Stuff everywhere. Our society is drowning in stuff. And still, we make more and buy more. The cost of new stuff is not only affecting our own budget, but it is also affected the well-being of the planet. Do we really need so much new stuff? Never before in history has there been so much stuff around. Sure, we need a healthy economy but that doesn’t mean that we must use up all our resources to produce new “Made in China” stuff just to keep the dollars flowing from one coffer to another. We can be smart about how our economy functions. What if we had an economy that was based on the concept of no waste? What if we could create a circular system that found a worthwhile use for everything, in each stage of its life, and less stuff needed to be made, extracted, and processed?
Take clothing for instance. Today a lot of what is called fast fashion are cheap clothing made from materials that have harmful effects on the environment, and the community where they grow, or where they are processed. The cotton industry is one of the most toxic and wasteful industries in the world of fabric. Fast fashion is designed to not last for more than a few months and then join the landfill with their thousands of look-alikes at the end of the season. Why do we accept this as a reasonable way to do business? Why not re-use old clothing and turn them into something else? How about fixing a hole or a stain with a beautiful patch that would not only address the issue but also add personality and flair to the item. We could demand better quality products, better environmental protection from harmful industries and we could demand the right to repair; that each and every item sold on the market was possible to repair and that spare parts could be accessed. That could keep numerous toasters, computers, and vacuum cleaners out of the landfill.
Many people will say: “But I don’t know how to fix anything!” I feel the same way. In our modern society less and less of us are self-reliant or have the skills needed to fix everything (or anything!). Can you imagine what would happen if the internet suddenly went down or transported goods stopped getting through to us? Scary thought, eh?!
To me it seems as if I currently rely heavily on someone else far away to make my life possible. I would like to learn how to be better able to take care of myself and my family in all situations. I am hoping to gain some skills to fix the stuff I already have, be playfully creative and develop a hefty amount of common sense. If I can save some money in the process and be part of a community around me while doing so, all the better.
If you feel the same way and would like to know more about repairing things, or you have skillsets and want to share how to repair things, we want to hear from you. Starting in December 2024, the library in Armstrong will host a monthly repair/re-purpose café. It’s in the planning stages so far, but we are hoping to invite guest speakers to share special skills and to have sewing machines and tools available for people to come and fix their stuff , learn from one another and to have fun.
Contact: Mikaela Cannon mikicannon@gmail.com
Armstrong/Spallumcheen Climate Action (ASCA)
This article first appeared in Your Country News, October edition.
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