Can you imagine replacing cars as quickly as phones?
- Alex Eaves
- May 26
- 2 min read
Recently, I was on my way to Connecticut and my car stalled out a couple of times. I've had my car for 19 years (yep, I got it in 2007) and with this situation, I thought it was the end. But fortunately, the issues weren't as major or expensive as I thought. My Pontiac Vibe is back on the road and now inching towards the 240,000 mile mark. Thank you Joseph's Garage!
While dealing with this situation and the relief of getting my car back, I got thinking about other everyday items. Why isn't repair the automatic thought when something goes wrong?
When our car battery dies, we don't get a new car. We get a new battery.
When our car windshield cracks, we don't get a new car. We get a new windshield.
When somebody drives into a garbage barrel and it flies into your door handle and breaks it, we don't get a new car. We get a replacement door handle. (True story from this year.)
So, why don't we treat cell phones like this?
Why don't we treat computers like this?
Why don't we treat televisions like this?
Is it because they're far less expensive to replace? No. Having to spend $500 or $1000 or $2000 for a new item is expensive for most of us. It's more because for the past 10 or 20 years, many companies have made it clear that they don't want you to repair their items by actually making it difficult to repair it. But if we truly own an item, then shouldn't we be able to repair it and not feel forced to buy a new one?!
Well, many of us do get our items repaired. And more of us certainly can. We can stand up to this nonsense by not only repairing items, but also by buying pre-owned and refurbished items. It may take a little more time than just rushing to the store and buying a new item, but it will surely save us a lot money and it will be one small way we can make a positive impact on our planet and future generations.
Repair is one of the most important facets of reuse and finding solutions for our waste. We can't keep manufacturing new items, using up non renewable resources, and thinking we're doing good. If we want to keep this planet and its inhabitants alive, we need to keep our things alive too.
P.S. I'm writing this on the same laptop that I've had for 5 years that had some minor repairs. Later on, I'll look at it on the same phone that I've had for 5 years, but had a few different pre-owned cases for it.
I was so sad last year, I had to replace my 25 year old car that I owned for 22 years. The subframe was rotted out. I didn't want a new car that probably wouldn't last as long or be easy to work on. I was lucky, my sister found me a 13 year old car that had one owner and 40,000 miles. My daughter's car is 25 years old, she has had the car for 17 years, it was her grandmother's car.