I marveled at how a Japanese octogenarian used a single paper towel. She handled it with care as she cleaned. She rinsed it, hung it to dry, then repurposed it later. She repeated this cycle many times.

I asked her daughter about the practice. The explanation quickly resonated: island thinking.

Islanders have an awareness of goods and resources. Islanders are conscious of refuse … all the trash we generate has to go somewhere.

* * *

What happens when we’re more conscious of material things — what we keep and what we discard?

Instead of limitless resources and bottomless waste bins, what happens when we begin to adopt island thinking?