'Products' Reflective Response

“One way to decrease the quantity of resources consumed is to design products for a longer life by making items that are more durable, items that can be upgraded, or items that are easy to repair (Robertson, 2017, p. 263.).”

This is such a profound statement and something that I wish more companies creating items for consumers took into consideration. But instead of product longevity, the constant focus is on the monetary value and what those companies are able to get out of the deal. If they were to make a more sustainable item(s) that are made to last longer, they won’t have people constantly repurchasing their products. Instead, they create a cheaper item that gets worn down and damaged over time, as a way to ensure that those customers continue putting money into these goods and buying more to replace the damaged ones.

But with the way these companies are thinking in this particular twisted and materialistic way, people are learning to grow smarter and think in a new way, too. Consumers are repurposing and recycling broken goods into something beautiful and far different than anything the companies could have originally imagined they’d be. What’s incredibly fascinating is that a lot of these goods end up being far better than anything that can be bought within a store.

I’ve seen photos of chairs made out of old suitcases, which I particularly thought was incredibly clever and so beautiful. There are simpler ways like reusing old jars to grow plants and using an old desk drawer for a dog bed, but people are creative and there are so many great ways to reuse and upcycle old, broken goods and give them new life.

Reference:

Robertson, M. (2017). Sustainability Principles and practice. Routledge.

Photo 1: https://www.builddirect.com/blog/upcycling-ideas-for-stylish-furniture-and-interiors/

Photo 2: https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/sustainability-and-environment/wooden-pallet-upcycling-could-cause-environmental-damage-warns-pooler/599869.article