Filed under: sustainability Reading time: 1 mins

→ Stanwick man uses 72-year-old toaster every day

A quirky “and in other news” story on the BBC:

“A man who uses his 72-year-old toaster every day said he was embracing the spirit of the wartime generation.

“Jimmy James, from Stanwick, in Northamptonshire, said the toaster was manufactured in December 1949 and given to his parents as a wedding present.

“The 69-year-old said it only needed repairing once every six or seven years.”

But it makes a good point about the durability and repairability of modern products:

“He said the age of Mr James’ toaster was actually a benefit: ‘Newer ones aren’t always repairable. Manufacturers don’t want us to be able to mend it. They want people to buy a new one.’

“Mr May said there was ‘a growing pile of waste across the planet,’ with environment pollution and plastics joined by ‘mountains of white goods’.

“‘We have been caught up in a race to the bottom with a belief that cheapest is best,’ he said.”