184_Buy It Once. Buy It For Life
Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast
Episode 184
Buy It Once, Buy It For Life
Whether you like it or not there is a lot of psychological research that goes into the marketing of products. The majority of this research is used to manipulate consumers and get you spend more money. Additionally, convincing consumers to purchase an ever-increasing variety of products, only to discard them after a short period of time, is a fantastic way to stimulate commerce.
From disposable products to planned obsolescence, our wasteful practices have an ever devastating affect on the environment and on our personal financial well being. Virtually all of the disposable products we use can be replaced with something that you buy only once.
So join me for episode 184 which is called Buy It Once, Buy It For Life.
Welcome back everyone to the Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast. This is your host Patrick and this is E184 which is called Buy It Once, Buy It for Life.
Sustainability Question of the Week
What is greenwashing?
Good New Story of the Week
This weeks good news story comes from Sydney, Australia.
In a worlds first, researchers from the University of Australia developed a chemical process that could create a sustainable jet fuel from methane gas emitted from landfills. This has the potential of creating low-carbon aviation industry. If this process becomes cost effective and widespread, all the landfills in the world could actually become a source of energy.
Even though methane only stays in the atmosphere for about 9 years, scientists say the levels are increasing. Methane is a greenhouse gas that is far more potent that CO2.
On a global scale, landfills are major emitters of greenhouse gases such as CO2 and methane. What is exciting about this technology is that these gasses can be turned into fuel and used to target industry that are difficult to electrify.
Modern landfills already capture and combust gases for the generation of electricity, this technology creates a more environmentally friendly and commercially valuable product. Although aviation only accounts for approximately 3% of global emissions, this technology could create a “closed loop” fuel based on existent emissions. It would also eliminate the need to produce traditional and sustainable jet fuels.
If you want to read the whole story I have a direct link in the transcript of this episode.
Scientists are Making Jet Fuel from Landfill Gas
A round of applause this week for researchers at the University of Sydney.
Now let’s move on to this weeks episode.
Before we get started though I feel somewhat obligated to give credit to what inspired this episode. There is a website called Buy Me Once, which can be found at buymeonce.com , and a rather inspiring movement called Buy It For Life. Even though I did not take any information from either of these websites I felt the need to at least give credit to what inspired this episode. So, that said, let’s get started.
In our world as of today, there are roughly 840 billion single-use products. The vast majority of these products could be replaced by something that is reusable. Just 20 companies are responsible for 55% of the plastic throw-away items that we use almost daily. Things such as plastic bottles, bags and food packages are by far the most common discarded items. Despite the devastating affect on the environment, plastic production is set to increase by 30% over the next 5 years.
But beyond the obvious single use items, as consumers we are also manipulated by what is called planned obsolescence. The concept of planned obsolescence what first conceived in 1928 by a marketer named Justus George Frederick.
Planned obsolescence is a deliberate calculated act of making sure the existing version of a product will become dated or useless within a given amount of time. Then of course you have to go buy another one.
And while this may sound like a ridiculous waste this concept of planned obsolescence has been legitimized and is built heavily into manufacturing and marketing cycles. It drives profitability and is widely accepted by both businesses and consumers.
As consumers, we experience several versions of planned obsolescence, many of which we never even think about. Many times we may say, “Well, that’s just life.” Or “Well that’s just how it is these days.”
But, this planned obsolescence can take many forms:
-Software updates that slow your devices
-Lack of spare parts: Electronic devices are manufactured in a way that a part can’t be removed or repaired. If if fails, the device becomes unusable.
-Product incompatibility: Technology advances happen so quickly that sooner or later updates are no longer available. This makes you device slow, unstable or it eventually stops working altogether.
-Irreplaceable batteries: Cell phones, laptops, and other devices use batteries that often cannot be remove or replaced or the expense of replacement encourage. the purchase of a new product.
-Contrived durability: This is a strategy that artificially shortens a product’s lifespan. This is most often noticed in products designed for children. For example, toys produced with plastics or soft metal. Consequently, they break easily and have to be replaced.
-The Great Lightbulb Conspiracy: Now this may get a laugh out of you but this is a true story. In December 1924, a cartel between prominent business men was formed to control the global lightbulb market. Before this happed, the lifespan of a lightbulb was approximately 2,000 to 2,500 hours. Lightbulbs were deliberately manufactured to last only 1,000 hours. This of course drove a huge increase in profits globally. Now this cartel only lasted until the early 1930s but is a perfect example of the start of obsolescence.
-Psychological obsolescence: While planned obsolescence involves giving products a reduced lifespan we are also subjected to psychological obsolescence. This makes consumers dissatisfied with a product that still works perfectly fine.
This is typically pushed on consumers by producing the next newest model. This of course makes the old model seem inadequate by comparison. We then purchase the new product even if the old one has not yet reached its end of life. A perfect example of this is fast fashion. The industry drives more frequent trend cycles, drives down the price of clothing, and pushes consumers to buy the latest and greatest. Another great example of this is the iPhone. Apple routinely comes out with the latest and greatest.
-Food Service industry
Another prime example of wastefulness is the “one-way-throw-away attitude in the food service industry. Our culture of fast casual dining, as well as take out and delivery, all happens using disposable food ware. Napkins, cups and lids, condiment packets, plastic utensils, food containers, bags and boxes add up to nearly 1 trillion pieces of disposable food ware that are tossed out every year.
Additionally the food service industry spends $24 billion on disposables ever year. Nearly $6 billion a year is spent by businesses and city governments on solid waste management related to food service disposables. Approximately 20 billion pieces of litter are generated from disposable food-service packaging.
And what does all this mean? Plastic pollution and other litter, waste generation, resource extraction, water usage, wasted energy and climate pollution. But it doesn’t have to be this way because 86% of all disposables could be avoided.
How can this be avoided?
But, the good news here is that there is a new reuse economy that is emerging. On top of that, you have often heard me say that choices make changes. The biggest way in which we can fight planned obsolescence is in our daily choices. If we keep demanding cheap goods and are willing to accept short product lifespans, the problem will not change anytime soon.
One step in the right direction is that some states are passing “right to repair” laws. This legislation requires electronics and appliance manufacturers to supply necessary parts, tools and instructions to both independent repair shops and product owners.
But besides upcoming legislative changes, there are simple everyday actions you can take starting right now. It is possible to save a tremendous amount of money by simply switching to reusable items.
For example:
Safety razors: Disposable razors are designed to last for 3 to 10 users. This means you may have to replace the razor as much as once weekly. That’s 52 razors a year at a cost of around $150. Use a safety razor instead.
Cloth towels: Most household use approximately 145 rolls of paper towels per year. At an average cost of $2.25 per roll that is about $326 per year. You can purchase a 12 pack to cloth, reusable cleaning towels for about $6.
Water bottles: The average person spends $275 per year on bottled water. You can purchase a really nice stainless steel water bottle for about $20.
Shopping bags: Most people use 365 plastic bags per year. Most businesses now charge 5 to 10 cents for a single use plastic bag if they are not already banned. You could save yourself as much as $36 per year.
Cookware: A set of Lodge cast iron cookware, Dutch oven included, will cost you around $100. If properly cared for, these will last you a lifetime. A Cuisinart Classic 11 piece stainless steel cookware set will cost you around $180. But again, it will last you a lifetime. By comparison, cookware with a non-stick surface is going to cost you about the same. But with normal wear and tear it will have to be replaced. I have had my cast iron and stainless steel cookware for over 20 years.
KitchenAide Stand Mixer: This is another kitchen classic that will last a lifetime. Again, I have had the same KitchenAide mixer for 25 years.
Stainless Steel Coffee Press: If you are like me, you have broken numerous coffee pots and have been unable to find a replacement. I solved that problem by buying a stainless coffee press that will never have to be replaced.
And these are just simply a few examples of how you can save money by purchasing more durable products. You may spend more money up front but in the long run, you end up spending less because you are not making repeated purchases.
But finding durable, reliable, long-lasting products isn’t always easy.
One thing is certain, you cannot assume that more expensive products are going to last longer. For example, the “pro” version of a product can actually break down more frequently.
To some extent, you can rely on consumer-generated reviews. This can alert you to products that break quickly and do not perform as expected. Just keep in mind that these reviews can be skewed by several different factors. Not everyone is going to take the time to leave a review regardless of their experience. A few individuals that have had bad experiences are more likely to leave a review. Or there could be a torrent of staged, fake reviews to simply boost a product’s 5 star rating.
What you have to realize is in order to create reliability ratings that are accurate you need a large set of data. Consumer reports typically survey tens of thousands of people regarding their product experiences. For example, J.D. Powers, which rates the reliability of cars, bases its reports on the ratings of 80,000 owners that have had the same vehicle for at least three years.
Another thing to look for is product warranties. A longer warranty is an indication of a company’s confidence in their own products. Often you will see a one to three year general warranty with a longer warranty on certain parts.
Obviously a lifetime warranty is the gold standard. But each company is going to vary their definition of “lifetime.” Craftsman hand tools have a lifetime warranty that is essentially indefinite. If the tool fails to perform for any reason, the company will replace it with or without a receipt.
Most recently I had a similar experience with the Osprey company, which makes backpacks. Most of you know I spend a lot of time in the outdoors. When I purchase equipment I do not hesitate to pay more money up front for quality equipment that will last. I purchased an Osprey day pack 5 years ago. I literally use this pack every single day. Recently a couple of the zippers started to fail. I looked on the company website for repair options. Their website simply said repairs were free of charge for life. If they could not repair it they would replace it for free for life. It doesn’t get any better than that.
As far as electronics are concerned, I’ve had great experience with Apple products. A couple of years ago I purchased a new laptop because the one I had actually failed after 12 years of use. Typically by the time I update my iPhone the sales person at the store looks at my present phone and wants to know where I dug up the dinosaur. This says something about the reliability of their products.
Another less known possibility is to look for products with modular parts. Modular designs take into account that some parts on a given product are going to wear out more quickly. With a modular design you can simply replace one part instead of purchasing whole new item.
The whole point of this episode is to emphasize the fact that the one-way-throw-away economy and lifestyle that is a huge part of our economy has been part manipulation and part convenience driven on the part of consumers
When most people are shopping for products, price and convenience is top of the list. But consumer attitudes such as this is one of the driving factors that has significant environmental impact. As long as we look for cheap products and accept limited durability nothing is going to change.
Think of it this way. Every time you throw something away, that item has to be replaced. This means that new material has to be extracted. That material has to be shipped to a processing plant. The raw processed material is then shipped to the manufacturer to make parts. The parts are then shipped to a different plant to produce the final product, which is then shipped to the retail location for consumers. Hopefully you are starting to see the environmental impact of simply throwing something away.
Instead, buy it once, buy it for life. I have a whole list of things and products I’ve had for years. For example; some of my outdoor equipment I’ve had for over 20 years. I’ve had the same basic set of hand tools for 25 years. And those things take a lot of abuse at the homestead. My last Apple computer lasted 12 years. My reusable water bottle, stainless steel mugs and cups I’ve had for over 20 years. Outdoor clothing made by the North Face company I’ve had for over 15 years. And the list goes on.
Sustainability truly starts with longevity. The longer the product lifetime, the less waste we create and the fewer resources we consume. Buy it once. Buy it for life.
Now to start wrapping up this episode I want to address the sustainability question of the week.
What is greenwashing?
Many businesses know that people are becoming more aware of our environmental concerns and the desire for sustainable solutions. Greenwashing is a deceitful marketing ploy by businesses to draw in consumers. A company attempts to market themselves as environmentally friendly without actually making an effort to reduce their impact. A good example would be a petroleum company starting a public campaign to promote their move toward renewable energy while actually investing more money in new oil drilling projects for fossil fuels.
Well folks that about wraps it up for this week. I certainly hope by now that you are convinced to do your part for the planet and buy it once, buy it for life.
And don’t forget to visit my newly redesigned home page for the podcast which can be found at adventuresinsustainbleliving.com
Until next week, this is your host Patrick signing off. Always remember to live sustainably because this is how we build a better future.
