Throwaway Culture is a Structural Issue
My childhood best friend’s dad, Paul, owned a shoe repair shop called Paul’s Shoe Repair. Legend has it that the original owner had been named Paul, and every owner after him had also been named Paul too (I never learned if this was really true). It was housed in a trailer or manufactured building of some sort, situated on a spur of a railroad track that was no longer in use, as if it had been dropped there when the trains stopped running. I remember hanging out at that shop as a child, watching his dad repair shoes and listening to his conversations with customers. They were all friendly and clearly very familiar with Paul, and they would often talk at length about things unrelated to shoe repair. My parents would occasionally bring shoes to him, and even though they insisted, he would refuse to charge them.
After one of these occasions, my mom noticed the shoe that had just been repaired starting to fall apart again. I was with her when she took it back to Paul. He looked it over, and then shook his head and said “I probably should never have agreed to try and fix this in the first place. It’s just manufactured so poorly that there’s really no way to repair it effectively. I hate to say it, but you’d be better off just getting a new pair.”
In a world driven by convenience and consumerism, we've normalized the habit of throwing things away. From fast fashion to disposable electronics, our daily lives are saturated with products that are designed for obsolescence. We buy, use, discard, and repeat. This "throwaway culture" has quietly crept into every aspect of our society, undermining sustainability, inflating waste, and driving us toward environmental catastrophe. But what if, instead of discarding, we fixed? What if economic incentives encouraged us to repair rather than replace? Unfortunately, as the story of Paul’s Shoe Repair illustrates, this is not the case today. The solution to our waste crisis lies not just in individual choices, but in systemically rewarding the act of repair.
The Allure of Cheap and Disposable
The modern marketplace thrives on disposability. Major industries have perfected the art of planned obsolescence—a strategy where products are designed with a limited lifespan, compelling consumers to purchase replacements at a faster rate. Phones with batteries that die within two years, clothes that shrink or tear after a few washes, and household appliances that break shortly after the warranty expires are all signs of this culture. We’ve become trained to expect things to fall apart and, even worse, to accept it.
In some ways, it's easy to see why this has become the norm. Products are cheaper than ever before, giving the illusion that replacing a broken item is more cost-effective than repairing it. Why spend $80 repairing a vacuum when a new one costs $100? Why fix an old phone when you can upgrade to a sleeker, faster version for a reasonable price? This mindset isn't just driven by economics—it's fostered by a culture that celebrates the new and shiny, while dismissing the old as obsolete.
But behind the façade of affordability and convenience lies a hidden cost—one borne not only by our wallets but by the environment and future generations. The rampant production of cheap goods fuels pollution, depletes natural resources, and overfills our landfills. According to the World Bank, global waste is expected to increase by 70% by 2050 if current consumption patterns persist. This trend is unsustainable, and addressing it requires more than individual actions. We need structural changes that make repairing things—whether it's a smartphone or a pair of jeans—not only possible but desirable.
The Hidden Value of Repair
Repair is not just an economic choice—it’s a cultural act of rebellion against waste. To repair something is to say, “I value this, and I will not let it become trash.” It’s a rejection of the notion that the old is worthless. Yet, despite the environmental and economic benefits, the repair industry has largely been sidelined by the global economy. Today, businesses like Paul’s Shoe Repair are struggling to survive. We need to bring it back into the spotlight by creating systems that reward repair over replacement.
The benefits of repair extend beyond environmental stewardship. On an economic level, fostering a repair culture would create new industries and jobs, especially in local communities. According to research by the European Environmental Bureau, repair industries provide more jobs per unit of output than manufacturing new goods. In the US alone, incentivizing repair could generate thousands of jobs, ranging from skilled technicians to specialized repair shops for electronics, textiles, and household items.
Repair businesses also can foster a greater sense of community. These businesses often involve skilled artisans who develop personal relationships with customers, turning transactions into moments of trust and shared values - like what I saw at Paul’s Shoe Repair. Instead of the anonymity of big-box stores, repair shops provide a local touch, where people recognize familiar faces and stories.
Moreover, repair offers consumers more agency over their belongings. In contrast to the passive act of purchasing new items, repair encourages a deeper connection with the objects we own. It fosters craftsmanship, patience, and pride—values that have been eroded in an era of instant gratification. When we learn to fix things, we learn to appreciate the resources and labor that went into their creation.
The Economic Barriers to Repair
Yet, despite these advantages, repair remains an underutilized option. One of the main reasons is the current economic structure that favors replacement. From high repair costs to the lack of spare parts and technical expertise, the barriers to repair are numerous. Large corporations have made it increasingly difficult for consumers to fix their products, using tactics like proprietary screws, software locks, or voiding warranties when items are opened by anyone other than certified technicians. This creates a situation where consumers are pushed into buying new items, even if the damage to the existing product is minor.
The recent rise of the “Right to Repair” movement, which advocates for policies that make it easier to fix consumer goods, has brought some attention to this issue. In 2021, the US Federal Trade Commission announced that it would increase enforcement against illegal repair restrictions, a move applauded by environmentalists and consumer advocates alike. Yet this is just the beginning. We need robust, long-term solutions that go beyond legal protections.
Incentivizing Repair: A Path Forward
To dismantle throwaway culture, we need to make repairing items the economically advantageous choice. There are a few strategies that could make this possible:
Tax Incentives for Repairs: Governments could offer tax credits or rebates to consumers who choose to repair their items rather than replace them. For example, Sweden has already implemented a tax break on repair services, cutting the VAT on everything from clothing repairs to bicycle fixes. Expanding this model globally could make a huge difference, encouraging consumers to think twice before discarding broken goods.
Subsidies for Repair Businesses: Repair shops should be treated as essential businesses in the fight against waste. Governments could provide subsidies or grants to local repair shops, making it easier for them to compete with large corporations that push new products. This could also help reduce the cost of repairs, making them more accessible to average consumers.
Extended Warranties and Manufacturer Responsibility: Manufacturers should be encouraged—or even required—to provide longer warranties and ensure the availability of spare parts for an extended period. Some companies already offer lifetime warranties, but this is rare. Policies that extend the lifespan of products through mandatory repair options would incentivize companies to build more durable goods in the first place, reducing waste at the source.
Education and Repair Skills Training: One of the barriers to repair is the lack of technical know-how. Schools and community centers could offer classes or workshops on basic repair skills, from fixing electronics to sewing clothes. This would empower people to take matters into their own hands and give them the confidence to repair rather than replace.
Repair Cafés and Community Initiatives: Repair cafés—community spaces where people can bring their broken items and receive free help fixing them—are already gaining popularity in Europe and parts of the US. Supporting and expanding these initiatives would create a repair culture at the grassroots level, fostering local communities built on shared skills and sustainability.
Changing the Narrative
Incentivizing repair isn’t just about economics—it’s about reshaping how we view consumption and waste. Repair needs to be seen as not only a practical option but as a moral imperative. In an era of climate crisis, where resource extraction and carbon emissions threaten the planet's future, the simple act of fixing something becomes a powerful statement against a wasteful system. It’s a rejection of the belief that human progress is defined by endless consumption.
Changing habits at a societal level takes time. Still, the throwaway culture we currently live in wasn’t built overnight—it was engineered by decades of marketing, economic policies, and cultural shifts. Just as it was constructed, it can be deconstructed and replaced by a system that values repair, reuse, and responsibility.
