My sister and I visiting our old elementary school. As many people have been talking about their kids going back to school, it got me thinking about all of the new stuff people buy. I looked up some recent info and according to the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics' annual survey, families with children in elementary through high school plan to spend an average of $863.86 on clothing, shoes, electronics and school supplies. For most families, that's A LOT of money. But it doesn't have to be nearly that much. And as someone who hasn't bought "new" clothes, shoes, or electronics in over 18 years, I know there are a lot of options out there. But hey, I vividly remember the fun of Back to School shopping. I'd go with my mom to places like Marshalls, Caldor and Hardcorps Surf & Skate. It was exciting to have something new and different. But "new" doesn't have to mean "brand new." There are plenty of things out there that can be new to a person, but they don't have to be new to the planet. And those things can bring you the same good feelings, and they can surely save you money as you will see below. Also, yes, I'm aware that school starts real soon for most and I know some people have started already. But I also remember waiting until the last minute to buy school supplies because of camps, vacations, etc. Alright. I hope you enjoy the list. And let me know in the comments if you end up choosing any of these solutions and the benefits you got. Cheers! 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. Backpacks (🌎 💰) - Now, this is probably the thing that most kids would be OK with using from last year, which is obviously the best way to reuse. But there are plenty of other options. Here are over 230,000 pre-owned backpack options on eBay alone. On the higher end of things, Alchemy Goods is a company that I had a booth next to once. They make great bags out of advertising banners and bike tires! And be sure to check your local thrift store. They always have some. 2. Books (🌎 💰) - Books are less common now than when I was in school, but they're always going to play some role in education, especially for college students. And books are a huge problem, as many people buy them brand new only to read once and many thrift stores don't even take them. Used books are almost always a fraction of the cost too. Half Price Books is a great resource to find books online and at one of their many brick and morter stores. Other places to look online are eBay and ThriftBooks. There are plenty of local used book stores out there too, so be sure to check your area. Here's my favorite: Used Book Superstore in Massachusetts. They bought hundreds of books from me during a massive house cleanout a few years ago. (Photo courtesy of bringmetoburlington.com) 3. Book Covers (👤 🌎 💰) - It's funny. I didn't think book covers were still a thing with so much on computers, but then I talked to my friend Rachael with 3 sons and she let me know it's definitely a thing. She sent me this great video tutorial to make them out of paper bags, just like I did as a kid. And the great thing with that is you can decorate them however you want. Instead of looking at a boring text book image, you kid can see their artwork, favorite athletes or musicians. Now, if you're like me and don't ever get paper bags, you probably know someone with a collection in their house or could even get some at the recycling center. Thanks to Welcome To Nanas for letting us use her video. Check out her site for more kids crafts and reuse projects. You'll find her at https://WelcomeToNanas.com. 4. Bookmarks (👤 🌎 💰) - This is one of those things that I can't understand ever spending any money on. But I know it's nice to have something that fits your interest or style. Start by looking around your house or room. You could use anything from a birthday card to a trading card. If you want a custom one, you can decorate a piece of scrap card stock and attach a string. Just type "upcycled bookmark ideas" into an image search and you're bound to find something that strikes a chord. How many kids (and adults) would love this Pokémon card book mark? 5. Clothing (👤 🌎 💰) - This one is probably the most obvious and fortunately, most practiced these days. Buying used clothing for kids, especially as they are younger and grow so fast, just makes a whole lot of sense. And there are endless ways to find the clothes they want; whether it's hand me downs from friends and family, thrift stores, or online outlets. With my apparel brand STAY VOCAL, I offer an entire line of 1 of a Kind Reuse T-Shirts, so kids could go to school with a shirt that nobody else in the world has. My cousin's son wearing his 1 of a Kind T-Shirt of one of his favorite comic characters. 6. Ear Pods / Headphones (👤 🌎 💰) - This may sound a little gross at first, but there are always disinfectants and you can find many options that are certified refurbished with warranties. These are certainly harder to find in the wild at thrift stores, but here are over 1,000 options on eBay. 7. Laptops (🌎 💰) - You can save hundreds of dollars buying a pre-owned laptop. And just like with the headphones, you can find a ton that are certified refurbished with warranties. Here's a list of over 3500 certified refurbished laptops on eBay. In many cases, you'll also be supporting a small USA based business, who focuses on repair and helps keeps things out of our landfill. Apple also has an entire section of certified refurbished laptops and other electronics. 8. Lunch bags (👤 🌎 💰) - Fortunately, bringing a reusable lunch container is popular again, but you don't have to spend a lot of money on a brand new one. Here's over 6000 pre-owned lunch bag options on eBay alone. And if you have a kid who is really into vintage 80s or 90s things, you could always opt for a vintage lunchbox. Here's over 15,000 options for that! My vintage ALF and Pac-Man lunchboxes. 9. Notebooks, Sketch Pads. etc. (👤 🌎) - Notebooks are one of those things that understandably you might not want to buy used, but first I would recommend checking to see what you have leftover from last year. It's amazing how many half used notebooks I found while sorting out some school things a few years ago. If money is less of an issue here and you want something with more style, you can find some totally unique upcycled notebooks made from book covers, game boards, videtape boxes and more on etsy. My scrap paper notebook made with a Polar Seltzer box. Thanks Amy! 10. Pencil Cases (👤 🌎 💰) - The most inexpensive and personalized option here would be to find a durable box or container around the house and decorate it with stickers, drawings, words, etc. But if there is something specific in mind, you don't have to spend a lot of money on a brand new one. Here's around 5000 pre-owned pencil case options on eBay alone. And if you're really feeling crafty, below is a tutorial on making an awesome looking case out of scrap cardboard. 11. Sneakers (👤 🌎 💰) - Ah yes... sneakers. It's been a thing and continues to be a thing. But like with clothing, people's tastes for sneakers come and go. There are some great online resources for sneakers these days like Grailed and Poshmark. And here are over 2 million pre-owned sneaker options on eBay. Yes... 2 million. And be sure to check your local thrift store. I've found so many great pairs of sneakers for under $10 at thrift stores over the years and sometimes they don't even look worn. 12. Writing Utensils (🌎 💰) - Before you go and buy a bunch of writing utensils, be sure to check around the house. This is how people end up with clogged junk drawers in desks and kitchens. And if you're lucky enough to have a creative reuse store in your area, they surely have some things for you and super cheap. I got a bunch of like-new sharpies at one recently for 25 cents each. A pile of writing utensils I saw at a creative reuse center in North Carolina.

We've all heard that we need to take responsibility for our actions. But we also need to take responsibility for our possessions. We cannot just consume and then plan to wipe our hands of these things when we leave a home or this planet. We can't just leave it for someone else to deal with. We owe it to our families. We owe it to our friends. We owe it to our communities. And we owe it to our planet. Over the past few years, I have visited numerous dwellings that were filled with possessions; houses that were sold as is, houses filled with giant collections and most recently, a dwelling of someone who had passed away. Yes, there is the excitement of the treasure hunt looking through these places. But at many times, it has been frustrating, exhausting and even sad, to try and figure out things to do with all of the stuff. I am personally caught in the middle, as I don't want so much new stuff to be made, but I also don't want to see all the stuff already here end up in the landfill. And so much of the stuff I have seen is unfortunately trash to begin with. Sure, not everyone can plan for a sudden move or death. But anybody reading this can take steps. We ALL need to look at the impact that we individually create and truly accept that we can't take any of it when we go. Do we want our loved ones to have to deal with it? Do we want the items that we spent money and time on to simply be given away to strangers or potentially trashed? Do we want people feeling angry at us for leaving it for them to deal with? Do we want our legacy to be stuff? Wouldn't it be better to get these things to people who would enjoy them and give them a second life, while you're still living yours? It will make them feel good and that will surely make you feel good. And doing good as a human is a great legacy to leave.

Last week, my dad passed away. Fortunately, there were many members of our family with him. And coincidentally that afternoon, his cousin's daughter had emailed me this photo from my recent talk at her high school in New Hampshire. The photo on the screen is me as a kid doing a jigsaw puzzle with my dad. There has already been a tornado of thoughts and feelings in my head and not everything has processed. I guess you're never really prepared to lose a parent. But there is one thing that is floating around constantly (and why I'm writing this post on my work website). The person I have become and my work with reuse is a deeply conscious and simultaneously subconscious result of my dad's lifestyle. And while I didn't always recognize them at the time, I'm quite thankful for all of the opportunities that my dad gave me. My dad loved flea markets and yard sales. I grew up in a house where repair was the norm. Things were regularly brought back from the local dumps. There was always a planned project for something that he set aside. For a myriad of reasons, my dad unfortunately couldn't finish all of his projects. This certainly gave me the drive for finishing my own and also sharing the importance of reuse with others. I've known that the education component has been a part of my calling, but I realize now, that's also a way that I can honor my dad and his legacy. With each day that goes by, I'm realizing more and more that we don't need to hold on to the items to hold on to the memories. Items are just reminders and they can be anywhere. It's truly more about the places that we went and the things that we did. I know this situation is certainly going to influence my work in various ways as time goes on. But for now, I've slowed down and become more present with my family. I sense this moment is another chapter beginning for all of us. ~~~+++~~~

As I wrote about in my previous posts, recycling is an overrated solution to our waste problem and this is not a big revelation. People have been seeing this for years. It's just been heightened recently, especially after China's ban on importing recycling from the U.S. Like writer Katie Klear stated so well, "your recycling bin at the end of the curb is not a golden miracle for the Earth or a way out of the climate crisis." Fortunately major organizations like Green America and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are on board that reuse is the more effective solution. As I make sure to point out, I’m not saying that we should not recycle and that I personally do not recycle. What I’m saying is that we should look to reuse existing items first and whenever possible. Reuse is a 2 for 1. You're using something again that's already here and reducing the amount of things that need to be made. With reuse, we don't need to figure out what to do with all of the stuff in recycling bins. We don't need to wish-cycle and hope things actually get recycled. Why spend all of this time and energy with recycling, when we could be knowing the impact that we’re making by reusing. And listen, I get it, single use items are convenient. Use something once, toss it in a bin and forget about it. But I'll say this until the end of time: our planet is not single use and that's the most convenient thing that we all share. So I go back to the same position. 2017: Billboard for #LetsRecycleRight of Alex showing that reusing is the way to recycle right. So, I want to look at some of the most commonly recycled items and share reuse alternatives or how to avoid them in the first place. These ideas will not only save resources, but also time and money. Some of these may seem like no-brainers, but we're all at different points in our journey. And let me know in the comment section below if you have some solution ideas. Cardboard Boxes - It's amazing how many essentially brand new boxes are just recycled, when they could be used multiple times; especially with so many purchases being made online. If you ship packages (or know someone who does), flatten them and store them for personal use. I once saw a store in California that was just used boxes. Imagine if every city had a leave it and take it area for boxes at the transfer station? And here's an example of an online shop for used boxes geared towards moving. Food Packaging (Paperboard boxes, Plastic containers, etc) - A lot of food packaging is mixed paper and plastic and hard to recycle to begin with. You can avoid a lot of this packaging by buying things in bulk and / or at refill shops. Here's a list of refill stores in the United States. Farmer's Markets and the produce section of grocery stores are other great places to avoid packaging with healthy food too. Alex using a reusable glass mason jar to fill with bulk goods at a California refill shop. Glass Jars - Buying items in bulk will avoid acquiring more of these. But if you buy items in glass jars, why toss them in the recycling bin, when there are endless amounts of uses: canning foods, storage containers, bulk food purchases, etc. I've even used jars as fun "gift boxes." Still from REUSE! Because You Can't Recycle The Planet. Paper - Use both sides of sheets of paper before you recycle it. Save scrap paper for personal use, like printing in-house, note paper, drawing, etc. Paper or Plastic Bags - The majority of plastic bags are never recycled and just become landfill. This is why paper bags have become popular again. Sure, paper bags are better than plastic bags, but they're still single use bags that don't have to be made. Reusable bags are always the best option. And you don't have to go out and buy new canvas totes. Use any bag. After all, you're just bringing things home to put in your fridge and cupboards. Alex with a reusable shopping bag at a grocery store. "Paper" Coffee Cups - Most of these are not actually recyclable, as they have a thin plastic lining inside them. You can avoid these by bringing your own travel cup and at most shops, you'll get a discount too. If you're drinking coffee inside the shop, ask for an in-house mug. Most people would agree that drinking out of a ceramic mug is more comfortable than a paper cup. Plastic Bottles - Unfortunately, the majority of drinks these days are in plastic bottles. You can avoid these by bringing your own bottle/cup/jar to refill at water stations and soda fountains. In most cases you'll save money, especially when it comes to water. And the more we call for change, the better. Our cohorts at Story of Stuff are currently leading a "Bring Back Refill" campaign to change just that. Now, I know what many people are saying. "A piece of paper can only be reused so many times." "Jars break." "I don't have a refill store near me." For all of those reasons, I agree that we cannot be perfect with this. And again, I'm not saying that we should never recycle. I just know that my place here is to encourage reuse as much as possible and in as many different ways as possible before it gets to that point. The more we reuse, the less congested recycling will be and there is a possibility of recycling actually working. As individuals, we have so much untapped power when it comes to bettering the planet. With reuse, WE are in charge. We don't have to play the guessing game of recycling. WE use something and WE can use it again. WE see first hand that WE are doing a good thing for our planet. That is an empowering feeling for us and reuse is an effective solution for our waste problem. Thanks for hearing me out on these past few posts. Here's a fun, quick video I made to show how reusing is better. And as I mentioned above, let me know in the comment section below if you have some solution ideas. Cheers.

Over the past 14 months, I've been cleaning out my childhood home in Massachusetts and trying to find new homes for so many different things. Some things, like collectibles, are really easy to find a home for. But some things have a value that not everyone can see. Enter the pile of scrap wood. For many, this was just bound for the dumpster. But having built a house with all used materials, I knew that someone would be interested in it. I tried selling the wood at an online estate sale that I hosted, but there were no takers. And since I wasn't in a rush to get rid of it, I tried my luck on Facebook Marketplace. Sure enough, I got a bite almost immediately. When Mitch Delorey came over to pick up the wood, I asked him what he was going to be doing with it. He told me that he repurposes furniture and makes custom pieces with old wood. So knowing that, I asked if he might be interested in an old broken dresser from the attic that even I thought wasn't worth rescuing. Mitch thought different and he ended up getting that too. During my time cleaning out the house, I've connected with dozens and dozens of people who find uses for used things. And now I knew one more. It feels so good to know that all of these items that have been sitting for years will get another life and become something special to someone; not just end up in the landfill. Just like so many things in life, it all goes back to communication; something I'm a huge believer in. (There's a reason I named my brand STAY VOCAL after all.) The more we talk to each other, the more we can work together and the more positive change we can create. Communication is how we build community, which is exactly what I have been doing with all of the reusers, upcyclers, repurposers and restylers in the area. If I had just sold Mitch the scrap wood and moved on, I might never had known what he does for work. And let me just say that Mitch has become a huge help in cleaning out the house for the past 6 months! We've been able to clear a lot of room and make some money and he's been able to acquire plenty of materials for his projects. Most recently, Mitch purchased a few industrial work tables from us. To see these get another life was pretty great for me. I've had quite the history with these tables. When I was little, I had my G.I. Joe Aircraft Carrier on one of them. When I started skateboarding, I used them as the platform for a ramp that I made in the basement. And in my adult years, they held my STAY VOCAL T-Shirts. I look forward to seeing what they'll become next. You can check out Mitch's work here. A 13-year old Alex. And FYI, the Aircraft Carrier was still on the table.

When it comes to reuse, something that I talk about is how it helps us avoid wasting time. (i.e. Reusing water bottles takes way less time than recycling them and making new ones.) But I recently had to accept that I wasn’t avoiding wasted time in all of my work. This past September, I celebrated the 20th anniversary of my reuse apparel brand, STAY VOCAL. And as I’ve said to many people in recent months, it took me 19 years to realize that it’s my side gig. My first talk at Bridgewater-Raynham High School in April 2008 Back in 2008, after my first speaking engagement about reuse and my brand, I knew that I wanted to be an edutainer (even though I didn’t know the word at the time). While waiting to speak in that high school auditorium, I watched as students literally fell asleep while someone was trying to teach them something with monotone explanations, charts and facts. I knew that I needed to do something different, and I thought back to my years of touring with bands and how they would engage the audience. I incorporated some unique tactics into my talk and began by screaming, "WAKE UP! There is only one planet and you can't recycle it!" Upon receiving a room full of attentive students and teachers clapping, I was hooked. Since then, I've grown to love sharing ideas in fun ways about the benefits of reuse solutions. (We hear the doom and gloom problems enough.) And over the past 15 years, I’ve created numerous things to do just that: The REUSE! Documentary, The REUSE! Box Truck and The Box Truck Film. With STAY VOCAL being my baby and first fun reuse solution though, I always went back to it as the focus. But the brand never got me to that educational or financial point that I needed it to. And sometimes I felt trapped. REUSE! Film Screening & STAY VOCAL Pop Up Shop in Los Angeles - July 2016 It’s taken me a long time to realize and truly accept that I’m not meant to make an impact one shirt at a time. It’s things like my movies, speaking engagements, and collaborations that have made a bigger difference. I still 100% believe in the brand and by no means am I calling it quits. I just know that I can't put the same time, energy, and money into the brand that I have since I created it in 2003. I’m stepping back from focusing on creating new STAY VOCAL designs, but will work with other brands, musicians, organizations, and individuals to print their shirts on rescued garments. As I say all the time, “the more we work together, the more positive change we can create.” Bridgewater State University Collaboration Shirts - April 2024 Last year, I decided to test out not prioritizing STAY VOCAL and focused on setting up screenings and events. And well, it was the the most successful and impactful year that I've ever had. And it's funny, the shirts did well too, as I always bring a shirt selection with me to events. It's a great way for people to learn about wasted resources and take instant reuse action. So, I've decided to hone in on the "edutainment" piece. And to help with that, I've created the key piece of the puzzle that's been missing. Through all my years working with reuse, I’ve never had a true hub for the different work that I do. I sometimes wouldn't know what website to send people to or what to call what I do. But after taking a deep dive into who I am, what I truly want to do and what I'm best at, I now know the answer. I'm a reuse edutainer and I help people escape the waste. I hope you'll take a look around my new hub and find a way to get involved. Cheers.

Over the years, I have been inspired by hundreds and hundreds of songs, movies, and TV shows from all sorts of genres. I'm just drawn to media with positive messages and solutions to problems. I think it all started with Quantum Leap. Well, I was recently was turned on to a TV show that I never watched as a kid, but it was on the list of the most inspirational TV shows of all time, so I gave it a shot. And this quote from Touched By An Angel may be from 1999, but it definitely strikes a current chord. Have a good week. 🤝 “The world is much more than that. And the news is more than that. There is good news. There are generous people and good Samaritans. But if suffering and evil are all we ever read about and that’s all we’re allowed to hear and see, then that’s what we think the world is and will ever be. But it’s not true. The world can be a different place. If only the hearts of the people can turn towards hope instead of despair, towards forgiveness, instead of condemnation, towards love instead of judgement.” Chris Strathy AKA The Capable Carpenter

My pass from the 2006 Groezrock Festiival in Belgium, a physical souvenir I have kept. In July, I went to see the Massachusetts premiere of my former business partner Seth Abrams' new documentary about the healing power of heavy music. Seth's story is one of constant inspiration for me and I highly recommend you check out the Heavy Healing trailer here. A few weeks after the screening, one of the musicians in the film sadly passed away; Lou Koller, the singer of hardcore legends, Sick of it All. As a fan of the band and someone who saw them numerous times during my music industry days, I got into a deep dive listening to their songs and sharing random memories, like Seth and I seeing Lou eating in an empty diner before one of their shows. Since high school, music has been a constant inspiration for me. Both consciously and subconsciously, I've always been drawn to songs because of the lyrics. Music was a direct inspiration in me venturing into reuse. The Sick of it All song, "Souvenir," is no exception and revisiting it after various life events over the past few years, it hits different. And I certainly pick up on the theme of escaping the waste of time, something I talk about a lot. As a result, the song has been on regular rotation in my mind and ears for the past few weeks. Here's the song to check out if you're interested. And being a constant sharer of music, I know it might not be my everyone's cup of tea, so I put the lyrics below, with some key lines highlighted. Thanks for the continued inspiration, Lou. I found a souvenir In things I collected The effect it had on me Turned out distressing Instead of focusing on my past rejoicing It just reminded me of awkward emotions Thoughts of my innocence Like alienation No self identity and massive confusion I wanted desperately to think of the good times Guess I remember too much Guess I would rather look at The path in front of me that's holding something new Does it really do the trick when you're reunited Does it make you stop and think Things weren't meant to click Does it really do the trick to be taken back Does it make you stop and think Of all the things you lacked Time can give and take away at will Don't look back and don't stand still Cause time will bleed you dry A little sympathy please for the petty bastards Who feel their glory days are behind them So far behind them The person that they thought made such a difference Isn't even who they are now And they refuse to see how Everyday's another chance to mend a petty life Does it really do the trick when you're reunited Does it make you stop and think Things weren't meant to click Does it really do the trick to be taken back Does it make you stop and think Of all the things you lacked Time can give and take away at will Don't look back, don't stand still Because time will bleed you dry Bled dry Bled dry of motivation Bled dry of motivation Bled dry A desert of ambition, a desert of ambition Bled dry Discarded by the wayside, discarded by the wayside Bled dry and left for dead

The other day, I designed a new sign for STAY VOCAL events. I wanted to make a quicker explanation of the brand, rather than the short essays that I tend to write. And I decided on a closing slogan of, "Be a part of the solution, not the problem." Yesterday was my first event that I did with it. Many people read the sign and then either looked through the shirts, talked to me briefly about the brand, or bought something. But one couple read the sign and scoffingly said something to the effect of, "Well, that's a bit much." Sure, it may be a dose of harsh reality, but I think about how many gallons of water it takes to make 1 T-Shirt: 700+ gallons, which is enough water for 3 people to drink in a year. THAT is a "bit much." If I had a choice between those two things, I'd certainly opt to give water to 3 people for a year. Droughts are affecting so much of the world right now. The slogan is not a judgement. It's just a fact. With every single that choice we make, we can either be a part of the problem or a part of the solution. We have so much power to make a positive impact. And hey, none of us are perfect. We're all "part of the problem" in various ways. But when it comes to things as easily accessible as T-Shirts, it's a lot easier to be a part of the solution. Used options are everywhere: Thrift Stores, Vintage Shops, eBay, Depop, your mom's closet, the list goes on... Some of you have been hearing me talk about this since I first started making reuse T-Shirts over 20 years ago. But the problems are still here and in fact, they're worse. But the solutions are still here too and in fact, they work. Whenever you need to buy anything at all, consider a used option. That's the mindset we need to start with.

Pittsburgh has been on my mind a bit lately, as has been finding positive outlets when we face problems in our lives. Reuse is always on my mind and somewhere along the way, my brain went to this great memory involving those things. Four years ago, I finally got to see a BordaloII art piece in person; a giant raccoon art piece made with discarded trash at Construction Junction in Pittsburgh. When it comes to problems in our lives and in our world, we have choices: we can be a part of the problem, we can complain about the problem, or we can find a way to be a part of the solution for the problem. And being a part of the solution can come in many forms; even in the shape of a raccoon.

No matter who you are (individual, business, country, etc), the best thing that we can do for growth is slow down and reflect. Look backward and look forward. What worked? What didn't? What can we do better? Constantly moving forward doesn't leave a lot of time to think. I personally do this every Monday.

We have the power... ... to make choices that make us feel better. ... to choose who gets our irreplaceable time. ... to choose who gets our hard-earned money. ... to choose what we put in our body. ... to choose what we put on our body. ... to turn things off. ... to look up. ... to look at facts. ... to know what we actually need; not what advertisers think we need. ... to create less waste. ... to build a better future. ... to share good news. ... to make good news. ... to make hundreds of small impactful choices every day. ... to do so much as individuals. ... to start RIGHT NOW.