Replace or Repair? How Green are you?

Before rushing out to buy a new machine please consider carefully the implications your decision will have on global warming and climate change. The manufacture of a new machine involves the processing, use and transportation of many new raw materials. This all adds up to huge emissions of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, giving rise to further global warming. In addition to this, landfill sites are already at bursting point making disposal of old machines environmentally unfriendly.

In contrast to this, a repair to your machine uses only about 5% of the carbon emissions that a replacement new machine would. In the case of washing machine, dishwasher and tumble dryer electronic control printed circuit boards, if they're available, I use a company that repairs these boards to a high standard, with a guarantee and I always try to use them as much as possible. Which not only helps towards saving emissions but is a lot cheaper for you too!

We could go further, however, just think of the help in reducing global emissions repairing your machine in any other type of repair instead of replacing it with a new machine. I'm just waiting for someone to notice why there are 2-year old domestic machines filling up all these landfill sites. Well, I hear you say, "They don't make them to last these days" and I will say to you "I couldn't agree with you more" but until the raw materials of the earth become near exhausted, the manufacturers will carry on as they are until the economics of the situation (or you) force them to change. They won't at the moment because it suits them for you to buy a new machine every 2 and at the most 6 years. Which is about the life span of the average washing machine now. (When I first started in this business in 1992 machines used to last 10 years or more, purely because they were made stronger). You only have to look at the oil situation where the global supply is nearing the point of a downward decline, and it will be the same with the raw materials that make these machines plus the carbon footprint emitted during the manufacturing process.

There is a process called 'Reman' (not to be confused with reconditioned) that has been developed by a large industrial engine manufacturer who, when there're worn out, and with the aid of new technology they remake and use the original components. One method being that they shave off surfaces to the required tolerances that make them as good as when they were first manufactured because in the original manufacturing process they make them with extra metal with the view that they can re-build them several times and would prolong the proposed total life of an engine in the region of 45 years. Also they have developed a method that actually sprays a molten metal to a surface of engine components of up to 1mm thick to be later milled down to required tolerances.

Now these are heavy industrial engines, and are a lot different from washing machines and the like. But the principles are the same. If they make them with the view that the components can be re-manufactured and although the original cost would be higher, with 'remans' in between the life of the machine the cost would be a lot cheaper plus it would save in new materials. Now, in my humble opinion, this is where the domestic machine manufacturers could play a big part by developing their own technology in producing 'remans', because its apparently becoming very big business. So, instead of machines falling apart in 2 years and throwing them on the scrap heap, with several 'remans' they could be made to last several decades. We do have to start somewhere and at sometime, so why not begin now. NOW IS YOUR CHANCE TO START MAKING A DIFFERENCE - HAVE YOUR MACHINE REPAIRED!

I think I'll get off my soap box now the height is making me dizzy!