HiFi Subjectivist ¦ Audio Forum ¦ NVA User Group

The answer would be to make manufacturers responsible for cost of disposal and recycling of product they make unrepairable. This would kick them into supplying parts. Parts should be available online. That is actually the case for washing machines etc but for too short a time. Motor manufacturers have to supply parts for 10 years which in practice is a lot longer. I have an inherited washing machine that still functions perfectly having been made over 35 years ago. They were once built to last.

Technology moves so fast there is no benefit to keeping things. I now wash my clothes in 1/4 of the time to a higher standard of cleanliness.

The answer would be to make manufacturers responsible for cost of disposal and recycling of product they make unrepairable.

Thats what in part WEEE is about for electrical equipment.

Daniel Quinn wrote: ↑Fri Jan 11, 2019 9:22 am Technology moves so fast there is no benefit to keeping things. I now wash my clothes in 1/4 of the time to a higher standard of cleanliness.

But not everyone can afford or wants the latest, with repair your old machine could have 10 more years of useful life removing the need to dispose of the old one and make a new one.

And a lot of tech is good enough now and "improvements" are just used to convince people to upgrade for no real benefit. Part of this is software obsoleting old hardware.

Daniel Quinn wrote: ↑Fri Jan 11, 2019 9:22 am Technology moves so fast there is no benefit to keeping things. I now wash my clothes in 1/4 of the time to a higher standard of cleanliness.

Technology may move on but reliability goes downhill. Things should be repairable from an environmental perspective. The performance differences are often marginal apart from power saving issues. You have to take into account the cost of disposal and making a replacement against the savings in power (light bulbs and washing machines). Those new light bulbs that are supposed to have extended life in practice seem to blow more often than the old 'inefficient' one's, especially old branded models manufactured many years ago.

Technology may move on but reliability goes downhill

That's a design decision on the part of the maker. Its entirely possible to improve reliability, it just costs more.

Those new light bulbs that are supposed to have extended life in practice seem to blow more often than the old 'inefficient' one's

Agreed if you buy the cheap ones, I have found the more expensive ones do last. (see above).