We human beings generate a lot of waste. That has always been the case; archaeologists learn much of what they know about previous civilizations by the thorough examination of their garbage pits. In this modern age, especially in developed countries, we generate truly staggering amounts of trash.
In the United States alone, Americans toss about four and a half pounds each, or 230 million tons of garbage a year. Less than 25% of that gets recycled, 18% is incinerated, and the rest ends up in a landfill.
More than 70% of the material that goes to the landfill could have been recycled. Some of the bulkier items that contain a great deal of reusable material are appliances.
Home Appliances are Built to Last
Home appliances originally were made to last for as long as 20 years, but these days homeowners find themselves on average replacing them every 3-7 years.
There are a variety of reasons for this which I’ll discuss a little later, but this “disposable” nature of modern appliances has a large impact on landfills. They are bulky, are not biodegradable, and take up a lot of space. Appliances just sit in the landfill and rust. Worst of all, they expel harmful waste into the environment.
Naturally, there is a better way. If an appliance has failed and cannot be repaired economically, it should be taken to a recycling center, where nearly all of its components can be recycled or reused in one manner or another. Better still, it can be repaired, and often less expensively than you expect.
Why do People Throw Away Appliances?
According to Consumer Reports, the number one reason people dispose of appliances is because the machine has failed, and the homeowner believes it would be cheaper to just toss it and buy a new one.
According to a Consumer Reports study, one in five new appliances will break in the first 3-5 years. 70% of consumers whose appliances fail will not try to repair an out of warranty machine. That adds up to a great many appliance filling up landfills.
The reasons not to repair are as varied as the people who own them, but the most consistent reasons are the cost of an in-home appliance repair, and the time it takes to have the repair completed.
It is normal for this process to take two or even three visits, and cost on average $170 to $300. There are alternatives to this, not only saving the consumer time and money but keeping down the numbers of appliances piling up in our landfills.
Try DIY Appliance Repair
Most repairs are easier to complete than people realize, and homeowners can quite often make the repair themselves. While this may seem daunting, Neli, an online appliance repair company, will walk you through it.
Neli is an online appliance repair company that features experienced appliance repair technicians, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. These technicians interact with customers through live chat to help determine what the problem is and how to fix it.
Neli features a unique camera sharing APP called Virtually There™ that allows the homeowner to show the technician what they are seeing. This can greatly speed up the diagnosis and repair process. Customers report that the technician can often help diagnose the problem in just minutes, and will help find any needed replacement parts online at the best price. Once customers receive the new parts, Neli technicians are available to take them through the removal and replacement of the failed part.
Priced at just $35 for a diagnosis session and $45 for a repair, this is a significant cost savings. Add to that the savings on purchasing the part without the service company’s mark up, and the total savings are often significant.
If even a small percentage of homeowners opted for the DIY appliance repair route instead of throwing out their failed appliances, there would be a significant reduction in landfill use. It might be overstating the case to say that fixing your own dishwasher will “save the planet,” but in the “every little bit helps” arena, this is a good one.
You may not have singlehandedly saved the planet, but you kept one appliance out of the landfill, repaired your own machine while saving both time and money, and feel pretty accomplished as well. That is a pretty good day!
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