ebikemom
Well-Known Member
This post expresses my opinion. As always my opinions don't represent EBR. I am a forum member here like everyone else, but just one who does a bit of volunteer work to support this lovely forum.
We live in a society where manufactured products are disposable. Planned obsolescence is a part of product design. Why can't I buy a dishwasher that will work for 20 years? Not because companies can't make them, but because companies want to sell more dishwashers. So, if we get 10 years out of a dishwasher, we think that is reasonable. At that point, it is cheaper to replace it than to fix it. Hence, last summer we got rid of our 2008 dishwasher and I came home with a 2018 dishwasher:
Product disposability is a huge problem in our society. Toys (parents, can you relate? Think of the silliness of birthday party "goody bags??"). Clothing. Furniture. Um, even homes.... Where I live, the streets are always full of construction vehicles because someone is constantly tearing down repairable 1950's and 1960's homes to build much larger brand new homes... currently four projects in various stages, that I know of, happening on my block.
But is this how things should be, with our growing problem of landfill space and pollution?
Enter ebikes.
There are many reasons to ebike. We started with recreation in our minds. From there, ebiking quickly spread through our family as a basic transportation method and car replacement. Yes, we still have two cars, but maybe need a tank of gas a month per car, or not.
Ebiking has the potential to improve our environment by serving as a car replacement. But what about the problem of the disposable ebike. This is the ebike that lasts a year. Or two. And, then, due to lack of parts, or lack of a shop to do repairs, or a battery that has sat for too many years unused, or a battery that ends its lifespan, or a combination of these things, the bike becomes, as we say here, "a brick."
How is ebiking helping our environment if we send them off to landfills as part of a frequent replacement cycle? How can we make better economic and environmental decisions by insisting on higher quality, supported products that we can enjoy for many years?
How can ebike companies be made accountable for the lifespan of their product?
Would it be possible to move toward a system where ebike companies are responsible for what they sell? I think of the example of printer ink cartridges. It used to be that those just got thrown away. Then, printer cartridge companies became responsible for collecting and recycling them. What if manufacturers were responsible for the entire lifespan of their product? And, what if this spread over various types of products, not just printer cartridges?
I know I'm dreaming. But maybe I'm not the only dreamer. Maybe we can have a better world where we manufacture responsibly, keep and care for our purchases, and take better care of our planet. Every little baby step helps ...
We live in a society where manufactured products are disposable. Planned obsolescence is a part of product design. Why can't I buy a dishwasher that will work for 20 years? Not because companies can't make them, but because companies want to sell more dishwashers. So, if we get 10 years out of a dishwasher, we think that is reasonable. At that point, it is cheaper to replace it than to fix it. Hence, last summer we got rid of our 2008 dishwasher and I came home with a 2018 dishwasher:
Product disposability is a huge problem in our society. Toys (parents, can you relate? Think of the silliness of birthday party "goody bags??"). Clothing. Furniture. Um, even homes.... Where I live, the streets are always full of construction vehicles because someone is constantly tearing down repairable 1950's and 1960's homes to build much larger brand new homes... currently four projects in various stages, that I know of, happening on my block.
But is this how things should be, with our growing problem of landfill space and pollution?
Enter ebikes.
There are many reasons to ebike. We started with recreation in our minds. From there, ebiking quickly spread through our family as a basic transportation method and car replacement. Yes, we still have two cars, but maybe need a tank of gas a month per car, or not.
Ebiking has the potential to improve our environment by serving as a car replacement. But what about the problem of the disposable ebike. This is the ebike that lasts a year. Or two. And, then, due to lack of parts, or lack of a shop to do repairs, or a battery that has sat for too many years unused, or a battery that ends its lifespan, or a combination of these things, the bike becomes, as we say here, "a brick."
How is ebiking helping our environment if we send them off to landfills as part of a frequent replacement cycle? How can we make better economic and environmental decisions by insisting on higher quality, supported products that we can enjoy for many years?
How can ebike companies be made accountable for the lifespan of their product?
Would it be possible to move toward a system where ebike companies are responsible for what they sell? I think of the example of printer ink cartridges. It used to be that those just got thrown away. Then, printer cartridge companies became responsible for collecting and recycling them. What if manufacturers were responsible for the entire lifespan of their product? And, what if this spread over various types of products, not just printer cartridges?
I know I'm dreaming. But maybe I'm not the only dreamer. Maybe we can have a better world where we manufacture responsibly, keep and care for our purchases, and take better care of our planet. Every little baby step helps ...
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