A longer life for your favourite things

Consider repairing or fixing up some of your favourite products. You avoid the hassle of shopping, getting used to a new product and, in particular, contributing to unnecessary waste. Extending the life of things you already own means that there are many products that you don’t have to buy at all.

Repair good products — Photo: Unsplash/Kris Atomic

Published

September 20, 2017

Savings: Unfortunately, repairing products is not always inexpensive. Repairs done by hand can end up costing more than a new product. On the other hand, you can learn to fix many things yourself.

Remember this: Expensive repair service prices can be a deterrent and it may seem easier to buy a new product. However, it’s more sensible to pay a local shoemaker, appliance repair person or upholsterer than large chain stores or foreign manufacturers.

Reducing your carbon footprint: Repairing five pieces of clothing, one piece of furniture and one electric appliance a year can reduce your carbon footprint by about 1% a year. If a million Finns did this, it would save the equivalent of 10,000 carbon footprints per year.