Since manufacturing has a cost for the earth in energy and resources, it’s time to pay attention to our purchases. Will the item you’re about to buy end up in a landfill within 20 years? Or is it more durable than that?
Not every purchase has an obvious answer, but some are more clear than others. An example is a screwdriver. There’s not much that can go wrong with a screwdriver. Unless you add batteries and a charger and create an electric screwdriver which has a shorter lifetime.
Another example is earbuds. Lately some companies have taken a reliable, tried and true design — the wired ear bud — and replaced it with an essentially disposable version that connects by bluetooth and contains a battery that cannot be replaced.
Which will last longer? The answer is pretty obvious: the one with the wires. I have headphones and ear buds around my house that have been working for more than 30 years.
If you’re interested in making a difference for the earth, try this exercise. The next time you buy a durable good such as electronics, tools, furniture, or even clothing, ask yourself the question: will it work in 20 years?
If the answer is “maybe,” then take a closer look. Things that are simply designed will sometimes last longer.
Today I met a bicycle enthusiast who has wireless shifters on his bike. Yes, the shifter levels on the handlebars actually connect to the bike’s derailleurs using bluetooth, just like the apple air pods.
Question: which bicycle’s shifters and derailleurs are going to hit the landfill first? The ones with bluetooth, or the vintage friction thumb shifters on our 1990s mountain bike?
Cradle to Cradle is a great book about design, and the anticipation of each product’s retirement. If designers will take into account the end of a product’s life, they can make choices to lower the impact on the earth.
But designers can’t save the world without the help of us consumers. So the next time you need to buy some things, consider your options and see if you can avoid buying those items destined to hit the landfill early.