My first article was in Dutch, but since I am covering topics with global implication (or so I think), I got the feedback to write my next article in English.

The article covered the reasons why circular economy doesn’t work in my opinion and the many hurdles that we need to overcome. People have what I called “the price-perception” and many products have to comply to norms and standards in order to maintain a certain quality on the market. There’s a reason why we don’t have wooden phones for example, even though wood is an ecological friendly material. People are looking for a fair price-performance ratio, and manufacturers know exactly how to play with these parameters. At the end of the article I said that it is in our hands, the consumers, to show manufacturers what we want, but to do so we need some basic knowledge to help us define what a good product is. The EU has given consumers “the right to have defective products repaired in an easier, cheaper and faster way”, but even better would be to choose the product with the best quality right up front.

In order to keep it simple, I will categorize products between handmade/artisan products and mass production products.

Handmade/artisan: Usually no electronics, made of wood or metal, unique/personalizable, can be made with conventional or low production digital manufacturing machines.

Mass production products: Often more complicated, multipart, electronic devices.

The first rule

The first rule for a conscious purchase, is choosing a product made of pure materials. These are usually handmade, made of natural or durable materials like wood and metal.

Second rule

If you can’t afford a handmade product or the product is only mass-produced, do some research before you make the purchase and define for yourself, if the product is in line with your ethos.

Look and feel:

• Check the materials: Are they recyclable, durable
• Check the flimsiness: Are the hinges or connections strong and robust enough for you. For this you need to have the product in your hand, so also
• Avoid buying everything online. (I will talk about the online market too in another article.)

Brand’s identity: If a brand chooses to go premium, this usually means they will choose for better quality. They can’t afford to get negative reviews on their products, so check online for reviews but also for their vision and mission on their website. A well-built website says a lot.

Market segment: The market segment plays a huge role on the product life cycle. If the product is designed to perform in a fast turnaround/low price market, you can be almost certain that it hasn’t been made to last. Instead, choose for products on higher segment. They don’t have to be that much more expensive, but they will probably last much longer. This will in turn give you more peace of mind in the process and ultimately being the cheaper alternative over time. Not to mention that you could potentially cancel your yoga classes (:p).

Let’s test out the above-mentioned approach.

Now you saw a product that you liked, the brand seems alright, the materials are well-chosen and the overall look and feel seems good. It is twice as expensive as the cheapest alternative though. What do you do?

Urgency: Well, first thing I would do is check the urgency. Do you need it now? Products are often marketed with subliminal messages for quick action. If you can wait with the purchase in order to choose for the better quality, do wait.  

Budget: Then I would check my bank account. The last thing you want is to go broke because of a product or even worse an ideology.

Fixability/simplicity: Less is more, so check how easy it is to repair. Even if you’re not technical, there might be shops you can go to, to get your product fixed. In the Netherlands for example, there are “repaircafe’s”. These are places where people can go to get their products fixed, often for free. But if it’s a product loaded with gadgets and options, it might make the fixing process, impossible.

If your product is indeed that more difficult to be fixed there is another alternative; It’s called rapid repair and it’s how I help people fixing their products. With the innovation in the last few years in digital manufacturing technologies, it’s increasingly easier to obtain geometrical information, reverse engineer it and create a replacement parts if the manufacturer is not providing it. These innovations are already available and will also help us overcome the structural dependency we have on mass manufacturers.

So there you have it. It all starts with how much value you give to the products you buy. If you love your planet and your mental health, be conscious of your choice during the purchase and if the product still breaks, check if it’s possible to fix it before throwing it away. A good product is always worth repairing.