Vintage is sustainable
I recently came across a post on Facebook where someone asked for advice on how to reupholster an old chair. Another woman, smiling in her profile picture in front of a beautiful natural landscape with fantastic waterfalls, commented: “It's not worth it, you'd better buy a new one. I actually started a friendly discussion with her, but unfortunately it ended in “that’s none of your business.” Uh, no.
Out of sight out of mind!
Where do these excessive mountains of stuff that we produce and throw away end up? Or the many things from bulky waste, all the pressed cardboard furniture model “wall unit, 125 euros” – which can’t even survive the move into the next room?
Much of our waste ends up shredded in third world countries such as Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam or in Eastern Europe, where most of it ends up in landfills. So in short: We produced goods cheaply there, dragged them here, and then sent these things back there again when they were “used”. Why? To make it nice here, so that all the garbage doesn't burden our landscape, health, etc....environmental protection and so on. Practically speaking, environmental protection laws in these recipient countries are still in their infancy or are simply not affordable. Environmental protection costs money.
A great idea in my opinion: From now on, my dog's dog poop will be thrown into the neighbor's garden so that I don't step in it when I walk through my garden or want to lie down in the sun. Brazen? Why, practical practice when it comes to garbage. Dog poop is still a manageable evil, it weathers away, but the huge mountain of garbage that we produce every day doesn't.
But what can we do? I did a little research and found lots of great options where everyone can do something.
To buy second hand!
Years ago it was unthinkable to delight someone with a gift that had already been used somewhere. As children, we always gossiped about our grandma when she gave away things from our mother's youth for our birthdays - extremely uncool. At Grandma's, each pair of trousers was lengthened three more times, shortened and made wider again, because thrift - even without financial need - was the highest priority, and there were no great opportunities or needs for shopping.
After decades of preferring to buy new, a lot is happening again, it's somehow in the air, because used individual items convey uniqueness and sustainability. And the topic of uniqueness is becoming increasingly important for us individuals who are severely limited by the current situation. Many fans of yellow-blue furniture stores have now understood this, after years of seeing the construction workers resting on the steel girder dangling towards them with their entire circle of friends (or the naked blue lady).
Why am I telling you this? Because it's important to me and because we have our beautiful online store www.vintage-kontor.com we want to start exactly here, namely to convey the message “used is sexy”. With our shop we try to make used things with real signs of wear a lifestyle. It has to be even cooler to receive a unique piece from a bygone era as a gift, or to buy and use it.
So, stop by and subscribe to our newsletter. Otherwise, head to the junk shop (as soon as this is possible again) or go online and shop with a clear conscience. This protects the environment and resources and makes you happy! And once you start looking at things with different eyes, you discover so many beautiful things.
Euro Johanna
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