I know EU has the Right to Repair initiative and that’s a step to the right direction. Still I’m left to wonder, how did we end up in a situation where it’s often cheaper to just buy a new item than fix the old?
What can individuals, communities, countries and organizations do to encourage people to repair rather than replace with a new?
It takes a huge shift in the US. There’s a stigma that if you don’t get new youre “a poor”. The funniest part is, the poorest people i know have a hatred for the poor. Like dude, you are 1 paycheck from being homeless but yes the homeless person is your issue not the tech billionaires.
Anyway, my mindset is the opposite in that im more disgusted by new and feel much happier with repair and reuse. But thats very rare. Not to mention late stage capitalism has made a lot of new stuff shit compared to old (cars, appliances, houses, consoles that don’t require Spyware and accounts to even play a single player offline game etc)
I got a 2007 miata. I’m doing everything i can to keep it running. I bought a manual and changed all the fluids and consumables. I’m also looking at an econobox electric like the Nissan leaf. If I can’t find something decent I’ll buy a early 2000s carburated motorcycle.
99 miata here too!
I think people often hate things that remind them of things they don’t like about themselves