April 5th, 2011

By Barbara Kessler
Green Right Now

Recycling is often the first thing that comes to mind when people consider greening their lifestyle. Kicking those cans, and milk jugs and newspapers, to the curb can put a dent in the trash and save natural resources.

But “reducing” and “reusing” also can have a big impact. Reducing packaging, for instance, can circumvent the need for a product altogether. And reusing can result in some elegant re-imaginings that help conserve resources by re-purposing, shifting or extending the lifespan of an item.

And, of course, reusing, by definition, also reduces. That’s what’s so great about it; there’s the joy of discovery as you breathe new life into something that would have otherwise decayed in an attic or landfill, and there’s the fun of discovery and refurbishing.

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August 8th, 2008

By Julie Bonnin Artists are in a unique position to comment on the state of the world and environmental concerns. Using found objects is one well-known mode of artistic expression that reinforces the idea of finding beauty all around us, while imbuing value in discarded items from a throwaway culture.

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