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Tell Me More
Small white sticker reads:Night & Day FurnitureVancouver, WA 98686Model # Cinnamon Futon Bunk BedMonth / Year of Mfg. November 2005Do not remove this label Fascinating and so informative. While they’re at it, could they print another sticker to address their wood sourcing practices, worker conditions, the toxicity of the finishes, and perhaps their end of life plan?
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Furniture Rescue as the System’s Default
Can we *even* imagine a future when our system’s default was furniture RESCUE instead of DISPOSAL? How good would it feel to replace guilt with satisfaction, to know that curbside furniture was heading to its next phase of life, instead of getting buried forever in a greenhouse gas emitting, leachate producing, hole in the ground? Our current system “rescues” recyclables and food waste every day. Hundreds of millions of dollars of infrastructure exists to keep certain materials out of the landfill. This isn’t a matter of complexity, it’s one of political will, data, awareness and urgency. Earth day, week, month, etc. aka every damn day, is an excellent time to…
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Too Nice to be Landfilled, Too Imperfect to be Donated
Example #334,226,788. The size of the opportunity is as big as the challenge, if we’re willing to think outside of the entrenched industrial waste complex. Can developing local systems of furniture reclamation, rehabilitation, and redistribution create a positive feedback loop for our community rather than generate a one time source of profit for a waste hauler? Who are these systems built to serve? What power structures perpetuate the status quo? What assumptions do we rely upon to not question it?
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Garage Sales in the Era of Free Piles
When I saw this sign last weekend, I did a double take. A garage sale, I remember thinking, people still do those? Upon reflection, I can see that’s a crazy first reaction, but not necessarily where I live. As Lucy and I walked on, I thought about how my neighborhood is really a big, dispersed, unattended garage sale. I often feel like I’m roaming the aisles of a thrift store when I’m out walking my dog. Our streets are covered in free stuff: whether in boxes or splayed on the sidewalk, there are piles of books, clothes, shoes, homewares, car seats, sports equipment, picture frames, art, vases, high chairs, dishes,…
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Panel on Sustainable Textiles: Moving Towards a Circular Economy
It was an honor last night to be part of a panel discussion about what a circular economy of textiles can and should be: transformational for individuals, artists, skilled labor, creatives, sheep farmers, the community, and ecosystems. That is my kind of future visioning. Here are some takeaway notes as captured by the moderator, Sy Baker: 👉 There is immense potential for decentralization and democratization👉A Sharing Economy exists–but needs to be expanded upon👉We must get more comfortable with imperfection👉Transparency is key👉Repair is essential–and can be modernized👉People are trying to do the right thing.Thanks @stopwaste for hosting us and thanks to @fibershed_ , @calpsc and Connie Ulasewicz for your efforts that…
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“Don’t Want it? Neither Do We.”
The ad on this bus reads, “Don’t want it? Neither do we.” The image prominently features a faded, slouchy red couch. The couch sits atop a trash heap that looks as if it was scooped straight out of the landfill. The pile includes rocks, dirt, plastic containers, and other bits of detritus. Though worn, this couch has all of its parts and is not ripped, broken, or damaged beyond repair. The fine print on the ad encourages people to contact their service provider to schedule a bulky waste pickup. Another way to say: to avoid it ending up on the street, we’ll come and dump it in the landfill for…
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I Repeat: Waste Management Has More Employees Than the USA Has Upholsterers
I discovered this inconvenient truth while preparing for my @thegfda presentation today, “Furniture Waste as a Catalyst for Change.” Our systems represent our values. What type of future are we investing in? Who will benefit? Who will be left behind? Who has the megaphone? Who holds the power? Thanks again for hosting me Katie, and thanks to everyone who attended! Data source: 44,900 Waste Management employees in 2019 according to Insider Monkey article, compared to 32,870 upholsterers in 2018 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
