December went well. I concentrated on buying less wasteful presents for everyone. As much as possible I re-used gift bags and made my own cloth bags to wrap gifts in. That was an idea I got from my mom. She had some extra bags so I supplemented the ones I made with some she gave me.
Ethical dilemma: What if someone does not buy new clothes for me? What if they are giving me hand-me-downs? Are those acceptable? When this question came up I did not really have a purpose or focus for the project. My thoughts on this are:
1) If the point of the project is not to consume (i.e. buy) anything, then hand-me-downs that are otherwise being thrown away are okay. It would help me refrain from buying things even longer.
2) If the point of the project is to demonstrate that I already have enough, and in fact almost everyone does, then adding anything to my wardrobe, no matter how it is acquired, would not be okay.
3) If the point of the project is to be more sustainable and environmental then keeping things out of a landfill would be okay.
This issue arose with a visit from my in-laws. My mother-in-law has taken shopping to a new and almost frightening level. She locates things she likes and if they are not priced to her liking she waits. Like a panther stalking its prey. She knows when her favorite stores mark items down and she makes friends with the clerks. She will return to a store several times to keep her eye on something she likes. When it gets cheap enough she buys it and the cycle begins with some other helpless piece of clothing or accessory.
However, since this is one of her regular pass times, she has ended up with a massive amount of very well priced clothing. It is mostly nice, designer stuff. Periodically she reviews her wardrobe and decides she no longer needs or wants some of the items. If she believes they will fit me and that I would like them, she brings them down when she visits. Sometimes things will still have the tags on them. None the less, she is getting rid of this clothing and did not purchase it intending to give it to me. I have been wearing her hand-me-downs for most of my marriage and am fine with it. But - does this fit in with the project??
I had originally said if someone violated the project rules (like if my husband went out and bought me a sweater) I would graciously accept the item and put it away until the project was over. That was so that I could not cheat and hint around that I wanted something and hope someone would buy it for me. I thought about accepting the hand-me-downs and putting them away until after the project.
In the end I decided to sort through them judiciously and to keep things that would fill a need in my wardrobe if one existed. Meaning, I would not keep any black t-shirts since I already had two. I could keep something if it fit very well and I did not already have something similar. In addition, if I kept something I had to get rid of something (via a thriftstore) similar. Keep a t-shirt, get rid of a t-shirt.
I am not sure this was not a cop-out, but I was able to find several nice things that fit me well and that I could wear to work. Also, there was some exercise clothes and I was unsure what I was going to do about sports bras.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
November 2008
Although I am several months into this project and just beginning to blog about it I have been making notes throughout it. I will quickly summarize how it went in the early days.
November went well. My mother and I had been on a shopping trip (more on those later) in October so I was well stocked with new wintery clothes. I felt light and purposeful with the project. I felt virtuous.
By the end of November I had begun to recognize other waste and began to reduce that as well. After buying a package of disposable razors I went online and discovered a more environmental and less wasteful hair removal solution. I now make my own sugar syrup at home and sugar my body hair. It is like waxing, but better for the environment and much cheaper. Also, clean-up is a breeze.
November went well. My mother and I had been on a shopping trip (more on those later) in October so I was well stocked with new wintery clothes. I felt light and purposeful with the project. I felt virtuous.
By the end of November I had begun to recognize other waste and began to reduce that as well. After buying a package of disposable razors I went online and discovered a more environmental and less wasteful hair removal solution. I now make my own sugar syrup at home and sugar my body hair. It is like waxing, but better for the environment and much cheaper. Also, clean-up is a breeze.
Why?
The 'why' of it all is probably not what you would guess. This did not start out as a statement against capitalism or our disposable culture. Actually I was upset about a different kind of waste.
In October 2008 my cousin Michael was killed in a car accident. He and three of his friends were in a fast car without enough seat belts. They left a country road and three of the four of them were killed. He was in his early 20s and was just beginning his life. That is the waste against which I am rebelling. I know the project does not seem to relate to Michael and his death does not seem to make sense within the project.
Michael was a really fun guy. He rebelled some, as young people do, but he was just finishing school and was going to buy a house and settle down with a really nice girl. I remember him getting into trouble a lot when we were kids. I also remember Michael visiting my grandfather and driving him around when grandpa was in hospice care.
Michael and I were not particularly close. I did not see him more than 3 times a year, if that. If I began this project when he was alive I do not know if I would have told him about it. If I did I am not sure he would have cared. None the less, his death and the senseless waste of his very promising life made me upset with all the other waste in my life.
I decided to go a year without buying any new clothes. I then decided to go until my birthday in 2010. In the beginning the project was simple and I felt better doing it. I had not bothered with rules and ethical dilemmas had not surfaced yet.
So, although on the surface these two things do not appear connected, this project came about because of my cousin Michael.
In October 2008 my cousin Michael was killed in a car accident. He and three of his friends were in a fast car without enough seat belts. They left a country road and three of the four of them were killed. He was in his early 20s and was just beginning his life. That is the waste against which I am rebelling. I know the project does not seem to relate to Michael and his death does not seem to make sense within the project.
Michael was a really fun guy. He rebelled some, as young people do, but he was just finishing school and was going to buy a house and settle down with a really nice girl. I remember him getting into trouble a lot when we were kids. I also remember Michael visiting my grandfather and driving him around when grandpa was in hospice care.
Michael and I were not particularly close. I did not see him more than 3 times a year, if that. If I began this project when he was alive I do not know if I would have told him about it. If I did I am not sure he would have cared. None the less, his death and the senseless waste of his very promising life made me upset with all the other waste in my life.
I decided to go a year without buying any new clothes. I then decided to go until my birthday in 2010. In the beginning the project was simple and I felt better doing it. I had not bothered with rules and ethical dilemmas had not surfaced yet.
So, although on the surface these two things do not appear connected, this project came about because of my cousin Michael.
Intro
This blog is to chronicle my Waste-less Project. It began November 1, 2008 and runs through June 29, 2010 (or longer if I choose.) In brief form, The Waste-less Project basically involves me not buying anything new for myself during that timeframe. There are some grey areas and the project has evolved from its root.
Originally on November 1, 2008 the only things I could not buy were clothes. I then added accessories to the list. Later I added disposable things (disposable razor, individually packaged food items, etc.)
When I began the project I did so out of pain and sadness (more on that later). But it was an emotional reaction. As such, it was not well thought out and the rules were few and disjointed Since beginning the project I have had to develop rules. In doing so I also had to determine what the point of all this is. Without that I could not tell if the rules were bringing me closer or further from my goal.
The current rules are simple:
1) No buying clothing or accessories (jewelry, sun glasses, purses, etc.)
2) No buying disposable items (razors, individually packaged items - including to-go coffees)
3) No buying wasteful things for the house (paper napkins or bags, coffee filters, etc.)
What about if I am given something? What if someone wants to buy me something? Could I hint at wanting something to get around the rules? No.
I told my friends and family about the project in November. I said at that time if they had ALREADY purchased a gift for me that falls into a 'no buy' category I would accept it, but if they had not, please do not. One friend announced she had purchased a purse for me for Christmas and my parents had a few Christmas gifts that were verboten. I agreed to accept these things, but nothing more. I have made an exception to that rule (that story appears later in a Mother's Day related posting).
As far as I can tell, the goals of this project are:
1) Accumulate less and use/maintain what I already have.
2) Make a statement against wastefulness and our current fast moving, throwaway society.
I am doing pretty well thus far, but have had some dicey moments and ethical dilemmas.
When the project is over I do not know what I will do next, but I have just over a year to think about it.
Originally on November 1, 2008 the only things I could not buy were clothes. I then added accessories to the list. Later I added disposable things (disposable razor, individually packaged food items, etc.)
When I began the project I did so out of pain and sadness (more on that later). But it was an emotional reaction. As such, it was not well thought out and the rules were few and disjointed Since beginning the project I have had to develop rules. In doing so I also had to determine what the point of all this is. Without that I could not tell if the rules were bringing me closer or further from my goal.
The current rules are simple:
1) No buying clothing or accessories (jewelry, sun glasses, purses, etc.)
2) No buying disposable items (razors, individually packaged items - including to-go coffees)
3) No buying wasteful things for the house (paper napkins or bags, coffee filters, etc.)
What about if I am given something? What if someone wants to buy me something? Could I hint at wanting something to get around the rules? No.
I told my friends and family about the project in November. I said at that time if they had ALREADY purchased a gift for me that falls into a 'no buy' category I would accept it, but if they had not, please do not. One friend announced she had purchased a purse for me for Christmas and my parents had a few Christmas gifts that were verboten. I agreed to accept these things, but nothing more. I have made an exception to that rule (that story appears later in a Mother's Day related posting).
As far as I can tell, the goals of this project are:
1) Accumulate less and use/maintain what I already have.
2) Make a statement against wastefulness and our current fast moving, throwaway society.
I am doing pretty well thus far, but have had some dicey moments and ethical dilemmas.
When the project is over I do not know what I will do next, but I have just over a year to think about it.
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