Demand improved products, urges Friends of the Earth

Recycling is good, but ‘upcycling’ is even better for the environment. Image: Hackney Council

Ever been frustrated by a new toaster that refused to work after just a few burnt breakfasts?

Do you know the furious scratching at layers and layers of impenetrable packaging on children’s toys?

Fear not, you are not alone. Indeed, the striving for better products and production processes is the focus of a whole new campaign – the Make It Better campaign by Friends of the Earth.

The campaign currently concentrates on two large mobile phone companies to press them to source all their components in a socially and environmentally sound way.

Currently there are serious allegations that both use tin mined under very unsustainable conditions.

To have full information available about a product and the way it is made is crucial as it allows us to make informed decisions on what to buy.

Striving for better products is the focus of the campaign.

But the Make It Better campaign is also about creating sustainable products in the most comprehensive sense. That includes making them last for a very long time and making them easy to upgrade and recycle.

A lot of people already work hard to make better products possible, and another part of the campaign is celebrating those who make a real effort. Hackney Friends of the Earth have taken on this campaign because we simply want high-quality products, not those that are bound to break after a short lifespan.

This is a hugely important part in the creation of a greener economy. We also want people to feel empowered to voice their opinions towards companies.

Another dimension to this is: have a good think before you buy things brand-new.

Is the old hoover really not working sufficiently anymore or does it just need a proper fix?

Would the three-year-old laptop actually work quite alright if it saw a bit of love and care to run faster again? Advice and practical support is at hand, often closer than you think, from commercial repairers to great voluntary initiatives.

To give greater visibility to these initiatives and repair workshops we decided to map them. Sustainable Hackney has made a great start with this; we hope to include a wide range of related initiatives and organisations, those who repair and upcycle, as well as those who recycle if the product has really reached the end of its lifespan.

This is where we need you – are you aware of good quality repairers and upcyclers in Hackney? If so please do let us know.

Email us at hackney.towerhamlets.foe@gmail.com