Sustainable Consumption

The posts came organically as we made our way through places and time and we randomly encountered people and took on projects. So, they lack a certain readable order that would make life easier for someone interested in a specific topic. For this reason, I’ve (somewhat) organized  the posts related to reducing, reusing, recycling and upcycling.

Why you might want to care

Learn about

our consumption of oil and plastics (and a family’s attempt to do without for a year)

where your donated clothes go

how our garbage hurts animals

What can you do?

look how purposes translate into real actions

There are many campaigns around the world to clean parks, beaches, coasts organized by private local companies in Africa or international organizations in South America and around the world.

You can also start your own initiative to clean whatever little space of the world you live in (post also available in Spanish).

Don’t forget to be mindful of your consumption of electricity and water.

Learn about many initiatives to classify waste for recycling and our own initiative to travel (and live) light. If the idea piqued your curiosity and you’re feeling like downsizing, you can read more about voluntary simplicity and simple living by choice.

Feeling Crafty?

Small acts add up and there must be a million ways to turn potential waste into new, useful objects. Get inspired with some of the things we’ve posted (including some how to’s):

how to make X-mas trees from books and newspapers 

to avoid cutting yet more trees

how assorted materials are given a new life in Africa

and how garbage is turn into musical instruments in Latin America

an Indian and a South American artisan 

turning waste paper into a myriad of new items

how to turn plastic bottles into new objects for  

cleaning, organizing and more organizing, the garden and

the veggie garden, feeding birds, or protecting from pests

my own (modest but successful) attempt at

turning tetra paks into wallets