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If your goal is to prevent cheap throw-away items from ending up in landfills, there's a straight-forward policy the Govt could adopt - just make it very expens

by onesociety2022 1y ago

If your goal is to prevent cheap throw-away items from ending up in landfills, there's a straight-forward policy the Govt could adopt - just make it very expensive to send stuff to landfills (and stop the practice of sending our garbage to poor countries where it just ends polluting rivers and oceans). This would encourage people to buy only high-quality items that are longer-lasting and are not just discarded very quickly. If it costs $200 to discard your dishwasher, maybe you will buy a high-quality product that might have a higher sticker price upfront but it has better reliability and won't break down quickly requiring you to replace it and therefore pay the hefty landfill price. This in turn would encourage manufacturers to build products with better reliability.

hattmall 1y ago
But how do you even know if it's actually higher quality. I find that expensive stuff breaks just as readily as cheap stuff in many cases. Speaking to dishwashers specifically in my rentals I've found that pretty much they all have similar flaws. The $1500 Bosch doesn't last longer or clean better than the $300 Frigidaire. What I've learned is that the best is to get the cheapest, but popular model with the decibel rating you want. Samsung Stormwash has been the best for me because the replacement parts are readily available. The cheaper models they keep changing parts every 6 months so it's more difficult to replace them.
- onesociety2022 1y ago
  You would find them the same way you find any good products today (word of mouth, product reviews, etc). But currently consumers don’t care so much about the longevity of any product or its repairability because throwing it away and getting a new one is the more economical choice. Manufacturers instead focus on gimmicky or useless features while not focusing on reliability. If disposing an item to a landfill is made to be expensive, then consumers will start making different choices and manufacturers will change their products to meet their needs.
- BlueTemplar 1y ago
  Does it have more than the minimal legal manufacturer warranty ? As you mention, how long are the repair parts available ? What do repair shops say about the repairability of the model ? Where is it made ?

hattmall 1y ago

But how do you even know if it's actually higher quality. I find that expensive stuff breaks just as readily as cheap stuff in many cases. Speaking to dishwashers specifically in my rentals I've found that pretty much they all have similar flaws. The $1500 Bosch doesn't last longer or clean better than the $300 Frigidaire. What I've learned is that the best is to get the cheapest, but popular model with the decibel rating you want. Samsung Stormwash has been the best for me because the replacement parts are readily available. The cheaper models they keep changing parts every 6 months so it's more difficult to replace them.

onesociety2022 1y ago
You would find them the same way you find any good products today (word of mouth, product reviews, etc). But currently consumers don’t care so much about the longevity of any product or its repairability because throwing it away and getting a new one is the more economical choice. Manufacturers instead focus on gimmicky or useless features while not focusing on reliability. If disposing an item to a landfill is made to be expensive, then consumers will start making different choices and manufacturers will change their products to meet their needs.
BlueTemplar 1y ago
Does it have more than the minimal legal manufacturer warranty ? As you mention, how long are the repair parts available ? What do repair shops say about the repairability of the model ? Where is it made ?