Byttestation
Earlier today we walked past this byttestation (swap shop). My loved one and I are going to bring some objects there in the coming days, so fellow humans can take them free of charge. We can take something from there too, but we don't need anything. In the coming days I also intend to sketch a sufficiency list for 2024. I started writing this list many years ago as a playful activity on my minimalist journey. I made this list public in my autoethnographic work. In the beginning, I didn't see much research value in this list, as I mostly research businesses. But after some time, I realised how deeply sustainable production and consumption intertwine. And I decided to use autoethnography as a research method. The list became part of my research journey, not only part of my personal sustainability practice. I realised that no other method can offer the same depth of insight to me, and my personal struggles with trying to live sustainably were not so personal after all. Many fellow humans could identify with the same struggles on their own paths.
As I research degrowth, I think about swap shops in this context. But places like this could make sense to many others, even if they are not interested in degrowth. Swap shops are solidaric and alternative spaces, free from monetary exchange. I also think that advocates of the circular economy could find swap shops beautiful, as these places help us keep objects longer. In this case, keeping objects longer is more of a collective undertaking.