Use repairable, refillable, durable products.
The longer a product lasts, the fewer times it needs to be replaced.
Commercial example: Consumers and business people are requesting bids that include the cost of extended warranties. Products with long warranties tend to be repairable. Ease of repair is important.
Consumer example: Electronics is another area where short-life products are common today.
Many are manufactured to be non-repairable and display this fact by using rivets instead of screws for fastening.
The entire unit must be replaced when only a part of it needs repair.
Commercial example: Use of modular rather than individual parts is increasing.
Toner cartridges for most photocopiers and printers are manufactured to be thrown out when empty.
New businesses are now remanufacturing these cartridges for reuse.
Many power tools contain rechargeable batteries that are not replaceable.
When the battery will no longer hold a charge, the entire tool is designed to be discarded. Minnesota law requires that tools and appliances have an easily removeable rechargeable battery after July 1, 1993.
Consumer example: Many non-repairable, non-refillable products are now available.
These include common items such as flashlights, ink pens, razors and cameras.
They are usually less expensive initially than more durable alternatives.
However, because they often have shorter lives they often must be replaced much more frequently than their counterparts.
Consequently, they are often more expensive to use and usually create more solid waste over time.
Once aware of the true costs and consequences of non-repairable products, many businesses realize that the purchase price rarely reflects the full cost.
Thanks to people who reduce the amount of the material or toxicity of the material they use to do their jobs, industry and consumers alike benefit.
Industrial example: Flint Ink Company of St. Paul gives its 55-gallon drums to a drum reclaimer that cleans and sells them for reuse.
Commercial example: Material exchanges are growing in number because businesses are finding that their waste may be a resource for another company.
This reduces waste and saves money for everyone. Increasingly, “Find out another use, throwing out has little excuse,” is saving dollars, resources and preventing waste.
Commercial example: Businesses that sell reusable office furniture, appliances, computers or construction material reduce waste and are viable because of people’s effort to reuse..