-
Re-framing the Future: A Call to Action for a Just Transition for the Reupholstery Industry
âUnite and rebuildâ proclaimed an article, in 2019, about how an industry once left to perish could be on the verge of a comeback. The idea that the National Upholstery Association, a brand new trade association started solely by women and dedicated to a trade full of tradition, honor and importance, had launched with such little media fanfare, infuriated me. Determined to imagine a narrative beyond the tired, formulaic piece about DIY upholstery or an upholsterer’s retirement, I wrote one myself. I typed that proclamation as one of the NUAâs newest volunteers, hungry to join others in collective action at the industry level. I knew already that reliance upon upstream…
-
How Do You Like Your Coffee?
If this gorgeous dresser was a cup of coffee it would be Turkish, robust, dark, slightly sweet. It savors patience over speed, respects tradition, and expects you to know how to avoid the grinds. Its perfect match is someone who loves craft over convenience and staring at tiny details. The opposite of this dresser is an instant coffee pod with sweetened creamer.
-
Another Day, Another Free Pile
Theyâre so common in these parts. Passersby know the drillâtake what you like and move on. Sounds nice and generous and in many ways it is, but itâs also a massive challenge. We canât nurture a system of reuse one free pile at a time. Stuff perishes on the street, which takes it from having some value to no value, quickly. Tons of money is spent cleaning up stuff that is all over the place–Oakland has over 2,700 illegal dumping instances every month. Is there room to dedicate some money to collect, consolidate, refurbish, and redistribute/resell the stuff instead? Weâve been taught to look at street furniture first as waste.…
-
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: đ There is immense potential for decentralization and democratizationđA Sharing Economy exists–but needs to be expanded uponđWe must get more comfortable with imperfectionđTransparency is keyđRepair is essential–and can be modernizedđPeople are trying to do the right thing.Thanks @stopwaste for hosting us and thanks to @fibershed_ , @calpsc and Connie Ulasewicz for your efforts that…
-
Imperfectly Perfect. Now What?
Despite our conditioning to constantly cycle through things, parting ways with furniture often makes us feel bad. Thereâs massive guilt associated with dumping furniture, especially when itâs imperfectâyou donât want to give someone something you yourself donât want, you donât want to pay to fix something you donât intend to keep, you canât donate it, and landfilling it wrecks your conscience. As a result, people tend to store pieces, out of sight, for long periods of time. Eventually, the guilt lessens as the unwanted piece devolves into something closer to junk status. Thus, making the final disposal easier to bear. This emotional labor is an interesting consequence of our linear…
-
The Final Wish of an Old Table
âSo let me get this straight, IKEA, the largest producer of disposable furniture, who after seven decades of filling up landfills with their low cost, single use stuff, who helped shift our collective consumption patterns away from reuse and towards fast furniture, and, as we have just 7 years and 77 days to make drastic changes to keep our emissions below the 1.5 degree threshold, according to the Climate Clock, are now offering to buy back their stuff. Super. For them, and their large private company. Then, thereâs me. An old, real wooden coffee table who, for every year I live, provides a benefit to the planet, for not needing…
-
Time to Redefine Best Practices
This is the last picture I took with a blue sky. It was a week ago. That might not sound long but it truly feels like forever when youâre locked inside with the doors and windows shuttered. Weâve entered a deeper level of isolation, and itâs awful. This picture, though, is heavy all by itself. This pile contains countless pieces of usable goods headed for the landfill. In the right corner, you can see a woman rescuing something from the heap. I asked if she found a treasure, and she responded excitedly that she did, âit just needs some TLC.â Arguably most of the pile fits that description. These west…
