THINGS YOU CAN DO 2016-10-20T15:47:43+00:00

The things you can do

“Make less, buy less, use less, throw away less.”

― Akiko Busch

Practical things you can do

Buy products that last

 

Many of our products are built to have short lives. That means we go out and buy new ones when they break down, leading to ever more waste. Check to make sure your next purchase has a longer-than-average lifespan.

Repair

Something that is broken or worn out might be repairable and therefore re-usable. Before you throw it away, you could check to see it still has a warranty and, if not, take it to a repair café! Or try fixing it yourself – check out iFixit.com’s huge range of easy-to-follow repair guides for everything under the sun.

Re-use and Recycle

One person’s waste can be another’s resource. If it isn’t broken, somebody else can probably re-use it. And recycle what you can so that things don’t end up getting buried in the ground or burnt.

A guide to ensure your product is sustainable

Next time you buy something, you can use this checklist to get an idea about whether your product is sustainable or not:

  • Does the product come with a repair manual or is it publicly available?
  • Do you have information about how long the product is expected to last?
  • Can the product be easily disassembled, or are parts glued or welded, or non-conventional screws used?
  • Are there cases of early failure or are other concerns with the product raised on internet forums?
  • Is there evidence that spare parts are sold somewhere (for example on the internet)?
  • If the product contains a battery, can you easily access and replace it?
  • Does the manufacturer provide longer guarantees than the legally required two years?

Repair Cafés near you

Next time something breaks down, how about taking it to a repair café? Check here to see if there’s one near you!