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The Horrific Environmental Costs of Wasting Appliances

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A lot of the steps that we can take to save the environment are obvious. We should turn off lights when we aren’t using them and avoid wasting gas on unnecessary road trips. However, there are other environment saving activities we should be doing that we never even think about. We should start by reducing the amount of electronics that we throw out. We recycle less than 30% of electronic waste, which means that we are wasting around $140 billion a year. The environmental costs of wasting appliances and old electronics has a devastating impact on the environment

Did you replace a computer last year? What about a blender that stopped working? What did you do with your old iPhone after you upgraded?

You may need to take inventory of everything you throw out. You will be surprised by how many electrical devices you discard every year. According to one study, the average American throws out 44 pounds worth of electrical appliances annually.

This is largely an outcome of our decadent American lifestyles. My colleague Kale, an editor at The Holistic Millennial, spent a couple of years living in Guatemala and Argentina. He said that people in those countries were much more cautious about getting rid of electrical waste. He said while living there  couple of years ago, the Guatemalan national government worked to pass a law limiting the disposal of electronic products and providing more resources to treat ones that are already in the landfills. While more resources need to be allocated, waste is still not nearly as bad as it is in the United States.

Unfortunately, United States hasn’t been nearly proactive enough in minimizing the necessary disposal of cell phones, computers and other electrical appliances. This means that it is up to the consumers to take charge.

Dealing with this problem is easier said than done. There are only three possible solutions:

  • Encourage Americans to purchase fewer electrical products
  • Make sure that electrical appliances last longer
  • Offer better repair services to keep them functional

The first two options are not as practical. Consumers need most of the electrical appliances they purchased to maintain their current quality of life. They are unlikely to devolve back to the 1970s, before they had computers and other electrical gadgets. Manufacturers are not likely to enhance the longevity of their products, especially since obsolescence is the largest resend that consumers dispose of them in the first place.

This means that customers need to focus on repairing their old appliances instead.

Appliance repair services can help save the environment

A lot of complaints just get thrown out every year, simply because they go obsolete. This is the case with computers and mobile phones. However, while those products account for a large quantity of discarded appliances, they make up a much smaller percentage of the landfill. Large appliances like refrigerators have a bigger impact.

Most refrigerators, washing machines, blenders and other household appliances are only thrown out after they stop working. Most of them would still have more life in them if customers were willing to get them repaired. Throwing them out doesn’t just hurt the environment. It also hurts consumers financially.

Consumers can save the environment and help their wallet by investing in a good appliance insurance policy. These policies make sure that customers can get affordable appliance repair services. Here are some benefits of them.

Appliance Repair Insurance is Very Affordable

Appliance insurance is readily available to consumers on tight budgets. You don’t need to spend an arm and a leg to purchase them.

Appliance Insurance Will Pay for Itself if Your Appliances Break Down

Appliance insurance can save you hundreds of dollars if one of your appliances break down. It will more than pay for itself.

You Will Get Timely Repairs

When you purchase good appliance insurance policy, you will get priority assistance when your appliances need to get repaired. This minimizes the inconvenience of having to wait, which can be a big deal if your refrigerator, washing machine or dryer stops working.

Have a Plan to Repair Your Appliances to Save the Environment

There are a lot of ways to protect the environment. Making sure that you aren’t throwing your appliances out too soon is one of the most important overlooked. Fortunately, there are some great appliance insurance programs that will save you money and help reduce landfill waste by making sure your appliances last a long time.


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