Less is more! is an all-Slovenian project that promotes and encourages the re-use, repair, exchange or rental of objects for the purposes of lower consumption.
Less is more! It is an all-Slovenian ecological project that promotes and encourages the re-use, repair, exchange or rental of objects for the purposes of lower consumption. Organizers Ecologists Without Borders strongly believe in donating new life to old objects.
The site includes online maps with a search engine for crafts and shops without packaging. It also includes an online calendar whose main purpose is to promote exchanges and reuse workshops.
Background:
Slovenians throw away more than 10 kilos of useful stuff a year, and the trend of fast fashion is forcing us to buy new and less expensive clothes.
Objectives:
• produce a map of repair shops, second-hand stores, rentals and reuse centers
• produce a map of zero waste stores where at least some products can be purchased without packaging
• promote exchanges, lectures and workshops on waste prevention with a calendar of events
"Less is more" is a concept that advocates more quality, more savings and less waste. By repairing, exchanging or renting items, we avoid buying a new product and giving it a new life. However, when we cannot prevent the purchase of a new item, we choose products with as little packaging as possible. Re-use, which means saving both natural resources and money, has an advantage over waste recycling over the recycling hierarchy.
Resources needed
National funding (Respective Ministry) and private donations.
Evidence of success
Platform gathers information on all reuse centers in one place (25 in Slovenia) where people can bring products they no longer need. These products are subject to repair or conversion to new products, and the goal of all is to extend their life. According to data from 19 centers, more than 185,000 products were given new life in 2019. For the last five years there has been positive growth, and more than 2,200 ton furniture, clothing, sports and technical equipment were presented to new owners.
Difficulties encountered
One of the main challenges of the platform is relevance of the data. Users will use the platform if they will find there up-to-date information that benefits them in one place and maintaing that is quite time-consuming.
Potential for learning or transfer
It is a web platform with a concept that advocates more quality, more savings and less waste. It supports the local economy and the jobs of particularly dying occupations. The primary purpose of all these tools is to help us make more responsible decisions on a day-to-day, environment-friendly basis
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Tags: Circular economy, Climate change, Good practice, Solutions, Waste
