Thursday, November 15, 2012

Reuse is Sexy

I started on the creative reuse road a few years ago because I thought it was an amazing collision of things I love. It encourages stewardship of the earth, nurtures creativity, creates community, and on a more tangible level, gives me the high of finding a good deal. That list generally motivates me in the process of operating a creative reuse center, but sometimes I have my doubts. At the conference one of the speakers threw out the following stat in the first session: Garbage is only 1-2% of our environmental impact. I have yet to fact check that, however, it made me question how much of an environmental impact creative reuse really makes. I shared my doubts with a fellow conference goer while eating trail mix out in the hallway (yes, trail mix...we fully embraced our crunchy identity) and she reminded me that maybe our purpose in this whole movement of reuse is to be a catalyst, a culture changer, a voice in the desert crying “Reuse is Sexy!”.  

And there it was, the mantra for the rest of the conference. We dropped the word “sexy” like fifteen year old girls Googling Ryan Gosling pictures.  Even this very morning I received an email from a conference attendee who said she requested a t-shirt for Christmas saying “Reuse is Sexy”. And I can’t help but recognize the truth in the sentiment.  My interest level in a guy increases significantly if he tells me his entire outfit is thrifted and, of course, I want my house to look like your “Upcycled Home Decor” Pinterest board.  Even big retail stores use the sexiness of reuse to get people through their doors.  Urban Outfitters window displays--so cool. Anthropologie shabby chic dresses that look like something I could have made from pieces of fabric laying around the house, but didn’t have the time or the skills so I bought theirs for $200--sexy!  (Confession: I haven’t actually purchased a single thing from Anthropologie...I’m trying to channel people who do)

Maybe it’s the uniqueness we like about it or the cleverness, the ingenuity.  Perhaps it’s accomplishing the challenge of re-assembling the chaos of leftover materials back into some sort of stylish order. Or maybe it’s the greater characteristics behind reuse that are attractive: responsible, conscientious, resourceful, creative.  Whatever the reason, let us be silent no more.  We need to share widely that reuse is “in”. Our mission at SCRAP is to “inspire creative reuse and environmentally sustainable behavior”. That word “inspire” cuts right to the core. Let’s inspire people to rethink consumption, let’s tell them it’s not dorky to reuse, let’s close the cultural divide between what’s “green” and what’s “normal”.  Creative reuse centers do make an environmental impact. We divert literally TONS of materials from the waste stream every year.  But I think more than that we make an environmental impact through making a cultural impact.  We validate people in their choice to reuse and create a culture that celebrates reuse as a preferred way of consuming. We tell the world that reuse is sexy because it really is.

So who else wants a “Reuse is Sexy” t-shirt for Christmas? It just made my list.

Thursday, November 8, 2012

ReuseConex

At the end of October I attended the ReuseConex conference in Portland, Oregon.  It was organized by the Reuse Alliance and gathered together reusers across all the fields: creative reuse, thrift, deconstruction, multi-million reuse businesses, start-up reuse businesses, architectural salvage, etc. As I was the only one in the SCRAP DC circle able to attend I told them all I’d write about my experience and synthesize what I got out of the conference. It’s been 3 weeks and I have yet to do this. It’s not the usual excuse of being busy or being lazy. No, I haven’t done it because the significance of the 2 day conference left me with an inability to begin. How do I communicate the enormity of reuse and its implications in our society and in our lives? Because if I can sum up the conference in a nutshell, the nutshell is this: Reuse is huge and I know almost nothing about it.

So as all 20-somethings do when they have something to figure out and something to say I’m going to do a little blog series. The purpose is to explore the role of reuse in my life and in the world, to join in the greater conversation around reuse, and learn some things along the way. I don’t really do blogs so this might be a challenge, but someone recently reminded me that sharing is the way to make an impact. So I will share my explorations and hope that you share yours with me too. I'll try to keep this spicy and interesting because, seriously, the word reuse sounds kinda boring and I've already used it eleven times.

Next Up: Reuse is Sexy

Friday, November 2, 2012

A Busy November for DC!

SCRAP DC and so many of our friends are busy, busy, busy this month, with events going on all over town. If you can't make it to our programs, maybe you'll check out one of theirs! Here's a list:

The "Disposable Culture" Exhibit is up through 11/30 at the American Association for the Advancement of Science — see photos and sculptures that, even if they didn't address environmental issues, would still be gorgeous in and of themselves.

11/3 -- That's tomorrow!

  • We at SCRAP present a Candy Wrapper Crafts workshop at Montgomery County's ReStore in Gaithersburg, MD. Bring your saved-up wrappers from Halloween and we'll show you how to make some fun items for you to take home. If you haven't held onto those wrappers, are you sure you've been reading our blog? :^) Don't worry -- we'll have plenty on hand, too. $5, limit 20 people. Register here.
  • Our buddies in reuse at Community Forklift offer a FREE craft workshop; a bunch of deals on stuff with great creative potential; and they get their Green Gift Fair under way this weekend. Check them out!

11/10

  • We return to The Watkins Nature Center in PG County for their Trash to Treasure event. The whole day is free, mostly indoors, and full of cool vendors and other nonprofits. Shop "green" for the holidays, bring unwanted books to their Book Exchange, and try our SCRAPpy Make-it Take-it or make-your-own indigo dye cloth.




11/17

  • Both days of this weekend, the DIY unFaire is ON! It's inspired by the ever-more-popular Maker Faires, and our friends at Hac DC will be a part of the fun. Thanks to our neighbors on North Capitol Street, Fab Lab DC, for sharing that one!
Want to get more involved in the ways your community looks at "scrap"? Or: make sure your views on public art are heard. These groups have meetings coming up, and you're welcome to attend: