In a society that is driven by consumption, it might seem like it’s easier to buy again than to take care of our possessions and make them last longer. Waste is one of the biggest environmental issues affecting our planet. The average person living in a capitalist country produced 4.6 pounds of waste a day. The U.S. alone produces 230 million tons of trash per day. In textile alone, 15 million tons of waste is produced every year and only 0.1% of it gets recycled.
It is common to believe that the best way to save the planet is by recycling. Yes! Recycling is great, however, most of the waste that it’s produced worldwide ends up in land fields or in the ocean. Efforts to restore the planet’s health should not be based solely on recycling, but also in consuming less.
We have more than we need, and we consume more than we use. Our society is characterised by consuming and disposing. In previous generations it was common to fix whatever was broken, jeans had patches on the knees, blenders were taken to get a repair, phones got fixed and many more items had a longer life-span than nowadays. Even clothes. People didn’t use to go on crazy shopping sprees as they do now.
The fault rests on everyone involved in the production/consumption circle. Yes! Corporations are making gadgets, appliances and items that have a shorter life-span. Sometimes it costs more to get something repaired than it is to buy a new one. Which is why many opt to discard the previous item and buy a new version of it. If it’s cost-efficient why not? Right?
The problem is not only that items are being produced to last less, but also the consumer who tends to not take care of their belongings. Thanks to cheap labour, globalization and many other factors, we can buy stuff for less money, which takes away the value that we give our possessions. This also makes it easier to not care for our belongings as someone would have 10, 20 or 40 years ago.
Keep reading and discover these easy hacks that will help you save you a lot of money by making your things last longer and saving the planet in the process.
- Shoes
It’s wear and tear, a normal part of walking and running. If you’re into the all-white sneakers then it is best to wash them before they get too dirty, otherwise, it will be harder to remove the stains.
- Clothing
Buy quality, not quantity. Don’t focus solely on what is trendy and cheap. Instead, choose to buy good quality garments, and make sure that they’re made of natural fibres.
- Hair and Beauty
No more bottles! There are amazing shampoo bars out there. Instead of choosing a body wash go for the soap bar. When purchasing beauty supplies and lotions, buy the ones bottled in glass instead of plastic. If you have a wig, make sure to take notice of the importance of wig maintenance.
- Electronics
Keep water away! We all know this by hard, but there are also other things you can do, like always make sure your laptop is on a hard surface, don’t leave your phone charging overnight and don’t change your phone just because a new version was released.
- Food
Buy fresh! Processed food also tends to be the one that comes in more wrapping. Go healthy and buy fresh food and remember to take your bags with you.