In the spirit of The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning and The Joy of Less, experience the benefits of buying less and sharing more with this accessible 7-step guide to decluttering, saving money, and creating community from the creators of the Buy Nothing Project.
In 2013, when friends Liesl Clark and Rebecca Rockefeller launched the first Facebook Buy Nothing Project group in their small town off the coast of Seattle, they never expected it to become a viral sensation. Today there are thousands of Buy Nothing groups all over the world, boasting more than a million members, and 5,000 highly active volunteers.
In their island community, Clark and Rockefeller discovered that the beaches of Puget Sound were spoiled by a daily influx of plastic items and trash washing on shore. From pens and toothbrushes to toys and straws, they wondered, where did it all come from? Of course, it comes from us—our homes, our backyards, our cars, and workplaces. And so, a rallying cry against excess stuff was born.
Inspired by the ancient practice of gift economies, where neighbors share and pool resources, The Buy Nothing, Get Everything Plan introduces an environmentally conscious 7-step guide that teaches us how to buy less, give more, and live generously. At once an actionable plan and a thought-provoking exploration of our addiction to stuff, this powerful program will help you declutter your home without filling landfills, shop more thoughtfully and discerningly, and let go of the need to buy new things. Filled with helpful lists and practical suggestions including 50 items you never need to buy (Ziploc bags and paper towels) and 50 things to make instead (gift cards and salad dressing), The Buy Nothing, Get Everything Plan encourages you to rethink why you shop and embrace a space-saving, money-saving, and earth-saving mindset of buying less and sharing more.
The Buy Nothing, Get Everything Plan is a tutorial and philosophy guide which proposes practical ways to decrease our carbon footprints, live richly and simply, and provide ourselves with the things we *need* to do well. Released 14th April 2020 by Simon & Schuster on their Atria imprint, it's 288 pages and available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats.
The pandemic and subsequent economic collapse have shown us what people have known for ages. Our current treadmill of ever faster and more frenetic consuming isn't sustainable for us or for the planet we share. We need to find another way to do better and we're really on the knife-edge of passing the point of no return.
The authors were the originators of the Buy Nothing Project and have seen their grassroots group grow to become thousands of groups and more than a million active members. The book has an engaging and accessible format with usable plans for reducing waste, buying little (to nothing), giving away excess to be used by other people in your area (thus keeping unneeded items out of landfills), and enjoying being surrounded by less clutter and the positive emotional benefits of direct generosity.
I found it worthwhile and thought provoking. Four stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
