Think
First: Can I fix this? Can I use it for something else?
By
Michael Smith (Veshengro)
In
this throwaway era of ours, we must think about reusing, repurposing
and fixing what we already have instead of always buying new and
throwing out the old.
Of
course the time does come when things are worn out and have to be
thrown away but that is then and this is now.
It
is important that, when the rime comes, to recycle them if you can,
but before you do, think first: “Can I fix this? Can I use it for
something else?”
Who
knows – maybe we’ll bring back the fix-it shops of long ago with
a 21st century approach and create some new jobs.
When
I was growing up, small appliance repair shops were common. In this
era of planned obsolescence with cheap, made in China everything,
appliance repair shops and handymen have all but disappeared.
The
problem is that today repair shops are few and far between and, in
fact, most appliances are constructed in such a way that it is not
even possible to open them in order to carry out a repair.
Some,
no doubt are, and if you can do it then often spare parts can be
gotten via the Internet.
Now
I am into bicycles and, as I do not own a car nor drive a car, it is
the way that, aside from walking and public transport, I get about.
That also means that I like to know how to fix bikes and, in fact, I
also rebuild bikes that have been abandoned in parks and such
locations.
Bicycles
still can, in actual fact, be repaired and those bikes found
abandoned that I cannot do anything with really I strip of all
salvageable parts and keep those as spares. It is a bit like a
bicycle store in my garage with all the parts accumulating but, waste
not want not, if something fails I can grab a part easily.
The
most important thing is to establish a mindset again of being
prepared to think reuse, repurpose and repair before buying new.
Often
we are advised, as regards to, say, a household appliance to buy new
because new ones are more energy efficient and all that. But what
about keeping what we have regardless until such a time that it needs
replacing. Then we can think “Energy Star” and such. But until
such a time my advice is: “Stick with what you've got” and repair
for as long as it can be done.
The
more we would do that the better for the Planet.
©
2011
