I find it surprising and disappointing that more is not done to bring an end to the "throw away" culture that has developed over the last few decades. Today it is uneconomic to have things repaired - so we discard them too soon. If manufacturers were encouraged by legislation to offer longer guarantees on products, including vehicles, I am confident they would find ways to make these items more reliable and longer lasting. This would surely have a significant positive impact on the environment.
I agree - especially regarding small electrical appliances, and even larger ones. If I have a small appliance, such as an iron, CD player or kettle that goes wrong after the guarantee period I throw it out. Actually I don't know where to take it for repair and, chances are, the repair will cost more than the replacement. I don't know what the answer is though - the idea of longer manufacturers guarantees is a good one - I never take out the extended guarantee because it's cheaper to throw away the occasional duff item than to pay for the extended guarantee on everything I buy.
Governments have a lot of hatred for the motor industry even though it is a huge part of the economy. I would lke to see them stop going on CO2 "averages" to penalise them first, as this is what is currently happening. At the moment tech advances so fast that it would be impractical to keep a car for years and years as it would be obsolete within 3-5 and I dont think this is a bad thing, its not like all cars a chucked away, have you heard of used cars?
Cars & Motors