Repair is a Radical Act

Repair is a radical act
Repair is a radical act

As individual consumers, the single best thing we can do for the planet is to keep our stuff in use longer. This simple act of extending the life of our garments through proper care and repair reduces the need to buy more over time—thereby avoiding the CO2 emissions, waste output and water usage required to build it.

Why is repair such a radical act? Fixing something we might otherwise throw away is almost inconceivable to many in the heyday of fast fashion and rapidly advancing technology, but the impact is enormous. Despite a deep commitment to responsible manufacturing, still takes more from the earth than it returns.

We live in a culture where replacement is king. We do routinely fix big-ticket items, like cars and washing machines, but primarily it’s easier and cheaper to go buy something new. There are other reasons to avoid repair, including labels warning that repairing a product on your own will void the warranty, or the lack of access to the information and parts necessary to repair something ourselves.

These conditions create a society of product-consumers, not owners. And there’s a difference. Owners are empowered to take responsibility for their purchases—from proper cleaning to repairing, reusing and sharing. Consumers take, make, dispose and repeat—a pattern that is driving us towards ecological bankruptcy.

To be clear, the act of buying itself isn’t the problem (although it’s hard not to see the craziness around our biggest shopping days has gone too far). After all, our lives depend on a wide variety of products produced in a way that hurts the planet

What’s the antidote? Making a dent in our collective consumption footprint will require shared responsibility between companies that make things and customers who buy them—but businesses must act independently.

 

Read More & Source: https://www.patagonia.com/blog/2015/11/repair-is-a-radical-act/

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