From customer to user, from buying to renting? (The Compact)

We would like to share with you the story of The Compact, a group of friends who decided to experiment not buying anything new for a year. Too bad they didn't wait for Zilok to help them in their quest!

We've been very inspired, at Zilok, when reading the article The Compact in the excellent GOOD Magazine.

The story starts on New Year's Eve 2006, when a group of environmentally concerned San Francisco friends vowed to spend the whole new year without buying anything new. Sort of a group rehab for guilty feeling consumers, if you will...

They called themselves The Compact, created an online group, and soon enough the buzz became so loud that 9,000 people from all over the world responded and asked to join the initiative!
Unfortunately for the compacters, Zilok was not online at the time for them to use their communities hidden ressources!

The impact and momentum this small group of individuals had is unintentional, and striking. From regional stories to national broadcast with Today, Good Morning America, and CBS News, everyone could relate to what they were saying.

What were they saying? That they want "1) to go beyond recycling in trying to counteract the negative global environmental and socioeconomic impacts of U.S. consumer culture, to resist global corporatism, and to support local businesses, farms, etc; 2) to reduce clutter and waste in our homes; 3) to simplify our lives;"

We think that sharing and renting from your community fellows and local businesses can serve exactly these purposes, and we hope that Zilok will somehow contribute spreading and supporting more sustainable consuming habits!