Hi all,
I had a thought the other day about re-cycling, being "green" and our throw away society. I'm always shocked at how many people throw perfectly good things away like their mobile phones, TVs, sofas etc after about a year or so - just to get a new model/style, new colour etc. To me it's a horrendous waste of money (although what peeps do with their own money is up to them) but it's bad for the environment - even though some of these items may go for re-cycling.
However it occurred to me the other day that we're not really "encouraged" to keep things. 2 things made me think.
1. A month ago my DVD player broke. My OH took it to a local repair shop and they looked at him bonkers, then said that they probably couldn't get the part, then said that IF they managed to get the part then the repair price would be fairly steep. What happened ?? The "old" DVD got put in the re-cycling place in the local tip and I went to Tescos and got a new DVD for a third of the repair price.
2. My friend has lovely heavy curtains on one of her huge windows (they were left by the previous owners). She has tried to keep them clean over the years but it has come to it that they needed a "proper" clean. She took them to a dry cleaners where they quoted a horrendous price and she then found that buying new ones was a lot cheaper. She did try to sell them but there was no intrest and she then did try washing them normally (in a laundrette as they wouldn't fit her washing machine at home). They didn't come out of the washing very well so she threw them away and bought a new pair - simply because it was so uneconomical to get them dry cleaned. I've also heard friends saying that some dry cleaning bills are so high that they throw stuff away to simply buy new - as it's cheaper. Many materials have to be dry cleaned and it's fairly impossible just simply to buy stuff that is washed normally
So it's all very well the media saying that peeps just throw stuff away. It IS true in many cases but not all. Getting things repaired and cleaned is just so expensive and impossible at times. :confused:
Hi,
This is a subject close to my heart. Perhaps we are discouraged from repairing things due to the cost (in time as well as money), but perhaps the cost of parts for the DVD were so high because the manufacturers are nudging us toward buying new. Perhaps the faulty part was designed to break after a short space of time (but not so quickly that we catch on to the plan). Long enough for us to realise that buying a new one means we are just in time to enjoy a new feature that was lacking in the old one.
There was another thread with a link to the Story of Stuff website, www.storyofstuff.com which explained about planned obsolescence and perceived obsolescence (where stuff is seen as outdated cos the newer one is simply a different - and thus recognisably new - shape! How embarrassing to be seen with the old shape!
I feel sorry for repair-persons who are gradually losing business. Who reguarly gets their shoes repaired these days? The three Rs (reduce, reuse and recycle) are in that order for a reason.
1) Try not to buy it at all
2) Can you pass it on to someone (the homeless, a charity shop, friends, etc)
3) Try to recycle and also buy recycled products over other choices (otherwise there's no point in recycling the materials)
We live on a finite planet with finite resources but are living in a linear way - a path to destruction. I find it very stressful and get annoyed with myself when I too, fall into the trap - it's evidence of brainwashing, in my opinion. I recently read a book called Downshifting: The Guide to Happier, Simpler Living. If we could change the 'fashion' so that people want to simplify and take pride in frugal living, then who knows...
Catherine
we are definatly not encoraged to be green especially when it comes to white/electrical goods
there is a site = www.freecycle.org which is worth looking at =
one mans rubbish is another mans prize
This annoys me too. There's nothing wrong with wanting nice things, but for me nice is something of good quality that will last for many years, not the latest fad. It seems like it's getting harder to find anything from electronics to furniture that doesn't fall apart after a couple years. It makes life difficult for people who want to buy things that last when even the 'top quality' brands break down.
Trouble is this rapid buying is largely a product of relatively good economic times and a willingness to get ourselves into debt. When bad economic times come again people may reign in spending but the culture of planned obsolescence will come back to bite us.
Yup going green is the trend of the future 🙂 I love all these environmental products that are coming out.
I come from an age when you did take things to get them repaired.
I remember my dad taking our iron into the menders. Can you imagine that today. Even I used to get my washing machine repaired, but my one now is making a horrible noise and I am thinking I have had it about 7 years, the cost for repair will probably be about £100 and I can buy another for about £250 so it is not worth it.
Years ago we replaced things when they were worn out or broken but as you say not anymore.
Occasionally I go with hubby to boot sales (he loves them but not me especially) and I find it quite upsetting when I see something I am still using at home is someone else cast out.
I come from an age when you did take things to get them repaired.
Even I used to get my washing machine repaired, but my one now is making a horrible noise and I am thinking I have had it about 7 years, the cost for repair will probably be about £100 and I can buy another for about £250 so it is not worth it.
My washing machine has now stopped spinning completelty which is a nightmare. Like yourself, my partner and I have had this washing machine for approx 8 years and in that time have had the motor replaced and kept repairing it but this time we will be buying new as nowadays even the repair men are recommending new machines.
What I find awful these days is that items are not built to last like they used to be. A friend who repairs washing machines told me recently that the modern washing machines only really have about a 3 year life which is absolutely crazy.
Another recent thing is that I bought a cheap digital box in a well known supermarket just over a year ago and just after the year was up it suddenly blew up and started smoking!!:eek:
Ok you could argue that it was fairly cheap but hey you still expect it to last longer than that. We have since replaced it with a more expensive model and only time will tell how long that one will last!
Hmm it is a great shame the way things are these days - omg I sound like an old lady but even in my lifetime I have seen great changes and I am only 36 !! 🙁
we are encouraged just to throw things out now, and it is right to get anthing repaired is just too expensive. in my house at the moment i have 3 mobiles with chargers not the top of the range but still work just the same and i am trying to find them a home. none of the kids want them cos they are not radio or walkman or stuff like that but they do have a camera if anybody wants them for the postage just pm me cos i am not throwing them away. i do this with a lot of stuff i find if you try to sell nobody wants it but if you are giving it away well different story family are the worst for this, but now i feel if i cannot use it pass it on
I agree with the sentiment on this thread.
There's also the issue of people throwing perfectly good food because they can't eat it. Save it for another day, then! Apparently, people throw a third of their shopping away.
I agree with the sentiment on this thread.
There's also the issue of people throwing perfectly good food because they can't eat it. Save it for another day, then! Apparently, people throw a third of their shopping away.
Yes shameful. I rarely throw food away. If you plan ahead for meals and only buy what is required there is no need to throw food away.
I also treat `sell by` dates as a guide. If it smells alright it probably is.
Ditto. If it looks or smells bad then I get rid of it. I've eaten stuff years (seriously, 5 years for instance... strawberry jam, ice cream, tin veg) out of date.
I'm not dead y
i too look at food and smell it and if it smells good then it is, but any food waste i have goes to the dog and to friends dogs, i do not buy dog food and our dog eats the same as us, he is bouncing with health. i hate to throw food away. to morrow my dog is having sunday roast with yorkshire pudding veg and gravy any ody want to join him
i too look at food and smell it and if it smells good then it is, but any food waste i have goes to the dog and to friends dogs, i do not buy dog food and our dog eats the same as us, he is bouncing with health. i hate to throw food away. to morrow my dog is having sunday roast with yorkshire pudding veg and gravy any ody want to join him
Yes please
As long as we don't have to eat it out of his bowl. 😀