Have you ever heard the phrase “Use It Up, Wear It Out, Make It Do or Do Without”? It is a popular phrase that became famous first during World War 1, made popular again during the Great Depression and then again during World War 2. Around the time the United States entered WW1, Calvin Coolidge is said to have created the phrase to encourage Americans to make do with shortages and rationing from the war. However, he “was quoted as saying ‘Eat it up, Wear it out, Make it do, or Do without”. The phrase was later changed to “Use it up.” (Read more history here)

So what exactly does this slogan mean? During these three periods of history, “those that were able to stay in their homes…embraced the ‘Victory Garden’ ideals and raised whatever food they could. There was no money for items such as shoes or clothing. Everything was used until it just couldn’t be used anymore.” 

What did this look like? “People darned their socks when holes appeared; aluminum foil was cleaned and saved for reuse; worn-out soles on shoes were replaced with pieces of leather or cut from old tires.”

Though it is a slogan taken from incredibly hard times of American history, it can teach current generations a lot about taking care of the things we currently own and reducing the huge problem of waste by refusing to play a part in fast fashion and the widespread addiction to consumption.

Use It Up

The original phrase began with “Eat it up” and was later made more popular when it was changed to “Use it up.” How can we apply this phrase to our lives today?

• Use what you already have on hand 
• Eat leftovers
• Make something creative for dinner from remaining groceries or staples in the pantry
• Burn candles to the very bottom
• Squeeze out all of the toothpaste
• Scrape condiment and peanut butter jars
• Fill soap pumps with a small amount of water to push up the last of the soap
• Reuse boxes and packaging

All of these ideas will help the things you consume last longer, save you money and reduce the waste going to landfills.

Wear It Out

The phrase “Wear it out” is particularly relevant for Chicago Textile Recycling in helping to keep textiles out of landfills. When the majority of the population continues to throw old textiles in the trash and fast fashion pushes consumers to buy more and more clothing that they don’t need, wear it out is a directive that has become a thing of the past. So how can you as a consumer “wear it out”?

• Take it literally. Wear clothes and shoes until they wear out
• Make shoe repairs and simple mending rather than trashing these items
• Recycle your textiles or trade with a friend so they receive the most possible use
• Buy smaller amounts of higher quality clothing that will last in the long run
• Create new items from old clothing, such as shorts from jeans, rags from shirts, quilts from baby clothes or favorite t-shirts
• Use hand me downs for others or between your same gendered children

Make It Do

What does “Make it do” mean? If you own something and it has quirks that are annoying or it doesn’t exactly meet what you wanted in that product, keep it anyway and “make it do.” The problem of overconsumption and making things more affordable by making them more cheaply made has led to consumers simply throwing things out if they don’t meet their expectations. This has led to so much waste and landfills being filled faster than intended. What can you do instead?

• Patch holes in your clothes or keep wearing jeans even after they get holes in the knees
• Look on youtube for how to make simple repairs to electronics
• Get creative with hot glue and superglue fixing cracks and breaks on toys and dishes, etc
• Encourage your children to create new imaginary games with toys they already own rather than buying new ones. Use boxes and other recyclables to create forts and towns and beds for dolls, etc
• Only grocery shop once a week. If you run out of something or need an ingredient you didn’t buy, look up substitutions you can use or get creative using ingredients you already have to create a new or one of a kind meal

Do Without

“Do without” means just that. If you don’t desperately need it, don’t buy it. If you already own two guitars, do you need a third? If you have 32 t-shirts, will a 33rd bring more joy to your life? Is the latest iphone really better than your current model?

• If you have your eye on something new, wait a week before buying it and see if you really want it just as much a week later
• Make new fancy recipes at home rather than going out to eat. Even buying fancy ingredients at the store is cheaper than eating at a restaurant
• Declutter and get rid of things you don’t need or don’t wear. Donate these items to your local resale store instead of putting them in the trash
• Become avid members of your local library. Libraries not only save you money buying books and dvds, they also offer classes like quilting, crafts, doing taxes and writing resumes that would save you money learning these things elsewhere

The Spectrum of Consumption

Though we are not in a time of war or in the midst of a great depression, the problem of consumption has only increased over the years. Landfills are filling up at an alarming rate. Fast fashion is getting faster and keeping up with the Joneses still reigns. In this time of overconsumption and great waste, we challenge you, our reader to be countercultural. To take a stand against the popular way, to educate yourself on ways to care for our Earth, and have wisdom on the products you bring into your home, whether textiles, food or anything else. Let us dare to create a new way, to again take hold of the words of Calvin Coolidge and indeed “Eat [or Use] it up, Wear it out, Make it do or Do without.”