Although there are all sorts of ways to get used items, buying them is often looked down upon. This attitude, combined with the low price of imported products, causes a huge waste.
A large number of used products that are still in good condition are systematically eliminated in our hyper-consumerist societies. Several phenomena, including the “advertising game”, are pushing people into excessive consumption and provoking feelings of rejection, even contempt, towards anything that is not the latest. Respect for the object has disappeared to make way for the cult of novelty.
Objects become obsolete not only because of changes made by designers and technological improvements, but also because their repair is no longer “profitable” due to the double cost, namely the high cost of our labor and the low cost of imported products, especially from Asia.
The scarcity of skilled labor and spare parts makes repairs difficult. This leads to the scrapping of even new items like DVD players. So imagine where your VHS tape ends up. Did you think that if you gave it to charity, you would find someone to repair it? Or, even more difficult, to buy it back?
Personally, I have seen in charities mountains of bags containing used clothing that were sold for a few cents a pound for export. Although there is no other solution for the organisations, this constitutes a kind of “dumping” that is harmful to local economies in the South.
You will probably have noticed, during a collection of bulky items in your neighborhood, how many usable items are wasted. It’s sad…
To counter this waste, I first adopted the habit of systematically searching for a used version of the objects I need. I have found, after several years of this behavior, that I have adopted an efficient search method, that I have built up a directory of supply locations and that I can almost always obtain a used version of the object sought, and this, for about 25% of the price of the new object, if not simply for free.
As a result, the environment and my wallet are much better off. For each item to be found, it is now a real challenge and a real pleasure to undertake the steps.
For repairs to electrical and electronic devices, I call on the volunteer technicians from the “Café Réparations” of the organization La Patente de Limoilou, who make repairs for a flat fee of $5.
These methods, if they were to become widespread, would constitute important elements of a bulwark against certain perverse effects of neoliberal globalization. In addition to being major measures to reduce waste and protect the environment, they would create many jobs here in the areas of sale and repair of second-hand products, while indirectly improving the standard of living of those who would buy objects that have already been used.