The Point of Unconsumed

Rob Walker, author behind “Buying In” and the popular “Consumed” column for the NY Times Magazine, is best known for his work that examines the fluid relationships we have with the objects in our lives – much of it dealing with the ways our purchasing habits affect us emotionally and psychologically.  And though we may have all experienced the rush of buying a pair of designer shoes, what happens when they’ve lost their luster and the “thrill” is finally gone?

Whether because they no longer work or simply because we no longer want them anymore, we are constantly faced with the question of how to get rid of the things we buy. Walker refers to this act as unconsumption and with his new blog further explores this often complicated process of letting go through insightful examples of recycling, reusing, reducing or even just plain throwing away. By attempting to uncover novel methods for attaching value and meaning to what is generally considered a careless act, thoughtful unconsumption as a collective approach has particular relevancy for a world saddled with a faltering economy and an ailing environment.

[via murketing]