by Michael Smith (Veshengro)
Older tools especially, and here especially hand tools, non-electric kitchen appliances and -tools, etc. lend themselves particularly well to being refurbished by means of, often simple, doing it yourself steps.
They are thus always, in my opinion, worth rescuing whenever they are encountered, and especially if they are being thrown out and are free. This also goes for many an old item of furniture.
All too often people throw things out into the trash, with their ultimate final destination being the landfill (that of the things not of the people), that would continue to perform well for many years and even decades and more to come.
Refurbishing before replacing even can be applied to old(er) computers and the refurbishment in this case more often than not does not even involve the need for any technical knowledge and skills and work at all. All that is required often is changing from Microsoft Windows to the free open source operating software called Linux.
Often it does not take much work and time at all to turn something that someone has regarded as obsolete back into a fully working “tool” and the old ROLCUT anvil secateurs of mine, found thrown away and refurbished in about 10 to 15 minutes, are a great example. Such refurbishment may, however, require a few DIY skills.
The skills that may be needed depend very much on what is to be given the refurbishment treatment and refurbishing a bicycle is different to refurbishing a pair of secateurs, giving new life to an old knife, or breathing new life into an old(er) PC, to mention but a few.
However, with a bit of common sense and a little aptitude much can be achieved and man a thing rescued from death on the refuse tip.
Instead of thinking of buying new all the time reusing old, and where necessary refurbishing the old things, should be the order of the day. It will do our wallets good and also and especially the Planet as less things going to the landfill also means less new things being bought and fewer resources and energy needed.
© 2012
