A New Year's Resolution of Sustainable Consumerism with Annie Leonard of "The Story of Stuff"

By Lexi Green
January 4, 2011

It’s official: The holiday season is over. But the multitude of unwanted presents, pounds, and that eggnog-induced headache have yet to find their place curbside, along with this year’s attempt at a gingerbread house. As festive as the season can get, it always leaves us feeling loaded down with too much extra “stuff.” Case in point: those sparkly legwarmers you bought for this year’s office holiday party? They won’t see the light of day again. Ever. In the New Year, wouldn’t it be great to resolve to shop more effectively and collect less seemingly wasteful stuff? We spoke with Annie Leonard, the author and voice behind, “The Story of Stuff” the viral video series about creating a more sustainable consumer world, in order to help us with our New Year’s resolution to create green shopping habits.

The Story of Stuff (provided by YouTube)

Annie Leonard’s interest in product lifecycles began 20 years ago when she was a student at Barnard College in New York City, literally sifting through other people’s trash. “Every morning I would walk the six blocks between my apartment and campus and I would be stunned by the amount of waste on the sidewalk," she said. So, I started this habit, which I still have today—to the embarrassment of my daughter—where I search through garbage wherever I go. It is a fascinating way to find out what a culture values and what is going on economically and socially.” Annie Leonard’s initial garbage rummaging led her to the landfills of New York, where she was floored by the huge amount of waste she found; shoes, books, clothing, food and appliances were piled as high as she could see. With a fire in her belly, Leonard began her quest to find out why we create and purchase so much stuff.

Annie Leonard has spent her career travelling all over the world, looking at both the factories where our stuff is made and the dumps where it ultimately ends up. Her conversations with industry leaders, activists, and doctors have convinced her that, for the good of our planet, there more environmentally friendly ways to make, purchase, and throw way our stuff. Leonard started “The Story of Stuff” several years ago, as a means to spread her message about sustainable consumerism. Initially, "The Story of Stuff" project was just a short speech she gave in front of schools and small communities. Eventually, in 2007, with much prodding from her fans, she turned her speech into the now famous “Story of Stuff” video. With over 12 million views, she has turned “The Story of Stuff” into a full-time job and has created several new “Story of” movies, including “the Story of Electronics,” “The Story of Cosmetics,” “The Story of Bottled Water,” and “The Story of Cap & Trade.”

Story of Stuff

(all images provided by Annie Leonard)

All of Annie Leonard’s sustainability projects have the same message: we have the ability to create stuff better. It is not all gloom and doom, Leonard tells us, and while she doesn’t think we are going to “shop our way out” of the environmental mess we are in, she is not anti-stuff. “I am not anti-consumption," she told us. “I want us to have more appreciation and more reverence for the stuff we have. I want us to look at our cellphone and shoes, or whatever it is, and instead of being mindless and careless, I want us to be mindful of the metals and the rubber that went it. Somebody, some actual human being, mined that metal. Someone in the factory actually put that item together and was exposed to those chemicals. I want some appreciation for the time and the materials and the energy and the effort that went into making this stuff and I want us to care for it more. So, I am really not anti-stuff. I am a pro-stuff!”

Annie Leonard is big on sharing as a way to help lessen the environmental load of our “stuff,” and she is a huge fan of eBay shopping. “One of the reasons I love eBay is because it creates such an infrastructure for sharing,” she told us. “Every single one of us does not need to indefinitely own a Bundt pan or whatever it may be. The more we can buy used stuff or share stuff, is really helpful. Not just because we are putting less pull on the planet, but also because it doesn’t cost as much money.” Equipped with Leonard’s teachings, we have compiled a list of items that can help us with our New Year’s resolution to become better and more environmentally-friendly consumers:

Beauty Stuff

In “The Story of Cosmetics,” Annie Leonard campaigns for safer cosmetics. Here are some of our picks for healthier, less toxic cosmetic items.

Electronics Stuff

In “The Story of Electronics,” Annie Leonard tells viewers why “designed for the dump” electronics are toxic for both people and the planet. Instead of throwing away and buying the newest tech gear from your local store, sell your electronics on eBay and find slightly used items here as well:

Used Stuff

According to Annie Leonard, “used stuff” is the number one reason to shop from eBay. “Oh do I use eBay!” she said. “I really like to buy everything used because then I can usually buy higher quality stuff. I bought a used couch on eBay for $800. It is a really nice couch and is going to last me my whole entire life. There is no way that if I had bought a new couch for 800 dollars that it would have lasted my whole entire life.” Here are some used items found on eBay that are not only much more inexpensive than their original prices, but are sure to last a lifetime:

Stuff To Do

Annie Leonard says studies show that people are actually happier spending time together than involving themselves in the consumer rat-race, especially kids. “We are at the edge of an explosion of people wanting to live a different way,” she told us. “There are a growing number of solutions to make things better.” Here are some eBay finds to help you find activities to enjoy with your friends and loved ones: