Manufacturers of needed items, but that become obsolete in 2 years....

[Starfish]

are cluttering up my children's planet.


Does anyone else find this totally disturbing?

Especially you other Americans, being that we are numero uno in waste production?


My ironing board is outdated for new pad purchase already because it is a specialty model that serves a purpose that I need. It is wider than normal and a standard pad and cover won't fit it at 15" wide by 54" inches long. As a seamstress I need an ironing board that will iron bolt fabric, so I need this thing.

I bought it at Target two years ago, and now they aren't carrying it, or any covers and pads for it.

They threw it out of production because they replaced it with some uppity dudes brand of ironing board (he at least designed a better plunger).

Well, thank god I can sew my own, but not everyone sews....

They throw them out and buy new because it really isn't that expensive to get new. And we will soon be sitting up to our ears in junk.

How long before this guys ironing board brand is outdated, before they are even broken down, by these super chain stores that probably do this to generate constant sales of large items?


I frown on them now, and what is worse, they've trapped me with their price deals and their efforts making purchasing needed items more affordable.


I am in a dilemma from hell here with whether or not to shop there anymore. Their clothes are affordable and even decent looking styles.

There are other stores out there like this. All with the same marketing schemes and ploys, and then the rapid exclusion of these products from their stores to bring in the new that is the same but only different on the surface.

I understand this sort of thing with technology, but it is frustrating to see all this waste.

What are we to do?

Those of you in retail, do you get frustrated with the way stores do this? Do you get a lot of complaints from people about things like how they bought an air ionizer three years back, and now can't get replacement filters for it because the stores don't carry them, so even the manufactures stop making them?

I am ripping my hair out and my pants need ironed!

I guess I'd better get sewing. (wasn't what I planned to do today)

Fuckers.

 

[bored1]

Not sure this fits..........Went to the 2002 autoshow at the convention center......all new cars shiney and bright and $$$$$$$$$$$...Came home watched moden marvels on the history channel........They were doing a show on.......JunkYards!!!!So all the shiney new cars I was just looking at were gona someday end up there.Now I ve always understood the life cycle of hard goods,But it really drove the point home. Certain Items used to be made to be repaired..Now its cheaper to throw them away and buy new.....The good thing is that a lot of products are now being recycled....autos.computers etc........One of my hobbies is refinishing vintage furniture......you can definately see the difference in items made in the 20s..30s and 40s compared to the trash produced today........

 

[Weird Harold]

Another example...

I have a Eureka canister vacuum that takes "style B" bags. I've found one place in the Las Vegas Metropolitan area that still sells bags to fit this vacuum.

So what if it's twelve years old? It works just fine as long as I can find bags to fit it.

 

[SkAoUt]

It is always in the back of my mind

I wonder about our disposable society everyday. I have not studied the problems so consequently i do not have solutions on a large scale. I know what I can do on a personal level: ride my bike or walk instead of taking the car (not practical for everyone I understand but this is what I do), Recycle and reuse instead of throwing away stuff (much more difficult in reality I find), Buy locally produced stuff (a wooden Ironing board perhaps and yes it is probably double what you would pay at Target or Walmart but it will last 3 times longer than the Walmart brand plus it is made of wood which can be "easily" repaired by local craftsmen).
There are hundreds of things you can do yourself to protect the environment that your child will inherit. Simplify your life. Now that is a much harder proposition than it sounds. There is a lot of clutter in our lives. Focus on one part of your life that you can change (like cooking simple healthty meals instead of stopping off at a fast food resturant [some advice i have a hard time with at times]) so it doesn't overwhelm you.
If you are not into that sort of "new age crap" of changing your focus because you have too many things going on (in your life) to see straight or it isn't your style then try changing your shopping habits. Buy in bulk instead of brand name stuff. The amount of product packaging you will be saving from finding its way into landfils is staggering.
Have you ever heard of bartering. It is an exchange system (not talking down to you) where goods and services are ... exchanged. It is below the radar of the IRS since no money is changing hands and it sounds like it may be usefull to you because you have some skills that are in demand (seamstress).
I hope some of the suggestions are helpful.

 

[Guest]

How about the toxic aspects of the disposal of old computer components?

That won't stop the madness, but our disposal and recycling systems are improving in efficiency. It's the rapid increase in capitolism and consumer based economies around the globe, in areas where consideration for the environment is far less than ours that scares me.

Keep shopping there.

Keep recycling.

Buy rechargable batteries.

Dildos instead of vibrators.

Flat screen monitors vs their larger bretheren.

Walk to work

recycle your paints

take showers in pairs of 2

I could go on.....