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Are you tired of people not taking the planet seriously? Are you tired of profit being valued more than a healthy planet? Are you tired of the planet being a political issue? Are you tired of all the talk, the plans, the arguing, but not enough action? Are you tired of Us vs Them? Are you just tired of DIVISION in general? I really am tired of all those things. And it really doesn't have to be that way. And if we want to survive, it really CAN'T be that way. Over my 20+ years working in the reuse field, I can't tell you how many times that I've heard things like, "You're doing such great work" or "That's awesome that you don't use disposable cups." While the affirmations are nice to hear, that's not what I've been hoping to hear. And it's not what WE need to hear. A few years ago, I started thinking that "I really need more handshakes and less pats on the back." Instead of people just congratulating me on my work, I need people to join in the reuse movement. Because like I always say, the more we work together, the more positive change we can create. Unfortunately, we live in selfish times. There are a lot of people focused on showing off, when they really need to be showing up. Because seriously, ask yourself these questions: Do I care more about making more money than I do about other people's survival? Would I not like it if everyone had a place to live a healthy life? Do I want the planet to be an unhealthier place to live for future generations? If the answer was no to even one of those questions, you understand the undeniable fact that we're all in this together. We are truly connected citizens of a shared planet. The planet has to be a part of every conversation. Because... take a moment and think about your favorite thing to do. Got it? Now imagine doing that without a planet. Seriously. We can't just think this is being over dramatic. No matter what you like, it relies on the health of our planet. And it's sadly getting unhealthier by the day for us, for our children, and our grandchildren. Do we want that for them? For years, we've been led to believe that we could recycle our way out of the planet's problems . But it simply hasn't even come close to working. On the other hand, reuse was THE solution before the waste explosion and it continues to prove that it is a much more viable solution than recycling. For those who question this, we just can't be selfish. No matter how much people try to divide us, we can't deny that we share resources, we share public spaces, we share communities, we share the one planet we can live on. And for those understand it, we can't do the work alone. There are a lot of individuals and organizations doing a lot of great work when it comes to reuse and sustainability. But more than ever, we need to come together. I was a math nerd growing up, but my favorite math equation as an adult is 1+1=3. The more we communicate, the more we work together, the more change we can ACTUALLY create. This is why I've been doing STAY VOCAL shirt collaborations for over 20 years. This is why I filmed other reusers in all 48 contiguous states for The REUSE! Documentary . This is why my collaborator Deek and I worked with many local people to build The REUSE! Box Truck Tiny House. This is why I do consulting work. This is why I interview people who reuse in different ways for this blog. Over recent years, I've been using the handshake emoji for a lot of things like commenting on people's posts online, texting with collaborators, etc. And during that time, I came up with (and have seen) so many slogans that are a perfect fit for the handshake. I've been wanting to create patches with these sentiments so people can show their support of working together, but I wanted to make the handshake more custom. So, I had my in-house artist collaborator Deek create his version of the handshake. I added the arrows on the sleeves to represent reuse. I added the lines above it to emphasize shaking. And the different colored hands represent equality. Because again, as long as we're ALL sharing this same planet, we're ALL in this together. Handshake patch sheets printed on a variety of pre-owned garments and linens Last week, I started offering these patches at events and I plan on sharing them with people who are working together for the same common good: reuse organizations, reuse-related shops, passionate reusers, etc . I also made them available in the STAY VOCAL shop for anyone around the world that I don't see in person. And lastly, if this post has you thinking that you'd like to work together with me to fight for this planet, please reach out to me . We can talk about simply connecting you with other reusers or how WE can work together to bring more reuse solutions, sustainability, and positive change into your business or life. If we truly want this planet to survive, we have to put our ego aside. We have to recognize that WE. ARE. ALL. IN. THIS. TOGETHER. Without a planet, there can be no me and there can be no you.   COMMENT SECTION BELOW

👖 It's been over 17 years since I bought a brand new pair of pants. 👕 It's been over 17 years since I bought a brand new shirt. 👟 It's been over 17 years since I bought a brand new pair of sneakers. 📞 It's been over 17 years since I bought a brand new cell phone. 📺 It's been over 17 years since I bought a brand new television. 💻 It's been over 17 years since I bought a brand new computer. 🚚 It's been over 17 years since I bought a brand new vehicle. ☕ It's been over 17 years since I bought a brand new coffee mug. 📘 It's been over 17 years since I bought a brand new book. 🎅 It's been over 17 years since I bought a brand new holiday decoration. I could keep going here with this list, but I hope the message obvious. Almost anything that we need or want, we can find used, pre-owned, upcycled, repaired, refurbished, etc. It might take a little bit longer, but... 👍 We can still get the things we want. 🤝 We can still gift the things others want. 🌎 We can save resources. 💰 We can save money.

As I mentioned in my recent post, I'm really looking for more handshakes and less pats on the back . When it comes to reuse, it's not just about support, it's about working together to make a bigger positive impact. And last week, I spent some time with a group of people that are truly living that mentality. Whenever I talk with people about examples of cities or states or organizations that are leading the reuse movement, the organization Reuse Minnesota always comes up. Based in Minneapolis, the organization focus on building partnerships through their vast network of reusers and their pillars of education, advocacy, and promotion. For the past 12 years, while not in the state, I've stayed connected to the people I've met through the organization. I've been able to see their work in person and see how it has impacted the growth of reuse in the state. So, when I was originally asked to be the keynote speaker at their annual Reuse Minnesota Conference last week, I was honored. Sharing my reuse journey at the Reuse Minnesota conference My first experience with Reuse Minnesota was when I visited the state during my filming of The REUSE! Documentary . My friend and longtime leader in the reuse movement, MaryEllen Etienne, encouraged me to see the work that the organization was doing and connect with key player, Madalyn Cioci. While visiting, Madalyn brought me around to various places in the area that were part of Reuse Minnesota. I was so impressed with the organization's ability to connect so many people and drive to "increase the visibility of reuse in Minnesota by highlighting the environmental, social, and economic benefits of reuse." It was a perfect fit since my goal of the documentary was to showcase the benefits of people, planet, and wallet. And it only made sense that Madalyn and I became fast friends and remained a cohort for years. After the film was originally released in 2015, I planned a nationwide tour of film screenings. And when choosing the locations, Minnesota was obviously a must. There was a lot more reuse to see in the city and big players to connect with. This time that included meeting Julie Kearnes , upon Madalyn's suggestion. Julie's tireless efforts with reuse and her store Junket have led her to develop a new definition of and paradigm for ethical consumption. She's also just a really down to earth, funny human, which you can surely see in this clip. In 2017, I returned to Minnesota. This time, Madalyn had recommended me as they keynote speaker for the Annual Workshop of the Minnesota Association of Recycling Managers. It was a perfect opportunity to talk about how reusing is more of a complete solution for our waste problem than recycling. Honored to see a sign quoting me at the University of Minnesota's Reuse Program warehouse. It was at this event that I met Emily Barker, who is now the Executive Director of Reuse Minnesota. And for this event, I decided this was a great time to launch a Minnesota themed T-REUSE! T-Shirt as a way members of the reuse community could promote their hard work. And as you can see by this photo and that the shirt has sold out of two printings, the response was great. A group at the Conference of the Minnesota Association of Recycling Managers. They get it. I definitely had to connect with Julie at Junket on this trip too. After 2017, there was an obvious change in traveling for my work between sticking around the Northeast for events with The Reuse Box Truck and the pandemic. But in 2021, I did team up with fellow T-Shirt upcycler, Ian Landberg. Our brands joined forces for a STAY VOCAL / Dye MN limited T-Shirt release. You know, I am now realizing that Dye MN is not a member of Reuse Minnesota. And well, that makes no sense. So, I hope both Emily and Ian are reading this and they connect. 🤝 Some of the DYE MN / STAY VOCAL creations. OK, back to where we are now. Well, back to last week at least. My trip to Minnesota was pretty dang fantastic. I saw many familiar faces, met a lot of online connections in real life for the first time and met a whole slew of passionate reusers for the first time. With a packed room of people focused on educating, advocating, and promoting reuse, Reuse Minnesota's Annual Conference was a perfect opportunity to premiere my new talk about Reuse & Responsibility. Wearing my Dad's Army shirt and sharing my hour-long journey of my reuse life at the Reuse Minnesota Annual Conference. My coffee was fortunately well within reach. In addition to speaking at the conference, I was also an exhibitor with an Escape The Waste Booth. We were promoting not only our educational reuse events, but also STAY VOCAL clothing and the numerous collaborations with artists, brands, and organizations. And very conveniently, the STAY VOCAL sewing mastermind who is Carly Carte lives in Minneapolis now. She was able to join me and not only run the booth, but she also made some unique 1 of a kind Minnesota themed pieces. Thank you Carly! The Escape The Waste Booth at the Reuse Minnesota Annual Conference and two happy Minnesota reusers. Now, going all the way to Minnesota, I wanted to make the most of the time that I spent there and make as many connections as possible. On my second day there, Reuse Minnesota hosted a screening of REUSE! Because You Can't Recycle The Planet.  at the ginormous Minneapolis Central Library. And it was a great reuse reunion as Madalyn showed up (who works in another field now), along with Julie and Emily. And when I had asked Emily if there was somewhere cool that I could do a casual pop up shop before the screening, she had the perfect place in the organization's network. Pilllar is a coffee shop that is also a skateboard shop and music venue with a very robust reuse cup program and they serve vegan hot dogs. I didn't know such a place could exist, with so many of passions and favorite things. Cory Bracken, the owner and founder of Pillar, and fellow coffee loving skateboarder and reuser. Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn't mention my great host & tour guide while I was in Minneapolis: Margo Ashmore. And she's not only the current president of the Reuse Minnesota Board, she's also a reuser. Margo is currently part of this amazing Mystery Trash Remix event and took me to the Flux Arts Building to see her work and numerous others. And after seeing photos of the building in it's former dilapidated life, it's no wonder they're showcasing an event focused on turning trash into art. And as you can see by a couple favorites below, it's amazing what different artists can do with very similar items. Two of the pieces in the Mystery Trash Remix Event Margo in front of her house: "The Owl House." See it? As I reflect on my trip last week and think about what I saw and what I heard, it was more evident than ever that reuse is so abundant in Minnesota as a direct result of Reuse Minnesota's work. The majority of people in Minnesota understand the benefits of reuse. Reuse is a part of policy-making in the state. And reuse is truly just a normal thing for people. These changes that are happening in Minnesota are a result of the reuse community working together and focusing on their education, advocacy and promotion. What's happening in Minnesota with reuse is an example of what can and needs to happen around the country and the world. This is why I always reference Reuse Minnesota when people are looking for examples of reuse in action. And that's why I've stayed connected with the organization and the people that I've met. I look forward to heading back to Minnesota sometime in the not too distant future. There is so much reuse work that I'd like to see and be a part of in the state. And I always look forward to bringing my own version of reuse edutainment into the mix. See you sometime soon, Minnesota. P.S. It just made complete sense that when I injured my foot while there and needed to find a pair of slippers, Margo knew the perfect thrift store. Sure enough, there was a pair in my size, even with the tags still on them. (Injury and slipper photos aren't needed, even for a Halloween post. Yikes!)

This rotted out boat in front of a house gets decorated for each holiday. Halloween is my favorite. I love this time of year in New England. The colors of trees are changing. It's a little cooler. Hot coffee seems to taste better. And I really like Halloween decorations. But what I don't like is the mass amount of new plastic and disposable decorations that I see. For example, those ginormous plastic skeletons look cool, but they also take a ginormous amount of resources to make, ship, etc. And at their end of life (pun intended), they'll be looking not cool in the landfill for years to come, as plastic recycling unfortunately doesn't work . I'm also amazed at how much money people spend on decorating their house for a few weeks at a time, especially with an economy like we have now. So, as I was going through various neighborhoods recently, I felt inspired to write about some ways to celebrate Halloween with reuse solutions. But I also wanted to hear what some of my creative reuse and Halloween-loving friends had to say. That said, here are 13 different ways to have a killer Halloween, save a lot of resources and save a lot of money. I hope you get inspired by one or two. And let me know in the comments if you have any ideas of your own. KEY FOR BELOW (👤) Benefits the People - can still fit your interests and tastes, custom, personalized, fun (🌎) Benfits the Planet - save resources, keep items out of the landfill (💰) Benefits the Wallet - save money 1. Pet Semetary  (👤 🌎 💰) from Jeff at Give Up Trash Bag Cycling Club  in Pittsburgh, PA "The Pet Sematary sign is an old saw horse that I let sit outside behind the house all year every year so it stays good and dirty looking. The big black coffin is made from leftover / unused / reclaimed wood. The Cujo headstone is a repainted plastic headstone I've had since I was like 6." Jeff's DIY Pet Semtary decorations 2. Bloody Sheets  (👤 🌎 💰) - Grab some old sheets from your house or a thrift store and use paint, ketchup, tomato sauce to make some bloody sheets. Here's a good tutorial that I found. 3. Bottle Decorations (👤 🌎 💰) - from Julia at Four Corners Supply Co.  in Marshfield, MA "A few years ago, we painted a bunch of bottles with leftover black chalk paint and then modge podged silly labels on them. Use for decorations or candles." Julia's son painting used glass bottles and one of the finished pieces at her shop. 4. Buckets of Blood   (👤 🌎 💰) - Collect rain water in buckets, add red food coloring and make "buckets of blood." This is something that I've thought about for a while, but never tried. I think this is the year. 5. Color ANYTHING Orange and Black  (👤 🌎 💰) - With a specific color scheme for Halloween, it's easy to create all sorts of decorations with cardboard, scrap paper, wood and any coloring utensils or paint. You can also just buy used orange or black sheets, T-Shirts, etc and make things. 6. Costume Creation  (👤 🌎 💰) - from Chris at The Capable Carpeneter  in Taylorsville, NC "A rocket and spaceman! The space man is an old snow suit that is spray painted, a broken bucket for a helmet, and a cardboard backpack with 2 liter jets! The rocket man is a leftover round concrete form from my house build. The rest is just cardboard." Chris' sons as a Spaceman and a Rocket 7. Costume Swap  (👤 🌎 💰) - from Yasemin at Reboot Eco  in Middletown, CT Clothing swaps are always a great idea and this time of year is perfect. Someone might have that perfect "1990s Mom" look that you're going for. An ad for Reboot Eco's Halloween Swap Party Here's an example of a temporary clothing swap that I did with my brother. A few years ago, we decided to mess with our family and dress up as each other for a Halloween party. Fortunately, we're roughly the same size and simply borrowed each other's clothes. My brother as me and me as my brother. 8. Custom T-Shirts (👤 🌎 💰) - I find a lot of Halloween shirts at thrift stores, because people buy them new for 1 day. You could save some money and make your own with pre-owned black or orange shirts. You can also find plenty of used Halloween shirts like I do at thrift stores , or online outlets . With my clothing brand STAY VOCAL, I offer an entire series of Halloween themed 1 of a Kind Reuse T-Shirts , so you can clearly celebrate Halloween and the planet. Plus, you'll have a shirt that nobody else in the world has. An ad for the STAY VOCAL Halloween themed 1 of a Kind T-Shirts 9. Eyeballs  (👤 🌎 💰) - Draw / paint eyeballs on golf balls and put them in random locations around the house. Here's an example of some. 10. Movies  (👤 🌎 💰) - Your favorite Halloween themed movies are not only fun to watch, but can make for fun decorations too. My minimal Halloween decoration in The REUSE! Box Truck Tiny House 12.Pumpkins  (👤 🌎 💰) - from artist Derek Diedricksen  in Stoughton, MA Instead of spending money year after year on pumpkins, he makes completely unique pumpkins out of scrap wood. Deek's Halloween decorations made with pieces of scrap wood. 12. Tombstones (👤 🌎 💰) - Tombstones are an easy shape that can be cut out from wood, cardboard, paper, etc. They're easy to customize too. Here's a collection of tombstones that I made with broken skateboard decks. They're a perfect fit for The REUSE! Box Truck Tiny House. The skateboard graveyard on the back of The REUSE! Box Truck 13. Trick or Treat Bag (👤 🌎 💰) - And lastly, one of the most classic reuse ideas at Halloween. Instead of buying a new Trick or Treat bag or container, just grab an old pillow case or any bag from around the house. We all know that it's what's IN the bag that's most important. If you want it more "on theme," you can decorate the bag or find something like an orange pillow case at a thrift store. My friend Gage in 1989 ready to fill up his duffle bag. COMMENT SECTION BELOW

I just got back from being in the woods of the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont for Tiny House Summercamp . Over the past few days, I was reminded again and again how important it is for us to break free from our day to day and just hit pause. As a society, we're so distracted looking at our screens and racing to the future that we forget to pause and look at ourselves and our world around us. We need to unplug. We need to hit reset. We need to hit reflect. We need to let ourselves rest. We need to sit around a fire and talk WITH other people. We need to listen. We need to cook together. We need to remember what got us here. We need look at the amazing landscapes our planet offers. We need to think about how our present actions will affect the future. P.S. Stay tuned. Deek and I have some ideas in store for next summer. COMMENT SECTION BELOW

I made this image for the REUSE! Documentary because I really wanted to simplify the differences for the audience. As the film is shown to elementary school children and above, I wanted it to be quick and understandable for all. Because really, the difference between reusing and recycling AND why reusing is the better solution for our waste IS so incredibly simple.

Learning A Careful Life of Consumption, Just In Case This past April, I was at the College of the Holy Cross for an event with The REUSE! Box Truck. A lot of students and staff passed through that day and I had some great conversations. But one of those conversations stuck out and I knew the story that student told me was something I had to share. Well, without further delay, I'll let Ross take over. 1. When I visited Holy Cross, you told me an amazing story about converting a bus into a tiny house. Could you share that story? My dad and I renovated an inherited 1959 35’ retired transit bus into an RV! When my Grandpa was studying at the University of Denver, he drove commercial busses in the 1960’s for a company called Trailways. When he retired, he and his diesel mechanic friend bought the same model bus broken down in a field in Florida. They fixed it up and would drive it to Truck shows around the country. It is a 1959 GM PD 4104 Bus; the same model the Freedom Riders burned down in civil rights protests. And it came from the same General Motors plant that produced bombers during WWII in Detroit, Michigan. In 2020, my grandpa passed. My dad and I had never driven in the bus or anything and it kind of just fell into our hands. We went through the thing as a team and learned to drive it and maintain the ancient 35’ aluminum vehicle. Shortly after, we renovated the interior to make it a usable camper/RV that we could take to campgrounds. It was previously renovated to an RV sometime in the 80’s, but the interior was in terrible shape. We used as much as possible from the old RV conversion and spiced up the interior into a pretty cool setup. We put up new walls, reused old ceiling tiles, reused and painted some cabinets, modified the original kitchen tile/drawers/etc so that it would work with a our desired new setup, etc etc. It took us about 2 months working on it everyday for a summer to finish the interior. The bus however is a constant project and it’s always in need of some sort of repair. The thing rocks! The bus! (Be sure to check out the video of the bus at the end.) 2. What benefits have you experienced from the bus conversion? I learned so much about construction, fabrication, and I learned that you can do cool things by building on top or modifying someone or something’s existing setup. It would have been way less effort to just buy a new modern fiberglass camper and have the thing ready to go. This Bus, despite its ancient age, is something that will hopefully last just as long as the fiberglass camper rolling off the factory floor. Newer isn’t always better. That fiberglass camper made in 2025 will likely fall apart and the frame will rot far before the aluminum bus retires from the road. Old used stuff is good too!!! 3. Has the experience with the bus made you look at traditional housing (and structures in general) differently? Totally. There’s this theory in environmental sociology called Onerous consumption. It’s typically used when analyzing how homesteaders or people who live off the grid interact with their environment. The idea is that they practice a careful life of consumption and are constantly evaluating how much water/electricity/gas, etc they are consuming because they do not have an unlimited supply via a nearby electrical plant. When we go camping in the bus, these same principles apply. You have to carefully calculate how long you can run appliances for to not drain the batteries and have to track how much water you are consuming to ensure enough for critical water enabled tasks. This has made me realize how incredibly wasteful my life is when I’m not camping and not limited by my batteries or water tank levels. Ross and his dad during the bus build. 4. So, while I'm certainly a solutions guy, we do have to address the problems. Where do you see the most waste in your daily life? Certainly in my consumption of water and electricity. When I’m at home, I can take a long comforting shower and run the washer and dryer without thinking twice. Sure, there is a bill that arrives at our doorstep every month, but I am not actively thinking about this when I turn the shower knob or activate my dryer. 5. In your personal experience, how do you think recycling has worked and NOT worked as a solution to waste? We’ve all been socialized in “reduce, reuse, recycle” since we were kids. You know, the idea that separating plastic from the trash bin is doing our part to go green. I think on an individual level, recycling actually has a net negative effect on how most people engage with their personal mission of ‘going green.’ I think separating trash from recycling and religiously taking the recycling out to the street every Monday lulls a lot of people into complacency. It feels like you’re doing something, but if you actually step back and analyze the systems that caused the waste, these systems are often broken and yet universally accepted. Let me be clear, I do recycle. But I understand that often times recycling won't actually achieve very much and it actually distracts me from the actual environmental problems. I like to think of it this way: instead of picking up all the trash on the beach once it washes up on shore (recycling), why don’t we trace the trash back to its original source (i.e., systems/companies that actually create the waste)? In my opinion, we are too focused on the products of wastefulness and not the systems that produce them. The idea of recycling and the push to encourage people to recycle focuses their efforts on a better way to deal with the products of waste. This lulls people away from those systemic calculations. In short, I think recycling, while well intentioned, often serves as a feel good distraction that masks deeper systemic issues driving environmental harm. By emphasizing individual action like sorting waste, we avoid confronting the industries and systems that generate excessive waste in the first place. True sustainability requires shifting focus from managing waste to preventing its creation. Environmental buzz words like recycling also enables huge corporate companies or other environmentally predatory systems (that are the biggest polluters) to ‘pat themselves on the back’ to their environmentally conscious consumers with buzz word initiatives. The environmentally conscious individual sees a recycling campaign as a "Hell yeah." So, when a large corporation boasts about recycling in the sustainability section of its website, despite its business model relying on environmental damage elsewhere, people look the other way and are satisfied with the corporate recycling initiative. I’m guilty of this. Who cares where a product comes from or where it goes when it’s discarded if it says "made from recycled materials" on it or the company website’s sustainability initiatives brag about rad buzz words like ‘composting’ and ‘recycling’ initiatives. Hey, as long as we place it in the blue bin when we’re finished with it who cares right? The consumer washes their hands of this problem. This is a resignation of conscience. Henry David Thoreau famously said a similar thing about voting and slavery in the 1800s: “I cast my vote, perchance, as I think right; but I am not vitally concerned that that right should prevail. I am willing to leave it to the majority. Its obligation, therefore, never exceeds that of expediency. Even voting for the right is doing nothing for it. It is only expressing to men feebly your desire that it should prevail. A wise man will not leave the right to the mercy of chance, not wish it to prevail through the power of the majority.” - Henry David Thoreau Civil Disobedience Talking about slavery and abolition, he’s saying that when people voted against slavery, but the majority of America elects representatives who still support slavery, progressive abolitionists had the following conclusion: ”Shoot! I voted against slavery but it didn’t sweep the majority. That’s all I can do. I will do absolutely nothing about this until the next election. Then a few years later, I’ll spend 5 minutes voting and hope my party wins. This cycle will repeat. And I’ll actively do nothing to act on my opinion but vote for a party that keeps losing. Better luck next time. Hope my neighbors in the south magically change their views and come to the same conclusion,” as slavery persists. The argument I’m making is that institutions like voting and buzz words like recycling lull us into complacency in unjust environmental systems similar to this. Let me be clear, buzz words like recycling and composting are cool things that can have real effects. The idea is that we can’t let these buzz words distract us as a cover up from the truth behind some predatory environmental systems. Recycling is often praised as a simple solution to environmental problems. We have this environmentally conscious energy and that is why so many people go out of the way to recycle. Imagine if we channeled that energy beyond the buzz words into the systemic cause or problems? The focus on personal habits, like tossing a bottle in the right bin, shifts attention away from the corporations and systems that profit from overproduction and disposability. If we’re serious about sustainability, the goal shouldn’t be cleaning up the mess. The goal should be not making it in the first place. HOW IT’S WORKED: I think recycling has worked amazingly for things like metal and industrial materials. For example, an important part broke on the rear axle of the bus. It weighed probably two thousand pounds or so; all super legit cast iron. The internal gears of the piece were seized, not to be used to propel a Bus again. But when it arrived at the scrap yard, those two thousand pounds of cast iron were undoubtedly and efficiently put to work in another product. This is a no brainer and should be expanded. Save your broken products of life from the dump and let’s create systems within our waste system to harvest reusable materials. The giant piece of the bus axle that was properly recycled at a scrap yard. Composting is also a cool form of recycling I’ve seen put to good use. It’s becoming more popular and it’s such a good way to use food scraps. All the thermal energetic potential in the food scraps we eat can so easily be fused into food fuel. It is still rare these days. There’s a private company in my town that does composting but it is not a town run program on a large scale. Let’s get a third bin out on our streets full of compost and reduce the need to produce food system fuel in its place. 6. How do you think the U.S. could step up the solutions to our waste problem? Have you seen or heard of anything anywhere else? I think just education. We’re all sheltered from the huge waste problem the U.S. has. I think there’s a statistic that if everyone lived like U.S. citizen’s we would need like 7 earths. That is crazy. The lifestyle we live is unsustainable but we are never really confronted with that. We are sheltered from this reality. If we all were a tad bit more educated about the gross overconsumption we engage with, I think the U.S. could actively work towards mitigating this problem. After all, it takes people who care to foster any change. And, if more people care, that is certainly a positive in reducing our waste. 7. It's funny. I always tell people that reusing is nothing new. It’s been going on long before we were here. Do you have any memories of your parents or grandparents reusing in unique ways ? I mean ALL the time. My family members are pros of the reuse movement. My grandpa would always save plastic planters from flowers and most of my family are infected with the ‘just incase’. Nothing too unique comes to mind but I’ve certainly been socialized in this mindset by those before me. Ross' grandfather with his vintage 1961 truck that he would bring to truck shows. Reusing to me is a double edged sword. I hold on to things that might have a use in the future; the random TV mount that I’ll probably never use, swaths of scrap wood, tripods with broken legs, old phone cases, etc etc. These things often come in super handy. When my wiring goes out on my bus, thank god I held onto that random float switch in the back corner of my garage that will solve the problem without having to buy a new one and it never was sent to the landfill; that is awesome. But, a lot of the things I hold onto never get that call up to the big leagues to be used perfectly in a problem solving manner. Often they just sit, which is okay. They are the ‘just incase’ after all. But, it does contribute to a lot of unnecessary clutter. Whenever I have moved my stuff to college or other places, there is so much of this ‘just incase’ stuff I’ve held onto that is sometimes a burden. That being said, I totally support to holding onto all the ‘just incase’ stuff – just be prepared for a little extra effort when it comes time to deal with it. 8. Do you have any notable stories about saving money on something because you bought it used instead of new? My dearest companion, my Sony A6300 mirrorless camera is a used warrior. I saved for about a year delivering pizza in my high school days to purchase my first big boy camera. I couldn’t even come close to affording it new so I fired up eBay and went searching for a deal. This thing has been the most reliable work horse ever. I saved $500/600+ just because someone before me took a few pictures with it. It’s been with me for almost a decade now and it’s chugging along like it just came off the factory floor. Used isn’t always worse as most people seem to think; point in case is my old Sony camera. Ross with his Sony A6300 camera during a Holy Cross shoot on how climate change is affecting alcoholic cider producers in New England. Also, my dad held onto lots of foam insulation board...a total ‘just incase.’ Well, long story short, we built an 18’ wooden motorboat during Covid and guess what we used for floatation foam?? We went rummaging through that saved foam board from the ‘just incase’ stash. It worked perfect and saved us a ton of money. The wooden motorboat that Ross and his dad built. Stay tuned for his next project with this! 9. Have you ever taken anything out of the recycling bin or trash to reuse somehow or maybe found something on the side of the road? Yup. All the time. I live pretty close to where I went to college. Taking advantage of this geographical advantage and the gross over consumption habits of college students, after move-out each May, I would walk the halls to ‘poach’ any cool stuff that people couldn’t fit in their cars or simply left behind. Some notable acquisitions are a flatscreen TV, Rubbermaid folding table, some sweet speakers, a desk, etc etc. It’s incredible what people brush off to the landfill. The computer monitor I’m typing this on right now was a free special off the side of the road in a nearby neighborhood – still chugging strong!!! 10. And lastly, what’s the best thing that you ever got used and why? Got a photo? This army surplus tool kit. You’re looking at a serious tool kit here bought in surplus after the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. If you were to buy similar tools new this would cost an arm and a leg. My uncle gifted this to me for Christmas one year and I seriously use it almost every day when I’m home. Someone wrenching on stuff as often as me would be tempted to go down to Lowes and buy some shiny new stainless steel tools. This stuff however, despite its age, works like an absolute dream and is seriously the best gift I’ve ever gotten. The U.S. army’s surplus trash is another man’s treasure...USED FOR THE WIN. Ross' army surplus tool kit. This has (and will continue to be) put to great use. Here’s the video of the bus including: I. Exterior tour/history of the bus II. How to Drive/Shift the bus III. Interior RV Tour To follow along with Ross' building journey, and learn more about his bus check out his YouTube Channel. To order a One of a Kind REUSE! T-Shirt like Ross is wearing in his profile photo, head over to the STAY VOCAL One of a Kind Gallery. COMMENT SECTION BELOW

As we're preparing a busy event season over the next coming months, I thought I'd share some visual highlights from the past few months. And these were just some of our events and consulting projects! If you're interested in hosting one of our events, click here. If you're interested in consulting, click here . The REUSE! Roadshow at The Bronxville School in Bronxville, NY Seeing (and smelling) composting in action at Rye Country Day School in Rye, NY Box Truck Film Screening and Q&A at Greenwich Academy in Greenwich, CT Breaking the record of humans inside the Box Truck at one time: 45! All set up for The REUSE! Roadshow at College of the Holy Cross The release of the Vegan Potter Reuse Mug Collection and STAY VOCAL Tie Dye Collaborations at Glaze Handmade in Stonington, CT Speaking at Pinkerton Academy in Derry, NH Can you find The REUSE! Box Truck Tiny House at Governor's Academy in Byfield, MA? ​Our outdoor event got rained out, so we set up the Reuse Art Gallery inside the Box Truck at Newburyport Art in Newburyport, MA STAY VOCAL shirts donated for the Zero Waste Providence Tote Bag Sew-In in Providence, RI The REUSE! Roadshow at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, MA Screening and Q&A at Barclays Global Technology and Operations Hub in Whippany, NJ Veg Out food festival in Troy, NY Shirt collaboration with Heartland Radio , "The Best Country Music On The Airwaves" One area of a consulting project at Song of the Robin Animal Sanctuary in New Lebanon, NY. Which version of the shed do you like better? COMMENT SECTION BELOW

For two years during the pandemic, I cleaned out my childhood home where my dad lived; the home of a collector of things. I spent countless hours organizing, cleaning, researching, selling, donating, and purging in all sorts of ways. It was a great pandemic project while events weren't happening and certainly helped clean out the house to sell it. But, it completely burnt me out. Over the past couple of years, I haven't been as inspired as I once was to resell things. What once was fun just stressed me out. But after my dad's passing in May, I began to feel more inspired to find homes for his remaining things. And it's been nice sharing pieces of his massive Volkswagen collection with his family, friends, and other people that I know who have a Volkswagen. As I felt that inspiration to purge again, I decided to start going through some of my dad's "smaller" collections that I had not gotten around to during the pandemic. Doing a box at a time seemed much more manageable than the room at a time that I dealt with before. So, I recently dove into the postcards and greeting cards that he had from my great uncle in the early 1900s. I feel like I owe it to my family and to my dad to find homes for things in the right way. But the right way doesn't have to take so much of my energy and time. After this past weekend, I started to see that it was doing just that and I was on a path to do more. The more I research, the more I sell, the more I pack, the more I do waste some of my time. Surrounded by some of my dad's matchbox car collection. I can't be responsible for everyone else's excess and everyone else's waste. I've learned this through my work with STAY VOCAL and T-Shirts too. I need to be responsible for my stuff. And I need to be the one encouraging others to deal with their own excess and waste and connecting them with the right people and the right solutions. I can't and don't want to be the one doing something with "the stuff." The more time I focus on that, the less time I have for my real work with reuse. All that said, I'm so glad that I started doing the eBay listings again, so I could be reminded of what I need to be doing and NOT doing. Fortunately this time, it took just a couple of weeks, not a couple of years. And this isn't to say that I'm done selling things completely. I do find "treasure hunting" fun. But it has to be a very small side gig and not interfere with my regular day. Speed and delegation need to be valued much higher. Like yesterday, I sold a whole bunch of postcards and greeting cards in bulk to one person. We ended up having a great conversation about collectibles, upcycling, my other work with reuse, etc. That's more of how I can help get rid of stuff and do the work that I need to be doing. Not to mention, those in-person connections and conversations are what we all need more of right now. For more on this topic, here are my thoughts on A Responsibility For Our Legacy Curious about my dad's massive Volkswagen collection ? Here are the vintage postcards and greeting cards that I was working on. COMMENT SECTION BELOW

So, I'm currently working on an exciting campaign around National Reuse Day on October 20th. I'm setting out to team up with people to host screenings of my film, REUSE! Because You Can't Recycle The Planet ., in ALL 50 STATES throughout the month of October. Since I filmed the documentary in all 48 contiguous states, I thought screenings in all 48 (plus the two I didn't visit) would just make sense! A new design for the campaign just finished by artist, Brad Bianchi. I recently watched the film in full for the first time in a while and I realized that it's more relevant than ever. It got me thinking that it would actually resonate with more people now, as it's becoming clearer and clearer that recycling is not working. People need a waste solution that actually works and reuse is that solution. So, who do I want to I team up with? Anyone who has a deep concern for the future of our planet and wants to be able to educate people on practical and effective actions that we can all take immediately; no policies needed. 🤝 individuals 🤝 businesses 🤝 cities and towns 🤝 libraries 🤝 organizations 🤝 schools A community screening in Washinton. A screening is a great way to promote reuse, sustainability, and our shared planet that we're all fighting for. And to make the screenings accessible and affordable, the license fee is just a flat $100 ; for both free and paid admission screenings. Included with that is an entire promotional toolkit to make your screening a success. As an add-on, I'll also be available for virtual and in-person Q&A sessions (when time allows). If you're interested in hosting a screening, the licenses and answers to most questions are available here. If you know someone who would be into hosting an event, please share this link with them. I know that I sound like a broken record when I say this, but the more we work together, the more positive change we can create. And one of my favorite math equations is 1+1=3. That's what these screenings are all about. An updated flyer for the film.

THIS is progress! As someone who has been a part of many "eco-friendly" events over the past couple decades, I love seeing these kinds of changes. And I'm more than happy that Escape The Waste is an official partner of the event. Launched last year, Mass Eco Fest was the first single-use plastic-free event in Massachusetts and the second annual event is happening next Saturday, June 28th. 🚫 NO new plastic wrapped products 🚫 NO plastic food packaging 🚫 NO plastic bags 👍 ALL sustainable options for things that we need and want 👍 Reusables are encouraged for attendees to celebrate a day where single use plastic takes a back seat The main goal of the event is to create a family-friendly environment free of plastic! Mass Eco Fest will feature an array of activities including live music, family-friendly entertainment. It's a day to celebrate our planet and highlight local makers, vendors, and individuals leading the charge against plastic pollution in Massachusetts. Vendors and food trucks are hand-picked to only include those who champion sustainability through practices such as pre-cycling, using natural materials, and upcycling existing resources. Volunteer Anita Coco and Alex I'll be at the event with an Escape The Waste booth and showcasing info on our sustainability events and films and our various reuse solutions for waste: STAY VOCAL clothing, Deek's scrap art, reuse mugs and more. We'll also be outfitting all staff members and volunteers with REUSE! Because You Can't Recycle The Planet T-Shirts. No need to make volunteer shirts! Cheers to Sabrina Auclair at Unpacked Living Inc. for putting this together and all of her tireless efforts for a better Massachusetts. For all of the event info, head to the Mass Eco Fest site. Sabrina from Unpacked Living, a volunteer, and Alys from Supply Bulk Foods.

This is an exciting post for me to write. I'm happy to say that I'm looking for someone to join the  Escape The Waste  team as an Events Booking Manager. The past few months have been the busiest event season that I've ever had. Things are taking off in more ways than expected with my various sustainability events and they're about to get even busier. I have a big, yet-to-be-announced campaign for the fall.  I've been booking many of the events myself for the past few years. It's now time for me to focus on other priorities for Escape the Waste and to hand this over to an experienced booking manager. That feels like a good thing for sure!  OK. So, what does the job look like? You'll be setting up various events like: 🎤 Speaking engagements  🎥 Film Screenings for my two documentary films on reuse 🚚🏠 Appearances of my sustainable Tiny House And the benefits: 💻 Mainly remote, but living in New England is a plus ⏱️ Flexible Hours And what kind of person am I looking for? Someone with: 🌎 Enthusiasm for reuse and sustainability 🙋 Familiar with my work 📢 Marketing and communications experience   If you or anyone in your network is interested, send me an email for full details. 🤝