Here at Insteading we love swapping and bartering. Why get money involved just because you need something? Chances are if you need it, there’s someone in your community that’s trying to get rid of it. But we’re so disconnected (despite all our fancy technology) that we often forget to reach out to our friends and neighbors when we have a need, or want to share.
In the video below, shareable tech-spotter Loren Feldman introduces Swap-O-Matic, a unique vending machine project that playfully reminds us that reusing and recycling can be just as fun as buying something new. The concept may sound similar to those of you who have tried geocaching or similar treasure hunting games in the past. If there were a Swap-O-Matic in every town or neighborhood, think about how fun it could be to leave something representative of your region, while taking a souvenir of a place you’d visited!
Wondering why the creators of this project would put another vending machine on the already crowded streets of NYC? Here’s a little more about what they hope to accomplish:
The Swap-O-Matic is intended to be both a solution and critical response to the consuming, corporate culture that we live in today. Its core function is to support the reuse and recycling of products through swapping among participants. The project’s form, a vending machine, is not only a tool for swapping, but also comments on the problematic culture by playing on notions of the immediacy, instant-gratification, and convenience, values often associated with vending machines.
Visit the Swap-O-Matic website to request that the machine make a stop in your area. You can also like them on Facebook and follow on Twitter.
What would you be most likely to leave/take at a Swap-O-Matic? Share your ideas in a comment!
