greenliving
DARE
TO REPAIR
by Crissy Trask
hat would you do if the gar- bage disposal stopped work- ing, your headphones broke or one of the prongs of an extension cord snapped off? Although each of these problems can be repaired easily and economically, most Americans have become accustomed to replacing the defective item with a brand-new one instead of repairing it.
W
When we fix things, we extend their useful life and save money. We also stop frittering away valuable resources on superfluous production of replacements. All it takes is a little expert help and the right information. Compulsively casting off injured possessions for the chance to buy something new is a relatively new behavior in our society. Before we be-
Contractor Resources
ServiceMagic.com
Directory of screened and approved professionals.
AngiesList.com
Local reviews of professionals written by customers.
BBB.org
Company ratings from the Better Business Bureau.
411HomeRepair.com/contractor- referral/hiring-tips.php
Helpful tips on selecting the right contractor.
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Phoenix
came rabid consumers, repairing stuff was the norm in the United States, as it still is in much of the world. A half- century ago, any American homeown- er wouldn’t have thought twice about dragging out the toolbox or sewing machine to put something that had fallen apart back together again. It all hints at a silver lining in
today’s era of waste, stressed resources and economic struggle: The wisdom of our grandparents’ natural fix-it mentality is being resurrected. People are waking up to the logic of shift- ing from a throw-away society to one that values permanence. Whether we happen to be game for a do-it- yourself project, or prefer to avoid any- thing to do with tools, tape, thread and glue, resources abound to help us transform what’s in need of a makeover.
Do It Yourself
Many things around the house can be restored with low-cost replacement parts and basic tools by an interested do-it- yourselfer, and fix- ing things ourselves can leave us with a genuine sense of
Instructional Websites to
Fix It Yourself
DoItYourself.com Instructables.com
HowToFixComputers.com MonkeySee.com RepairClinic.com
Bartering Websites to Exchange Services
U-Exchange.com UISwap.com
satisfaction. We may need to look no further than our local hardware store, but the Internet also serves up a slew of how-to websites, with step-by-step DIY instructions for repairing, refur- bishing, cleaning and maintaining common household items. At Instructables.com, people
share what they do and how they do it. Founder and CEO Eric Wilhelm believes that the fiscal advantage of repairing things is just the beginning. “When you repair something, you
have a deeper relationship with it,” says Wilhelm. “Having a connection to things we used to take for granted makes them more valuable to us.”
Primary sources: Service Magic, Inc.; Instructa-
bles.com; U-Exchange.com; 411HomeRepair.com.
Crissy Trask, the author of
It’s Easy Being Green: A Handbook for Earth-
Friendly Living, is a freelance writer and green lifestyle consul- tant based in Washington
CT@GreenMatters.com.
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