The true cost of domestic appliances

It would be hard to argue against the point that recycling old domestic appliances, when they have reached the end of their life cycle, is the best thing to do.  Recycling will always be the best option going forward if we are to avoid the problems that our future generations will no doubt have to live with as a result of the legacy left to them due to the lifestyles we lead now.

A problem arises though when people assume that their domestic appliance has had its day, even when there is plenty of life left in it, and feel it is simply more convenient to ‘recycle’ the old one and buy a new appliance. What a lot of domestic appliance owners (and that is pretty much every householder in western society) do not realise is that a far easier and cheaper alternative is available which will see their washing machine, fridge-freezer or cooker last so much longer past their anticipated demise.

Domestic appliance spare parts are now more readily available than ever with many appliance spare parts companies growing on the internet. To find the spare part you need, thus saving your appliance from an early grave is now as easy as ever.

Most modern domestic appliances are made overseas now, generally as a result of the lower labour and energy costs in places such as the Far East, especially China.  That huge economic expansion needs to be supported with an infrastructure and the news that at least two new coal fired power stations are being opened up in China every week to cope with increasing demand is maybe a worrying statistic.

The vast amounts of energy needed in the manufacturing process are a concern, but we must also not forget the cost of then transporting the goods around the world to the individual retail outlets that sell them.  Road, rail and sea networks are needed, meaning the transport infrastructure is in constant need of repair and updating, meaning more need for energy.  By the time the appliance has reached your home, the energy saved by the more up to date appliance will be far outweighed by the requirement needed to get it there in the first place.

Also, we believe that by taking the old appliance down to the local recycling depot will justify the decision to buy a new appliance, but again, many of the recycling or refurbishment centres tend to be situated in other countries, meaning more energy expended in shipping the now defunct goods to their relevant centres.

The future, based on the evidence at hand then, surely lies with repairing the appliance with an easily acquirable spare part from the internet.  Simply going down to your local appliance retail shop for advice is not good enough, as it will leave you with the desire to purchase a new appliance. They will inevitably try to discourage you with tales of how expensive it will be to repair, and how you will have to wait several weeks for the appliance spare part to be in stock.  Do not be put off by this attitude – remember it is in their interests to sell you a new appliance because they make more commission from doing so.

With the advent of the internet there is little excuse for not looking to repair your domestic appliance.  There are many forums offering advice on how to repair the appliance in question and most parts have got a recognisable serial number which makes identification easy.  All you need to do then is look for the appliance spare parts on the internet amongst the many appliance spare part specialists and, hey presto, your domestic appliance could surprise you and go on to live for many more years. By the time when you do need to replace it, the new models on the market will be even cheaper and more efficient, due to the manufacturers having to raise their game.