Re-thinking “Stuff”

How much “stuff” surrounds you?  Useful or useless?  If we consider the word we find synonyms like material, matter, things.  I can tell you…I have plenty of “stuff” surrounding me.  I have a basement full of “stuff” that rarely sees the light of day.  It’s the special holidays when much of it makes it out of the large Tupperware bins; the rest of it I hang on to ‘just in case.’  In my younger days, I made wonderfully creative labels for my boxes of stuff…Sarah’s Stuff (of course, writing in a way so as to use just one letter S).

But seriously, have you ever really thought about how all that “stuff” around you has  made it to your hands, how long it remains in your possession, and what happens to it after you are done with it?  Few of us have probably really thought about those aspects…especially at the time of purchase.  I’ll be the first to admit, I hadn’t thought about it much until now.  That is…until finding out about The Story of Stuff. 

The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute video by Annie Leonard that dissects the extraction, production, distribution, consumption, and disposal of goods (aka stuff) in our lives.  It’s a bold statement and call to action.  The Web site if full of useful resources and guides too…dive in and see how you can take steps to be just a little more sustainable.  I already have!