Good article, Karl. We have repair cafes at the libraries in Denmark where locals can bring smaller items to be fixed by other library users. I should add I don't know how many libraries do it, but they do in the council I live in.
Thanks Chris. One of our local projects was similar, a kind of repair cafe. I'm not sure if it is still going on, I need to check. I have two items I tried to get repaired recently (a heater and a dehumidifier) and it is really tricky.
Absolutely brilliant Karl. I started to become aware of built-in obsolescence increasingly from the 1980s. It is not surprising that this wicked, destructive practice started to take hold on us at the same time as neoliberalism began to tighten its grip on humanity. Buying new was promoted as desirable and a sign of ‘success’—the opposite seen as a sign of failure. There are growing movements and businesses that promote a circular economy, reusing and repurposing. I have been working on cleaning up my act increasingly over the years. Not too far from us there is a successful and popular charity called Moray Waste Busters. You can give them anything you don’t need or want anymore and they’d sell it on for very little. They even have electricians and other professionals working with them who fix electrical and electronic appliances and certify them so they can be sold on.
Your article is so important, especially for the younger generations, or for anyone who doesn’t know the reality we are all living in. Well done and thanks for writing this.
I'm glad you've got somewhere like that near you, it's really important. I have two items I tried to get repaired recently (not even the dishwasher) and it is really tricky.
Great article with useful tips.
Good article, Karl. We have repair cafes at the libraries in Denmark where locals can bring smaller items to be fixed by other library users. I should add I don't know how many libraries do it, but they do in the council I live in.
Thanks Chris. One of our local projects was similar, a kind of repair cafe. I'm not sure if it is still going on, I need to check. I have two items I tried to get repaired recently (a heater and a dehumidifier) and it is really tricky.
Movements like Library of Things also help: https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/home-garden/library-things-directory
We need the right to repair, and the products made repairable. Thanks for posting, Karl.
Absolutely.
That is why I have a 98 Honda💡
Love the old. :-)
Absolutely brilliant Karl. I started to become aware of built-in obsolescence increasingly from the 1980s. It is not surprising that this wicked, destructive practice started to take hold on us at the same time as neoliberalism began to tighten its grip on humanity. Buying new was promoted as desirable and a sign of ‘success’—the opposite seen as a sign of failure. There are growing movements and businesses that promote a circular economy, reusing and repurposing. I have been working on cleaning up my act increasingly over the years. Not too far from us there is a successful and popular charity called Moray Waste Busters. You can give them anything you don’t need or want anymore and they’d sell it on for very little. They even have electricians and other professionals working with them who fix electrical and electronic appliances and certify them so they can be sold on.
Your article is so important, especially for the younger generations, or for anyone who doesn’t know the reality we are all living in. Well done and thanks for writing this.
I'm glad you've got somewhere like that near you, it's really important. I have two items I tried to get repaired recently (not even the dishwasher) and it is really tricky.
Movements like Library of Things also help: https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/home-garden/library-things-directory