DYI is one of my great passions. My brain is irremediably geared towards it and I run whole projects in my head before it is put into drawings, research on materials and pricing, budgets and finally, execution. Having grown in a country where innumerous small-scale entrepreneurs made a living for themselves and their families by repairing broken items, the concept of throwing out and buying new without a second thought has been an annoyance to me since I moved to Europe in 1989.
It has therefore been a pleasure to witness that this “industry” remains strong in most South Hemisphere and non-Western countries, although threatened by the intake of fast-moving consumer goods and appliances which quality and durability not always match those of a couple of decades ago, despite our undeniable technological progress. In such countries you can still have your iron, fridge and other home appliances repaired again and again, without hearing the commonplace “it does not pay changing the ‘X’ or repairing the ‘Y’, buying a new one would be cheaper”. And there goes another washing machine to the dumpster.
Do a test and check what is the distance between your home and the nearest place where you can have the sole of your favourite pair of shoes repaired professionally.
I have a hair dryer that is older than my son (he is 33 years old now) and a mixer older than my daughter (she is 31), both working flawlessly (and never repaired). I think most of us has experienced at least once in the last 10 years, to buy a gadget (be it a TV or a digital thermostat) that would fail one day after the 2-year (Danish standards) warranty period elapsed, or which became redundant because security upgrades would no longer be available due to an “incompatible” hardware component. On the subject, Windows 10 users perfectly happy with your “old” laptop, check this ZDNET article.
These were some of the issues I was very pleased to discuss with likeminded professionals at the Environmental Strategic Annual Meeting: Product life, repair, information at Aalborg University in Copenhagen this 25 and 26 February. The work of organisations such as HOP (France) and Repair Café (Global) is crucial in influencing policy, particularly in the area of electronic home appliances.
I have not yet watched the Netflix documentary “Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy”, but that is definitely on my watch list. Not because I think we are victims of a conspiracy, but because I truly believe we have the power to do better.
According to the European Commission,
The building sector is responsible for approximately 40% of final energy consumption in the European Union and 36% of its energy-related greenhouse gas emissions.
Due to its significant impact, this sector plays a crucial role in efforts to meet climate goals and reduce the environmental impact of the built environment.
Good news are: the sector is working on it. The question is if it is fast and hard enough. Also on the positive side, there are so many actors in the building and home décor arena doing their best to sustain a presence in the circular economy, for instance the Danish a:gain. And no, I don’t know anyone working there and I am getting no payback for the mention, I just find it a very good example on how to play a part in our legacy to coming generations.
It will be extremely interesting to see how ESG Reports from the building sector will look like in the coming years.
How do I play my part in my DIY projects?
I recycle, as much I can. The spotlights that became redundant after my bathroom renovation became a much welcome improvement to my laundry, after I renovated it as well. After they were removed from my bathroom, they were kept stored for 3 years because I knew I could put the 5 of them to good use somewhere else.
All glass partitions in my 25 m2 conservatory are recycled from the demolition of another house, which I combined with an over-the-counter new timber frame. It has been one of the most beautiful details of the house for almost 10 years.
My driveway and all tiled areas in my property are concrete stones recycled from someone else’s refurbishing 9 years ago. Another house owner advertised they were for free, and my family and I packed them over pallets and organised their transportation by truck to my house. Subsequently, I had to contact several stone smiths, who refused the paving job, as they did not want to work with tiles that were not new. They tried to convince me to throw them away and order new ones (which they would be happy to intermediate) or yet demanded an unreasonable overcharge if I would insist on the recycling. I was lucky to come across Gilleleje Anlægsgartnere at that time (no qui pro quo here either), who did a fantastic work at an honest price, and the beauty holds up to this day, with DIY impregnation using a garden pump-sprayer every 2-3 years.
So yes, there is a huge amount of work ahead. Recycling and circular economy need to become “mainstream”. For the construction and decoration industry, possibly more at the implementation than at the production level. At the end of a long supply chain, we find ourselves, customers and users, and we hold more power than we imagine. It applies to most of our life and career choices as well. Let’s use this power and make our right brain happy in the process. Instead of “Shopping as a millionaire” let’s try to “Repair for a better tomorrow”. Choose what is good for you (and the ones who bring meaning into your life) rather than what may be perceived as a bargain brand new item.
