What Does Our Appliance Waste Weigh?

As the old adage goes, ‘Waste not, want not'.

Barely a day goes by without being reminded to tighten our belts or do our bit to save the planet – so with such a premium placed on environmental ethics and thrifty thinking, why do we still throw away so many perfectly good household appliances?

It’s a shocking statistic but hundreds of thousands of tonnes of appliance waste such as washing machines, dishwashers and microwaves are thrown away every year.

To seriously tackle the twin concerns of saving our cash and saving our environment, we need an attitude change – and it needs to start now.

People often mistakenly believe that it’s a good idea to replace a washing machine or fridge-freezer which has broken down. In reality, the modular design of most household appliances means that a ‘broken’ appliance has usually just experienced a failure of a single component.

Combined with the easy availability of good, inexpensive spare parts, it just doesn’t make any economic sense to discard an entire appliance which could be quickly repaired. If we don’t repair, re-use or recycle our household appliances we’re just adding to the major waste and landfill situation that already exists.

800,000 tonnes of appliance waste is the equivalent weight of 4,000 Angels of the North, 380 London Eyes, and 16 Titanics – a prospect guaranteed to give you that sinking feeling. This shocking indictment of our attitude towards the environment and our disposable culture clearly demonstrates the need for change.

“So what’s the first step?” you may well ask.

As always, the first step is to be aware. Be aware that the problem exists, be aware that you can do your part to help, and be aware of what you can do to diagnose your own appliance problems.

In the future don’t waste your washing machine or ditch your dishwasher – do the sensible thing by getting all your spares, parts and accessories at Ransom Spares.

By Lee Gilbert

Category: Articles, News & Tips