Urban Deceit

Urban Outfitters: a haven of the "alternative." Known especially for their artistic t-shirts, this international company flaunts the style that almost all teens and twenty-somethings long for. Even I have gazed longingly through the window at the new and interesting styles that I can only dream of creating myself.

Last night I was at the reunion concert of an awesome local band, Uncommon Knowledge. After the show, my friend went up and complimented the singer/guitarist's shirt. After thanking her, he mentioned that it was from Urban Outfitters.

This reminded me of a few months ago, when I was glancing at an article online and was scandalized by what I read. Not only does the owner of Urban Outfitters contribute to some politicians I find personally objectionable, he holds the classic defeatist attitude toward where he gets his products. The complete article can be found at The Philadelphia Weekly, but here's some pertinent information:

"Yes, says Hayne, nearly all of Urban Outfitters' apparel is manufactured in Third World sewing shops--just like nearly all of the clothing sold in this country. If Urban Outfitters relied on domestic union labor, says Hayne, most of his customers could not afford the price he would have to charge to turn a profit. All things being relative, he says, Urban Outfitters does not contract with any sewing shops that are overtly inhumane or exploitive.

'Years ago I visited one of the factories we work with in India, and there was 500 people standing in a line three people deep stretching around the building,' he recalls. 'I said to the foreman, "What's going on?" He told me they were all applicants for the four positions they had open. I toured that facility and it was reasonably clean--for India. And it was reasonably well-lit--again, for India. And yes, it was mostly young women working there. But it is my understanding that the only other option those women had to feed their families was selling their bodies. So I don't want to hear people from the suburbs with their fat American stomachs telling people in other countries how to run their societies.' "

While I find this funnily ironic, I am also slightly disturbed. Many people I know, including friends and relatives, shop at this store. Do they know where those products are coming from, and do they know how the company spends its profits?

Let this serve as a reminder for us all. When we buy new, we are perpetuating a cycle that we may not want to actually be a part of. Purchase with intention!

Happy Holidays from ABQ, NM.
Kate, loved the photo of the ultimate in recycled holiday cards. I will make it a point to save cardboard and Sharpies for next year, just in case. As for traditional cards, I was wondering if the city would recycle all this shinny cardstock when I noticed a blurb in the newspaper that St. Jude Ranch for Children will turn old holiday cards into new ones. Send card fronts to the organization at 100 St. Jude's St., Boulder City, NV 89006. The program ends February 28. I am all over this idea. I will be keeping some of my cards to create a different card for another occasion. For example, Kate, I am taking your family card and turning it into a thank you card for Dave (your father-in-law and my brother-in-law) and Jim-- I am excited to see how it turns out. I will try to insert a picture in my next post.

Also, I have been searching the web to learn more about the Compact Project. I am not sure what it says about me but I enjoy, usually with eyebrows raised, the ironies of life. On the Freecycle site, there is a tab labeled as "store". Turns out, you can buy *new* stuff on that site displaying the freecycle logo. Well, I guess they have to get revenue somehow, as in the end, nothing is really "free".
Happy New Year. LynnA

a recession yuletide

Merry Christmas, everyone! I'd like to celebrate this day on the Compact Project by sharing 2 wonderful gifts, one from this year, and one from many years ago.

First off is the BEST homemade Christmas card I have ever received, hands down. And I've made a lot of them...but this one wins the show due to the brilliant simplicity in using corrugated cardboard and a Sharpie marker. The back is done postcard style.

Next up is my very favorite winter hat, made by my sister Beth (who is also a member of Larkin's experiment). The hat is a simple, fun design made from fleece, and she added a rock on the front that she'd had for many years just floating around. The great thing is that Beth made this hat for me maybe 10 years ago now...and it continues to look fabulous and warm my head. Yay for homemade! Ho ho ho!

Compact: Compost

Thanks Mom for that last post, and the question you raised: "I'm wondering how common this is becoming...does your city provide composting services? Seattle composts, so if you pay for yard waste removal with your garbage service, they'll also take & use your food waste." And thank you to Clark for that comment. For those who missed it, he said that in Evanston, IL (outside of Chicago) there is no "kitchen waste" composting and even the composting of yard waste has been discontinued due to "funding, odor, and rodent issues." So, I was wondering how Seattle handles our compost in a way to avoid these issues as much as possible.

I found the answer at www.worldchanging.com:

"City staffers deliver residential compostable material to the Cedar Grove plant north of Everett (Cedar Grove staff manages the collection for commercial operations). After initially collecting in the tipping room (where truckloads are unloaded), materials travel along a conveyor belt, where metal and plastics are removed. The waste is then formed into piles and covered.

Cedar Grove uses GoreTM Cover Membrane Laminate Technology, a system of specialized covers, and regularly monitors temperature and moisture in the compost heaps. The high heat achieved in Cedar Grove's large-scale processing kills any weeds and pathogens, and also meets the standards for organic certification. After the two-stage heat aging process (approximately 21 and 30-45 days respectively), bagged compost is aged for an additional 18 months to ensure quality. Bulk compost is aged 6 to 12 months.

Finally, the bags of organic compost are delivered to stores around Seattle, where residents can purchase the natural fertilizer for use in their own yards. For homeowners, landscapers, gardeners, organizations like Seattle Tilth, and others, this would-be waste has become a wonderful resource!"

And from an article in The Seattle Times, I learned something very interesting. In San Fransisco, the birthplace of the Compact, they had composting nearly perfected as far back as 2003. "...food waste travels a 150-mile loop from restaurant to composting facility to vineyard and back. 'We're closing the nutrient loop and keeping food from just wasting in a landfill,' said Jack Macy, who runs San Francisco's food-recycling program."

I encourage Compacters and Compact followers alike to look into their city's compost program and find out how they can help to reduce in this fundamental way. If your city does not offer composting, starting your own program is easy. Many ways of composting can be found at www.seattletilth.org.

Christmas Creativity

I love that post about touring a paper factory in China, especially hearing that they were busy making our Independence Day party supplies...oh, the irony!

His colleague's comment about the napkins being so unsanitary made me think about how there are still so many people who will, without a thought, grab for the paper napkins & towels all day long. Dab the side of the mouth, toss the paper. Wipe up a slight drip, toss the paper. And this is paper that can't be recycled. Cloth napkins are SO easy to come by & way more effective for nearly any job. Thrift stores are always full of colorful napkins and kitchen towels. And napkins are about the easiest thing to sew out of any absorbent fabric.

Question. I'm wondering how common this is becoming...does your city provide composting services? Seattle composts, so if you pay for yard waste removal with your garbage service, they'll also take & use your food waste. I love that. It also gives you something more productive to do with those dirty paper napkins & towels...they may not be recyclable, but they are compostable (depending on what you cleaned up).

On a related paper-saving note, we took our Christmas cards to a new level this year. We usually make our own, so this time, in honor of Larkin's Compact Project we set a rule: make them with only supplies we already have around the house--buy nothing. Luckily, we're a crafty family, so we had plenty of supplies to work with. I have the remainder of a box of 500 recycled #10 envelopes, so we started with the assumption that this would be our card size & worked out from there. It also had to be a simple design, as we send over 50 cards to family & friends scattered around the world. I think they turned out nice. If you haven't received yours yet, act surprised when you get it! -k8-

Paper, Paper everwhere...not a scrap to note!

Greetings all,

What can I say? The headline is a lie. If anything, there was more paper and scraps to note down War & Peace...about a hundred million times. You see, I had an opportunity to visit two giant paper, stationary and playing card presses in central China. It is hard to describe the scale here, folks. To say "huge" would be to compare the pulp plant to a skyscraper...but it is bigger by far. More like a half-mile city block. To say "big" would be to compare the presses to a bus...but they were bigger too. More like a convoy. To say "lengthy" would be to compare the cutting, assembly and packaging lines to a walk in the park. But it took over two hours for each fast-paced tour.

And here is what I kept thinking through the whole thing: What a lot of waste! Take the legal pads being spun off at several thousand an hour. Imagine them going to all those stationary stores, and into people's briefcases and meetings. They get whipped out and a thought or two is scribbled on them, likely transferred to an email and...tragedy of tragedies...thrown away. I can't escape this image of a giant beast who gobbles up and later excretes giant loads of yellow...yellow...yellow...gunk.

As interesting was the "party" division that was part of the tour. They were spinning off napkins for July 4th. Beyond the irony of communist China supplying the mountain of Independence Day cups, napkins, hats, etc. was the delicious comment of my Chinese colleague, "I'll never use another paper napkin!" "Why?" I puzzled. "This is just so unsanitary!" I could see his point...an operating room it ain't.

What was just as interesting was when I got back from my trip, it turns out my daughter was learning about the paper process too. For homework she cut up a bunch of paper and soaked it in water for three days, then took that cellulose soup to school. Everyone then turned their mushy mess into another sheet of rough paper. It got me thinking...it may be easier to re-use that scrap than I thought and I'm going to give it a try. Stay tuned!

Anyway, perhaps noting the scale of the production will help you scale your consumption. For me, around my house and even in our office, we re-use paper a lot. We take envelopes and cut them for notes. We turn paper over and re-print on it for internal purposes, or at least cut it up for scratch paper. I hope that you are considering something similar! For beyond the "no buying" objectives...I try to use the "no waste" rule. After all, who wants to get that yellow stream all over them? (Oh, how I love puns...sorry to gross anyone out!)

on the hunt!

hi guys! what a busy time of the year! does anyone have any ideas about where a girl could get some used/recycled curtain rods or perhaps some advice about how to make some that will actually stay up with the curtains on them? my attempts have all failed!

i am fighting the vast temptation of getting a ride to ace hardware (who by the way are cooperatively owned!) and whipping out the visa, but it is so cold and the curtains need to go up soon!

muchas gracias in advance for any and all advice! happy homemade holidays everybody!

Hey Y'all!

I'm sorry it's been so long. I have been very busy in the last couple weeks, with school, work, school, musical auditions, school, college applications, and reading Hamlet.... for school. Yes, this is the life.

While reading the food article posted by Chris a thought struck me. Organic food is tasty, more so perhaps than .... other food with the sense of well being it gives you being even better, knowing you are both helping the environment and avoiding those nasty chemicals. And local organic food is even better, as Chris said: reducing the "giant carbon footprint"... and how more local can you get than your own back yard? (Or front yard, side yard, patio... etc.)

Of course, you say, it is nearly Winter and what silly person tries to grow anything in the snow/wet/cold? It is much easier to drive down to the national chain superstore a few miles away. Of course it is! But we are not doing this for easy: We are doing this for change.

That being said, feel free to check out this website devoted to gardening in the fall and winter.

And for those of you who are still unwilling to get down on your knees in the snow and freeze your hands off for the sake of a few carrots (and believe me, I understand!), check out this introduction to planter gardening in winter.

Happy Gardening! ~Larkin

Clippings!

Greetings all,

I thought these articles on local food were interesting, and thought you might like them too. (click headline for full story)

Organic restaurants where only diners come from afar, by Henry Skukman

Thoreau observed that humans are happily designed in such a way that the distance they can cover in a day's walking means that were they to spend every day hiking in a different direction from their homestead, it would take a lifetime to get to know every corner of their surround

Any region can use a patron saint, and in England's West Country, that saint is Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall (aka Hugh Fearlessly Eats-It-All). One of Britain's top TV chefs, Fearnley-Whittingstall is on a near-holy mission to return to the land. He had his first success with a show called "A Cook on the Wild Side," in which he traveled around cooking up game and wild plants on his camping stove.

A truly organic restaurant today needs a field of local suppliers. What good is an organic carrot or blueberry with a giant carbon footprint? Just as farmers' markets are spreading, so too is local-mindedness in restaurants. It's not just about carbon, but a deeper connectedness between people and land.

The kind of self-reliance a household would have known before the advent of processed and packaged foods, when good husbandry included knowledge of how to process food oneself, is precisely what Fearnley-Whittingstall is trying to revive.

From Hoof to Table, by Elisabeth Rosenthal

The cows and pigs dotting these flat green plains in the southern Netherlands create a bucolic landscape. But looked at through the lens of greenhouse gas accounting, they are living smokestacks, spewing methane emissions into the air.

That is why a group of farmers-turned-environmentalists here at a smelly but impeccably clean research farm have a new take on making a silk purse from a sow's ear: They cook manure from their 3,000 pigs to capture the methane trapped within it, and then use the gas to make electricity for the local power grid.

Rising in the fields of the environmentally conscious Netherlands, the Sterksel project is a rare example of fledgling efforts to mitigate the heavy emissions from livestock. But much more needs to be done, scientists say, as more and more people are eating more meat around the world.

Hello Larkin and fellow bloggers:

By way of introduction, my name is Lynn and I am married to John (Larkin's grandfather's younger :-) brother). We live in Albuquerque, NM. I have intrepidly joined the group and I anticipate and look forward to many challenges in the endeavor to reduce clutter, recycle, and learn to live more sustainably. Just today, I was at Office Max buying envelopes (for 15% off) & I thought, how would you not buy envelopes for a year? I shop some at thrift stores and I have never seen envelopes. However, John found this wonderful, old lamp at Thrift Town once and he rewired it and I use it on my desk. Having said that, we are "good consumers," if you know what I mean, and I will be challenged by the road ahead. I have already started to think differently in terms of purchases. This holiday season we will be giving some homemade treats, but alas, they will be in new Tupperware (did you guys know they still make Tupperware!); what can I say, I got to start somewhere. Also, we will be sending out hand made cards (a project I started last summer). In summary, I must say, that I am all for buying new underwear, as Larkin mentioned we could do in one of her posts. Larkin, I admire your “Senior Project” and I will acquire inspiration from you in the months ahead. Mas tarde. lynna

What an occaision...my first post!

Greetings all,

Thanks to Larkin for allowing me to post my thoughts here. I hope they are interesting to her readers, and that they spark good and fruitful discussion.

First, a bit about why I'm interested in blogging here. Second, a bit of background. Third, some thoughts on "me + Compacting."

First, I'm interested in blogging in the hopes that I'll get some helpful advice! Yep, my family and I need it. When reading about how the Compact Movement got started, I saw something of us. Hopefully you all have too, and we can learn from each other. The thing that rang true for us was that we too are fed up with recycling and other fixes that seem to fall way short. While we've tried our best, we'd still really would like some support and advice from others in changing "The Way It Is."

Second, as you read the posts, you should know a few things about me and us. We're a family of five, and we live in Hong Kong. We already feel "on the path" with The Movement...even if we do give ourselves certain slack. For example, we have never owned a new car. We mostly take public transport, even though we do have a car. I can count the number of pieces of new furniture we've bought in 15+ years of marriage on two hands and still have fingers left. We go clothes shopping about every two years. We pretty much eat at home and cook our own. We do our best to go local and organic. I wish I could say all of this was because we're so dedicated. Honestly, a lot of it is simple necessity. For example, we eat organic and local because eating food from China is just plain scary. For example, who wants to risk melmine poisoning? As for buying clothes, there aren't always the right sizes around here. (Being Caucasian, I'm a bit larger than you're average Asian, you see.)

Finally, we've been saving quite diligently for a house and for the kids' educations. So, in the end, I guess we're what's being called "frugalistas*." Considering our location - Central Command for The World's Factory - it is also interesting to compare and contrast the attitudes we run up against all the time. Some of our friends are equally frugal and concerned. Others are still dropping litter from their car windows. Its also interesting to be working with the world's factory workers and see how they live, hear their aspirations and what they think about the products they are making. I hope to share insights and information here! Finally, some initial thoughts on compacting: Its hard. Especially knowing what to do! For example, we have birthday parties for the kids. This year, after getting piles of junk that A) we knew was made of bad materials B) wouldn't really be played with and C) don't have space for, we thought about saying "no presents, please." However, that raised all sorts of questions and problems. "How will the kids feel when they don't get any gifts?" "What will the other parents do anyway?" (i.e. Will they listen?) "If we accept the gifts, can we give them away somehow? And how will the kids feel if they have to give them up?"

Also, I should admit my weaknesses. I said we allow ourselves some slack! For me... I love games. Video games. I do my best to wring every penny from them, but I often buy them somewhat impulsively. I also love coffee. Starbucks coffee. I don't know what I'd do without a little walk and Starbucks break. I am on the quest for the perfect hat. I have more than one (meaning...more than I have heads for), but still wind up getting them from time to time anyway. I am also on a quest for the perfect messenger bag. (And no...it doesn't ruin the clothes shopping assertion above!) Seriously, these are among the tougher challenges I'll be facing in order to further decrease consumption!

Thanks and happy reading.
Chris

*("frugalista, defined as “a person who lives a frugal lifestyle but stays fashionable and healthy by swapping clothes, buying secondhand, growing own produce, etc." On Language, by William Safire)

Orion Strikes Back, Again

I'm in love. Head over heels, gaga, goofy-faced-floppy-legs-gaited in love with Orion Magazine. If you have a few minutes, do check out this article about the famous* Crying Indian ad campaign.

*Made famous once Kate expressed her incredulity a few years ago when I said I had never seen it...

The Story of Stuff

--from kate--
I have Larkin's gramps to thank for bringing this excellent video to my attention. I encourage all readers to invest just 20 minutes watching this entertaining and enlightening piece. It explains more clearly than anything else I've found why movements such as The Compact are absolutely critical to the survival of our species and our planet. Recycling simply isn't enough; we each need to be doing more...or less, depending on how you look at it.

Watch on, citizens!
Here: http://www.storyofstuff.com/
Or here:

I had a dream

I must say, these last couple weeks have been quite a boom. This humble little project has come so far. Yet I wonder, is it far enough? I have high hopes for us, but I sometimes wonder if it all really matters. I wonder if the day will come, be it in a year or ten years, when I too will be just another of the mindless mass strolling along downtown, indulging my senses with rich Italian leather and delicate French lace.

But that is the point, or the anti-point, isn't it? We are here to change all that. It isn't a dream anymore, We have ripples swirling out from our little pebble: a "free-cycle" program beginning in California, international readership, and even those who cannot bring themselves to join us are still inspired by our existence.

This is not a dream. We are not just making changes: we are the change.

Going it alone, together

Hello Larkin and beyond!

I don't know how y'all feel, but here's my bit of brutal honesty:  I'm scared witless (insert your own age and/or audience appropriate adjective there) about the coming decades.  As I walk to work, forgoing the apparent convenience of my car; as I pack my own lunch, forgoing the apparent convenience of the Taco del Mar located a mere forty yards from my library; as I turn off unused lights throughout the house, forgoing the very real convenience of being able to see toys strewn like caltrops across the floor, I have the very real and foreboding sense that this effort is all for naught.

But then, ahhhh... then I happen to come across a bit of beauty and clarity such as the following article of Bill McKibben's in the most recent issue of Orion magazine.  In it, McKibben directly addresses this malaise that is bound to fall on individuals who are concerned enough (or insane enough?) to try to change the course of an entire economy and culture.

So if you, like me, need an occasional pick-me-up, keep this McKibben article tucked in a handy, easy to reach spot.  The medicine cabinet, perhaps? 

Is Capitalism on its way out?

I'm sure we are all concerned about the economy. Nothing much has changed for me, except I've lost about 1/3 of the value of 457K account. But I figure that I won't need that money. When I retire with my generous pension, that money will be for my grandchildren's college tuition anyway. Or not-- the pension fund will be bankrupt, and the 457K account worth nothing at all. All my kids will be jobless and homeless, and move in with me, and we will grow our own vegetables in the back yard. We'll Watch that wonderful movie "You can't Take it with You" over and over. Now I'm worried-- should I join the consumer economy big time? Help turn a Red Friday to a Black Friday?

Here's the deal. I pay off my credit card every month. I drive a car for over 10 years; only go to the mall about once every ten years (for entertainment purposes only); I get all my books at the public library; I buy as well as donate to the Goodwill. When people say "where did you get the cute coat", I am proud to say where I got it. When my daughter was little, I once bought her a Gunnie Sax dress at Value Village, and wrapped it up in a Nordstrom's gift box for Christmas. (She figured it out, and thought I was a real scrooge.)

Now I am worried about the economy. Maybe I should go out a buy a new American car. New furniture. Appliances. A big screen TV. Christmas presents for all my distant relatives.

Or is this the end of Capitalism-- as Lenin, or was it Marx said, "one step forward, two steps back"-- Should "the people" own the banks and the means of production.

Help! I don't understand this at all.

Down the Path (to Recovery?)

I casually joined The Compact, to support my niece Larkin's senior project. Sure, I meant it, but I didn't really pause to consider the implications. What would I need to do differently, really?

I've been enjoying how the answers have been presenting themselves: each new purchase or SAO (stuff acquisition opportunity) now must pass through The Compact Filter. This means I have even more little voices in my head, saying, "Do you really need that?" and "Can't you make that?" and "Hey, that's probably on Craigslist!" and so on.

And then, there are the new pick up/put down moments. I'm standing in the store picking up one, two, three things I think I'm about to buy, and then it hits me-- knock it off! Put it back! You can make that instead! You don't need that!

The coolest thing has been the blooming creativity. For example, I need to replace/enlarge my pitiful porch. I had been looking for used lumber on Craigslist, and felt discouraged when finding limited or odd/short pieces. Then - aha! - I thought of how lovely a mosaic of various widths could be, sort of parquet style, especially when resurfaced with a (used) planer. I don't think I would have considered that design if I'd just gone out and plunked down the bucks for a pile of virgin Doug Fir. Plus, after I've been telling people about this thing my niece got me into, a coworker learned that another coworker was offing the 500-600 sq. feet of redwood decking, which she had just replaced with a composite deck. Another coworker in the Ag Dept offered access to the industrial planer if I need it. Then we brainstormed about getting a staff-based "freecycle" type listserve going, so staff could all share their no-longer-loved treasures! Love that networking.

Another example is the beautiful gallon of "cafe latte" colored paint we recently found at our Habitat for Humanity Restore. $8!! We bought it and painted our office that night-- yes, the one I'm sitting in right now. Doesn't it look great? Well, take my word for it. Anyway, I'm just saying I would not have ordered this custom color at full cost, and the "treasure hunt" of finding it new/used made it that much more satisfying.

Finally, my favorite: Larkin and I are lobbying our whole family to celebrate Christmas this year with used, made, and repurposed gifts, experiences, or charitable contributions in others' names. I create intricate drawings, and despite encouragement, have not taken the leap to mass produce them or share it in a useful way. Now, with this challenge, I finally made a plan to get my own home art production going, using mostly used and some new materials, starting with some silk-screening. I will use the products as gifts, and in support of local causes in which I'm involved. It's scary and exciting, and I'm glad I'm finally jumping off.

When I signed on, I didn't know just what I would do to change my ways to embrace this idea. I am really enjoying these unfolding discoveries. So, thanks, Larkin, for pushing me over the edge!

Branded

--from Larkin--

Last night I went to a concert at my school: the showcase of all the bands made up of students. All the bands were super good. While I have always been amazed at how high schoolers manage to all look similar even when they don't actually look the same, I was struck by the sameness more than ever before. The show was attended by the very cool people, and I don't mean the blond, preppy, party-girls that everyone is supposed to idolize. I'm talking about the indie-rocker types: the boys who wear skinny jeans and spike their hair, the girls who dye their hair and ride skateboards. These kids who seem to be rebelling against the system, but they all end up looking practically the same.

Today at work I came across a book while shelving in the 600s. It is called Branded: The Buying and Selling of Teenagers, by Alissa Quart. Focusing on not only the consumerism of pop-culture, but the ways teens find to resist it, this book promises to provide many excellent examples of why our movement is so important. While I know many follow the Compact for the environmental factors, that is only part of it. This movement is also about breaking down the overwhelming corporatism of our society.

a moral economy

--from kate--

I'm reading a good book that, though published in 2003, is very timely. I've checked "The Soul of Capitalism" out from the library 3 times now trying to get it finished!

The author's contention is basically that America reached the goal of capitalism sometime in the '50s, but didn't recognize it as such and continued on an upward assent when we should have, as a nation & as a culture, started tapering off and switching from "achieve & accumulate" mode into "sustain & maintain" mode.

I think that's the back-pedalling a lot of people are doing (not just us Compacters)...trying to take the emphasis off producing, or accumulating, or earning more. Instead, we're reusing, simplifying, requiring less. When I combine the ideas I've been reading about with the ideals of the Compact Project, they're a great fit. If enough of us work to reverse the upward trend of consumerism & material need, perhaps we can bring American society & economics back to a place where we can "live simply so others may simply live." It would seem that with our president-elect poised to promote some fundamental changes in this country, the time could not be more ripe!

Compact for Cleopatra

I have a new granddaughter in Brooklyn whose name is Cleopatra. Cleo's mother bought or borrowed a used baby stroller, changing table, baby swing, baby chair, basinette, even a breast pump, early in her pregnancy. In Brooklyn people don't hang on to stuff long, because they don't have any space in their tiny apartments. She did buy new diapers-- expensive but breathable and very absorbant. I never understood why disposable diapers were more carbon friendly than washable, and I can't imagine why anyone would ever have to buy any new outfits for a baby, since babies outgrow their things so fast and can be passed on in perfect condition to the next baby.

an addendum

For some reason, Christine's other moniker did not appear when I posted, but you should know that she really truly is the original "One Man Band".

use it all!

My friend Christine, a.k.a. is amazing! She can learn how make or do anything in no time flat then teach you how to do it better not long after. As of late, she has embarked upon a great project of turning crappy old junkmail into beautiful real mail you can't wait to receive. Old fashion magazines? Last years calendars? BAM! They are now stunning envelopes beckoning you to write to old friends, maybe even new ones if you've had your coffee and are feeling frisky! Pesky advertisements cluttering your mailbox, hiding your precious REAL mail? NO MORE! KAPOW! Fantastic collaged postcards with more depth and beauty than any corporate exec could ever have imbued upon the images! I feel so inspired! I have one frog calender transformed into envelopes for my holiday card sales- I was so happy to NOT BUY new envelopes and just make the special size I needed from "junk" around the house!

Man, I want me to write to me!

Reclaimed Yarn

--from Larkin--

Hey guys, and thanks Mom, that was a great post!

Well as for me, I've got yarn on the brain. With Christmas coming up I am currently working on two gifts (hint: they're large and soft and lie across your bed) with two more waiting in the wings. And I am pleased to announce that all but one of them is made entirely of used yarn. The best place to get bulk yarn (or random small balls of texture yarn) is the Goodwill. Also at the Goodwill, any thrift shop, or the back of your closet are wonderful, yet horrible, sweaters just begging to be unraveled and re-knitted or crocheted. I recommend looking for bulky sweaters for this "reclaiming," though thin yarn can be very interesting to work with as well.

And while I must go now, so as to do math homework, I shall return! Meanwhile, I welcome all members to write beautiful things in my absence.

Happy Halloween, one and all!

Goodbye, cable TV!

--from Kate--
Yeah, so Larkin roped me in. Now it's time to put my fingers where my mouth is (huh?) and write about my experiences thus far joining the Compact Project.

Anyone who knows me knows that I wasn't really that far from making this leap. I'm a believer in reusing goods that still have life in them, and I've run my household in that way ever since I've had one to run. I can thank my mom for instilling much of that ethic, I'm sure. Plus I find I can be much more creative in fashion & decor when I'm not restricted by the walls of each store. It's all at the goodwill/garage sale/2nd hand shop. They're like the melting pots of consumerism. Just one example? Our daily dishware collection is all fine china. But each plate, saucer, and bowl is different from the other. Whenever I need new dishes, it's simple & inexpensive to add to the collection. And all the patterns are so pretty & varied. But I've been doing that for years. What's changed since joining?

Hmmm...I've opted to give experiences instead of goods for a couple of birthday gifts. Another difference is when I had to buy something new recently. I put a great deal more consideration into the purchase than I otherwise would have. I bought it as a result of the simplifying I'm trying to do...that "calm-pact" part of the effort. After a long period of waiting for the other decision-maker in my home to think about it, we chose to discontinue our cable tv service. The cable appeared 2 years ago, as it's done for one month every 4 years so that we could watch the World Cup before discreetly going away. Until 2006, when, for reasons that aren't pertinent to this blog, it didn't go away.

Back to the purchase though, since this cable business has been in the works for a good while. Our phone service was bundled with the cable, so we eliminated our land line, too. We have cell phones, and I decided to subscribe to Skype so that we can make free calls from our computer to anywhere in N America. For this I needed a microphone, and that's the purchase I made. Since by then I had joined the Compact, I considered buying used, but given how inexpensive they are, I figured it was an unreasonable risk to buy something non-returnable. See? I applied the fair & reasonable rule that Larkin outlined in one of her posts! I guess simplifying can mean dealing with some complications at the outset to achieve the end.

I'm proud of Larkin for choosing this as her senior project; it's a brave experiment for any American, but perhaps especially a teen. If anyone else is willing to give this a try, email Larkin. All who join are given writing capability on this blog, and are encouraged to share their own experiences with keeping to the guidelines of the Compact. Even a short paragraph on occasion is of great help to Larkin, and certainly of interest to us all!

Old to New

--from Larkin--

Last Friday there was no school, so I took a trip to the Ballard neighborhood Goodwill . I must say, I do like thrift stores.

One of the sweaters I bought, a housecoat style, didn't have any buttons or a clasp. So when I got home, I broke out the sculpey clay and made a shawl pin like the ones I have seen in many yarn stores. The store-bought ones are always so expensive, but here is one very simple, very cost efficient pin on my "new" sweater.

Not content with stopping at just one pin, I was able to make many other sculpey creations, so my Christmas presents are officially underway! I also found 3 bags of different yarns, so those will undoubtedly end up as someones knitted gifts.

Meanwhile, I'd like to welcome my mom, Kate, and our friend over in Spokane, Mark. Both have joined The Compact Project and have been given blogging rights here. Look for posts coming soon from them, as well as Tina and Beth.

Thanks for joining me, everyone. Maybe your decisions will inspire other friends and family to make this same commitment. Come on...it's fun and challenging!

I am not alone!

--from Larkin--

Responses to my initial email are coming in, and what responses they are! I already have two people who have accepted the challenge to join me in opting out of the consumer loop. I want to give a warm welcome to Beth and Tina, who have each been given blogging rights here. We can all look forward to entries from them very soon. Thanks for joining me!



If you'd like to get in on this fun and challenging experiment, it's not too late! Just because you can't buy new goods, doesn't mean you can't get your retail fix. Think second hand and vintage shops. Think local artisans. Think sewing and crafty things. Think barter/trade.


And you can still buy new experiences: restaurants, shows, trips. Recently, rather than buying my bff a "thing" for her birthday, I took her out for sushi. We had a great time together, and that time was more fun and valuable than anything else I could have given her.


If anyone out there is thinking that you could almost try this experiment, except that there are times when you just have to purchase new...you can still join! When there is no other option but buying new (for a car part or special hiking gear or whatever), you just have to apply the reasonable rule. Do I really need to have this? Is there any reasonable way to get it used, or can I maybe barter for it? The main thing is that you think it through, consider all the possibilities, and then make an informed, intentional choice.


Anyway, thanks for all the emails of support and encouragement. I'm still hoping my mom will join this experiment, as she has been a strong supporter of this effort all along. Come on, mom! You almost never buy new stuff anyway--it would be easy for you! : )

The Year of the Compact

I am beginning the Compact on September 3rd, the first day of my final year of high school, as my senior project.

The Compact is a movement which began a few years ago in San Francisco. The official goals are:

1) to go beyond recycling in trying to counteract the negative global, environmental, and socioeconomic impacts of U.S. consumer culture, to resist global corporatism, and to support local businesses, farms, etc.

2) to reduce clutter and waste in our homes (as in trash Compact-er)

3) to simplify our lives (as in Calm-pact)

I am doing this in a personal effort to fight the environmental and social effects of mass production and corporatization. By agreeing to this pact, I vow to not buy anything new for a year.

There are, of course, exceptions, such as food, hygiene products, and underwear...because who really wants to buy those things used? When it is impossible not to purchase new, apply the fair and reasonable standard. Also, for those who are creatively inclined, materials to make things (fabric, yarn, art supplies, etc.) may be purchased new. And in those cases, it is encouraged to shop locally from small businesses whenever possible.

Throughout my senior year, I will be blogging on my progress and findings in various subject areas (fashion, entertainment, required school books, etc.). Part of my experiment here, though, is to encourage others to join The Compact with me and blog their findings as well. Those interested in joining me or learning more are welcome to email me at larkinmc@comcast.net.