LIFESTYLE
THROW IT AWAY
WHAT IS BEHIND OUR THROWAWAY CULTURE AND WHY CAN’T WE FIX IT? WRITER / SCOTT PEARSE
T
here’s something quaint about visiting a repairman. Most of us shop at big-box stores to replace a malfunctioning item, rather than look to have it fixed. But tinkering is a time-honored tradition. If we can’t be a nation that makes things anymore, surely we can prioritize employment of those who can fix what we already have.
PURCHASING HABITS We purchase fridges, toasters, clothes, shoes, thousands of different things—and if any of these items break, our first reaction is to purchase a replacement and throw the defective item away. Our economy is designed to work this way, from the ground up. Growth for many companies is tied to how often they can sell you their product. This isn’t an issue exclusive to the US. All developed western economies are producing waste at a prodigious rate. With sustainability concerns looming overhead, creative thinking is required—and some countries are stepping up to the plate. Sweden, for instance, has created an interesting tax incentive to prioritize repair over replacement. Those who bring bicycles, clothes or shoes to be repaired will have their VAT (Value Added Tax) slashed by half. Say labor and parts for a repair person to fix your fridge costs $200. In Sweden, VAT on that transaction adds an extra $50. The tax incentive to repair rather than replace would reduce VAT by half, to $25.
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