Buy products that are durable and can be repaired

(For the 9th of May)

Descent into a glacial crater, Greenland
Photograph by Philippe Bourseiller

Manufactured products often require a degree of raw materials and energy from the environment out of proportion to the final weight. If wealthy countries maintain their present rates of consumption, each individual will consume an average of 100 tonnes of the earth's nonrenewable resources and more than half a million liters of fresh water each year (30 to 50 times the amount that is available for each person to the poorest countries). Buying durable, well-made goods that can be repaired will help reduce the impact of this consumption.

The next time you buy something, ask the seller about the length of its guarantee, how easily it can be repaired and whether spare parts are available.

-from the book '365 Ways to Save the Earth' by Philippe Bourseiller