Repair rather than recycle or throwaway

[wiak]

Let's hope the EU adopt this:

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-51825089

New rules could spell the death of a "throwaway" culture in which products are bought, used briefly, then binned.

The regulations will apply to a range of everyday items such as mobile phones, textiles, electronics, batteries, construction and packaging.

They will ensure products are designed and manufactured so they last - and so they're repairable if they go wrong.

It should mean that your phone last longer and proves easier to fix.

That may be especially true if the display or the battery needs changing.

It's part of a worldwide movement called the Right to Repair, which has spawned citizens' repair workshops in several UK cities.

The plan is being presented by the European Commission. It's likely to create standards for the UK, too - even after Brexit.

That's because it probably won't be worthwhile for manufacturers to make lower-grade models that can only be sold in Britain.

Being able to repair and update the hardware of old computer devices would be very useful in the Puppy Universe.

wiak

[bigpup]

We are the government!
We will control your life and what you do, at all times!!

People with good ideas that have no understanding of cell phone, computer, electronic, mechanical, etc.... hardware.

Wonder how many picture tubes had to be thrown away/recycled, when everything switched to flat screen.
Wait, they could have been used in a cell phone!

At some point all things just die.

Wow, look at all those modal-T Ford cars all over the place.

Automobiles are the one thing that gets long term support for having parts to fix them.
But, that runs out at about 20 years old.
It costs a lot of money to keep an active parts supply going.
Your money is tied up in the replacement parts, until someone buys one.

Large major appliances are supported for fixing with spare parts.
I just spent over $100 to fix a clothes dryer.
Parts only.
Paying someone to fix it would be about another $100.

Simple principle of manufacturing.
If you build it so it never breaks.
People will only buy it one time.
After that one time. You will go out of business!

Computers, cell phones, electronics, can be fixed by buying replacement parts, but at some point time to move on.
Again, it becomes a large inventory of replacement parts that someone has to pay for.
If all you do is fix old computers and cell phones.
Why make any new ones, improve them, figure out new ways of working, innovate!

Just recycle!
Make money on supporting that!
It is done here and not required by our government, but most people do it and support it.
Our county government buys new trucks and heavy equipment with the money made from recycling.

[tallboy]

wiak, I seriously think you missed the root of the problem, but bigpup touched it. It is NOT that gadgets cannot be repaired, because most of them can be! It is the cost of the repair that is the problem. Let me clarify: At the uni, the IT dept. had a standing deal on new Dell machines, both desktops and laptops. If a fan in the power supply started to make a noise, the computer ended up in the garbage. Why? The price for the time an educated computer tech used to open the pc, open the power supply, dismantle the old fan, fit a new one, close the power supply, close the PC again, run a test procedure, actually exceeded the price of a new PC. Huh? Well, you need to stock a lot of different fans, and other parts, they need a store room, someone have to manage the parts, etc., etc., all that cost money. Too much money, too much hazzle. Better solution: Tell the student that reported the problem to bring the PC up to the tech room , give him a new PC and tell him how to install it.

That is actually how I managed many years at the uni without ever buying a PC, I picked up some throw-aways and made me a working one.

[dancytron]

To make it worse, you have companies like John Deer (U.S. farm equipment company) that literally won't let you repair your tractor because they won't let you have access to the software and threatens copyright lawsuits etc.

https://tractorhacking.github.io

[bigpup]

Ever try to replace a engine on a push type gas powered lawnmower?
It will cost more for the new engine, pay someone to change it, than buying a new lawnmower.

Lawnmower manufactures get parts at much lower prices.
You, we, the public, must pay retail.

The engine manufactures get an order from a lawnmower manufacture for truck loads of engines.
We may only buy one, maybe!
Who do you think is going to get the best price.

I have actually built 8 computers from scratch.
Just a big pile of parts.
To build one for less money than buying a already built computer.
You need to get just about everything for a sale price, not normal retail.
But, you do get a computer exactly the way you want it to be. And everything is compatible, not computer manufacture proprietary hardware, connections, specs, etc.....

[wiak]

wiak, I seriously think you missed the root of the problem, but bigpup touched it. It is NOT that gadgets cannot be repaired, because most of them can be! It is the cost of the repair that is the problem.

But cost isn't just about money tallboy, more serious is the environmental cost of our throw away society. We need accept more cost in order to clean up the crap we are endlessly making, that is the point.

wiak