An infographic on a light green background with decorative green leaves. There are seven white boxes with arrows leading from one to the next in a sequence. The infographic is titled “The 7 R’s: The steps left out of "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.”
The boxes, in order, say:
Rethink: Rethink what you need
Refuse: Refuse to buy or accept things you don’t needor can’t or won’t use.
Reduce: Reduce what you do need.
Reuse: Reuse what you have as much as possible.
Repair: Repair what you already have to keep it useful longer and avoid creating more waste.
Regift: Regift what you have but don’t need or use to someone who needs or can use it.
Recycle: Recycle if you can find no better way to deal with it.
End caption.]
[Image caption: Some tags from Tumblr user honestlyvan that read,
tbh it’s wild to me that most people don’t think ‘do I REALLY need this?’ as their first thought
maybe it’s just that when you’re poor you find a way to stretch every penny as far as it will go
I had to actively break the habit of using shit that was broken but ‘okay’ even though I could use a replacement
(f’ex I struggled for months to buy a new visor for my motorcycling helmet because ‘it’s not that bad’)
it’s weird to me to think about ‘buying less’ as a change of mindset
I already buy almost nothing but food
end caption]
Very excellent point here! and something I probably should have brought up in the original graphic or post. Some of us - especially those of us who are poor - already have a good grip on that “rethink” part. If you’re already considering whether or not you really need to buy that thing, this doesn’t mean you’re supposed to do it more! We do still need stuff to live!
Solarpunk shouldn’t be a reason to deprive yourself of things you need or feel guilty for needing things. Even in a perfect solarpunk utopia, things will break or wear out and need replaced.
Sometimes when you ask, “Do I really need this?” the answer is “Yes,” and that’s okay. Do what you can, but don’t beat yourself up for not being perfect.
