Brightly Green: To Repair or to Replace? That is the Question.

Friday, May 17, 2013

To Repair or to Replace? That is the Question.

Living simply green is not always simple. Our actions often have to be weighed in light of issues greater than our immediate concern or pleasure.

Living simply green means in part, thinking futuristic—how will the actions I take today affect tomorrow?

One such issue a person committed to living simply green takes into account is whether to repair a possession or replace it.

In the not-to-distant past, our grandparents and great-grandparents did a whole lot more repairing than replacing. In fact they were pretty handy with repairs. I remember the phrase, “make do or do without” being voiced by my own grandparents. My grandfather would tinker with a toy that was broken, saying, “I can fix that.” My grandmother used to darn their socks. (For the younger generation, “darning socks” means repairing a hole in the sock!)

So what has changed over the years?

One reason is that some products are not made of the same quality (their cheaper) today.

Another reason is that the cost of labor is higher.

What we are facing today: the dilemma

Our landfills are teeming with broken things that quite honestly could’ve been repaired. Name an item and it’s probably in a landfill somewhere-- hundreds even.

How do I know when to repair something?

--seriously consider a repair job if fixing the item would cost 50% less than the original cost

--are you confident in your ability to personally repair the item (do some research, watch a few Do-It-Yourself YouTube videos)

--Do you have a trusted friend or repair person you can call?

--Swap a job. Is there an area where you could help someone out in exchange for their services?

Make a replacement when...

-- you believe the cost of repairs is not worth the finances and time to repair it.

Where you can-- extend the life of your current possessions and live simply green.