In our travels (via the internet) we have come across some interesting people with interesting ideas. One of those interesting people is Doug MacNeil from San Francisco. Doug has an some very unique thoughts about recycling. You can see his interesting products at: www.recoveryourthoughts.com. I requested some information from Doug I wanted to include in a newsletter that never made it to press, so I thought this would be the perfect venue for it. Thank you very much Doug for sharing the information:
Journals and diaries are an important part of many people’s lives. It is interesting to learn how many world leaders, artists, and regular people keep journals and every journal keeper has at one time or another struggled with writers block. So finding the right journal, one that inspires writing, is often the first necessary step.
In San Francisco, a humble bookbinder has created recycled journals from the many piles of books that the public libraries need to discard. Doug MacNeil rescues the abandoned hardbacks and selects those that have appealing covers, transforming them into a fascinating and functional product.
MacNeil is very concerned about the environment and his search for earth friendly materials has taken him on this latest voyage. He discovered mounds of very usable paper in the recycling bins of printing shops- discarded as waste - and saw his opportunity. Unbelievable as it is, other then the sturdy wire binding, everything in these distinctive journals is created from junk, rubbish and rejects.
"I really enjoy this," says Mr. MacNeil, from behind his card table at an urban fair in San Francisco. "Going to the library to get the old books is like a treasure hunt. Finding the paper can be an adventure, but we need that kind of excitement in our lives." It is easy to see that MacNeil likes the craft fairs best. He jokes, chats and lures customers in an ever-friendly attempt to "close that sale." "I enjoy the fellowship I've developed with the other vendors and the promoters seem to think I'm a great asset," he says with a sly grin.
"I've always had a love for paper products" is the simple reason that MacNeil has developed the journal business. He began many years ago, while still in college, making interesting notebooks for his friends. He would use cereal boxes and record album cases as the covers. These friends kept insisting that his journals could be a commercial success, but it wasn't until the discovery of the library discards that he tried to make it happen. "Commercial success? I'm lucky if I break even," he jokes, which is easy to understand considering MacNeil seems to give more of his product away then he sells.
MacNeil's concern for the environment is noble. Every decision, from what he is going to eat, to where and how he travels, is dependent on carbon credits and the impact on nature. "Recycling is good, but it isn't an answer or a solution." He quickly grabs a well-placed journal and draws a graph describing a relationship between carbon emissions and standards of living. "The ‘better’ we live, the more carbon we put into the atmospheres, and the more global warming we cause. Everyone talks a good game, but until we accept a reduction in what some perceive as the ‘quality’ of life, this planet is doomed." Then a smile returns to his face, "And if I continue with the journal business, I'm definitely going to achieve a reduction in my standard of living."
You can find Mr. MacNeil at his web site: www.recoveryourthoughts.com
