Upcycling communities are ridiculously cute
Cheese candles, a bed for a mouse, and me complaining
The internet is both pain and possibility.
Pain I need not explain. Possibility, well, what I’ve been reminded of lately is that people are weird in the most wonderful ways.
I’m part of a handful of repurpose/up-cycle/zero waste groups on the web, and every now and then I stop to marvel at the ingenuity. In a time where many of us (me!) are overwhelmed by overconsumption and the accumulation of so much stuff, throwing things away feels like garbage. Some trash in unavoidable, but some, as the upcycling community has shown, can be resurrected into treasure.
Take, for instance, the below Babybel Candle, made by melting the wax that encases Babybel cheese, a piece of twine, and a jar from a sample of honey.
OK, not into a cheese wax candle? What about the many ideas people proposed for repurposing the little spools that hold a roll of dog poop bags?
In an upcycle Facebook group of which I’m a member, people offered so many suggestions for repurposing these seemingly useless pieces. Some favorites include:
“If you travel, slip your necklace chains through them to prevent tangling”
“Roll recycled ribbons, etc. onto them”
“I plan on using them to help separate glasses when I pack them. Basically spacers, along with the other wrapping”
“I use mine to create garland for Xmas tree. Paint or glitter them.”
“Great to slice lengthwise and place over blade of any knives not in a butcher block”
“Lincoln log houses”
Then there’s this cutest ever little mouse bed made from a throat lozenge tin. I’m pretty sure I made one of these out of an Altoids tin when I was a little lass.
OK, ready for some low-tech brilliance?
Instead of manically feeling up cables to see what is connected to the thing you need to unplug, make labels with plastic bread ties. I love it!!!
This collection of shit made out of other shit doesn’t directly address the world’s insurmountable waste problem, certainly not. But it does demonstrate that not everything needs to go into the garbage, at least not right away. And that maybe we can make some things with our hands out of objects we already have rather than buy new things to serve the same purpose. This is a fairly simple and ancient concept, I know. But it brings me joy.
7 things to read, love, and hate
Just a little round up of garbage- and planet-related items for your consideration:
“Is scrolling the new comfort food?” asks the author of
. I love this Substack that covers our internet addiction and the trials and tribulations of attempting to wean off of it. I’ve found myself hooked on scrolling and dopamine-fueled distractions now more than ever before and, well, that could use some unpacking. Perhaps you, too?
- dives deep into the latest fast fashion trend: Target’s (kind of ugly?) faux fur jacket, as a way to explore how capitalism and MAGA-ism are deeply intertwined. Interesting.
On a recent episode of the Pivot podcast, hosts Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talked to Trashie founder Kristy Caylor about her company. Trashie is a “take back bag” that consumers can buy to fill with old textiles — wearable or not — and send back to the company to properly recycle. The company sorts the garbage it receives and sends it down the appropriate path, whether that’s reuse, recycle, whatever, and then rewards customers with “TrashieCash” that they can apply to other purchases. (TrashieCash is problematic in its own way, but the impetus to not shame people for their waste and instead reward them does feel right.)
I found the interview surprisingly underwhelming and under-critical. I’ve been targeted by Trashie and love that someone’s thinking about recycling (btw it already exists in some form, I’ve been using ReTold for years), but the hosts didn’t press Caylor about how the concept puts the onus on individuals, rather than corporations, to deal with waste.
Plus, this really feels like old news — it’s an elementary entry point into the conversation around overconsumption and what to do with all of the garbage we make. Did you listen to the interview? What do you think? It felt like an easy way for the Pivot hosts to be like, “look! we’re solutions-focused” (they said as much), without really digging into the research like they usually do. My biggest takeaway is that Kara and Scott don’t know (or care) much) about garbage. Their loss, am I right?
The world’s largest coral reef was just discovered — and it can be seen from space! I think ocean > space in every scenario, every time, but this is space news I’ll embrace.
“How a Colombian influencer made recycling cool” — long live the influencer, when it comes to recycling
Dippin’ Dots is coming to grocery stores. See u there
Elon Musk says eating meat has no impact on climate change hehehehehehe
byee!