap compound that dissolves in water. Before wearing a new garment, most manufacturers recommend first washing it so that traces of the dyes and chemicals used to treat it don’t come in contact with your skin. When your garment has a Melt Tag, you can simply toss your shirt right into the wash, tag and all, for a spiffy fresh clean, no scoop of detergent needed. - GOOD

unconsumption: Preserve manufactures inexpensive consumer...

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 19:21:50 -0400

unconsumption:

Preserve manufactures inexpensive consumer goods from 100% recycled plastic, collected from industrial sources and their own customers: “Any item the company sells can be mailed back to Preserve when you’re done with it, and the plastic will be reused in new products. Preserve’s toothbrushes even come packaged with a postage-paid envelope.”

That bit about encouraging consumers to send back spent products that get converted back into raw material is the cool part, to me. Here’s a Consumed column about this company from 2009.

Preserve: Recycling And Intelligent Design Collaborations - PSFK

Great video on how the bottled water industry has got us all...

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 12:39:09 -0400

Great video on how the bottled water industry has got us all buying insane amounts of mediocre water.

Sell your books back to Amazon

Tue, 08 Mar 2011 21:40:27 -0500

Sell your books back to Amazon:

Get credit at Amazon and make your next book a (free) ebook. Amazon even picks up the shipping.

alanajoy: “Stop buying things you don’t need, spending...

Tue, 08 Mar 2011 21:10:06 -0500

alanajoy:

“Stop buying things you don’t need, spending money you haven’t yet earned, to impress people you don’t like.” ~ Deepak Chopra

Produce more

Fri, 25 Feb 2011 11:10:19 -0500

- Make your own pizza, cake, bread, …

- Demolish your car.

- Freeze all your food.

- No bottled water!

- Become a vegetarian.

- Eat only when really hungry.

- No disposable diapers!

- Buy Silver instead of Stock.

- Buy devices without batteries.

- Buy hemp clothes (lasts longer)

- No coated frying pans (Iron, Steel only)

- Never travel by aircraft.

- Avoid toilet paper if possible.

- No electric tooth-brush, use soft abrasive tooth paste instead.

- No smoking.

- No drinking!

- Never raise a credit.

- Cancel unneccesary policies.

This is how I live since 1999.

Michael

Mon, 15 Nov 2010 22:57:28 -0500

“Consumer confidence index” measures health of economy. Does this mean that we will hurt our country by consuming less? What will happen to the society if more people will drastically decrease their consumption? What should I read about it? Right now it goes without saying that everyone wants more and more stuff. Nobody questions it, and nobody is taking into consideration that people may want to live below their means. (???)

Reuse Boxes

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 13:56:49 -0400

Great post from Lifehacker. How to reuse boxes from retail products by simply turning them inside out. Why inside out? Well, you get rid of the printing, barcodes and the like for a clean brown or white box.

via Lifehacker

Borrow and Share with NeighborGoods

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 14:38:57 -0400

Borrow and Share with NeighborGoods