Planned Obsolescence
Way back in 1990 for my 15th birthday my Nan brought me the Braun hairdryer pictured. I’d taken it upon myself to use my Mum’s fancy diffuser hairdryer on a regular basis and the consensus (according to my Mum) was, I needed my own. Little did I know that I would still be using this very hairdryer 34 years later. Eight years ago I had considered purchasing a Dyson hairdryer but decided it would be a risky investment with such a high price tag and besides the hairdryer I had was doing the job perfectly. Both me and my husband have long hair and have had long hair for a very long time. The trusty Braun has never let us down.
In addition to this, in the past twenty years we’ve only owned two TV’s. The first one was a Philips TV, brought from new which became known fondly known as ‘the beast’ after a house move every year for several years resulted in shear dread at the thought of ever moving it again. After 10 long years this was replaced with a brand new and very slender Sony. Another ten years later, despite still being in perfect working order, many of its functions are now obsolete. We are still muddling on with this one.
I’m a big believer in using technology until it no longer functions and this has been the case with every laptop and phone I have ever purchased, much to the amusement of my students, when I used to be a Design Technology secondary school teacher. I also apply this philosophy to my wardrobe, wearing the clothes I love until they fall apart.
These are core values I hold dear, so it’s only right that we opted to house our natural deodorant in a glass jar which can by recycled endlessly with no loss of quality. Sadly there are brands on the market that have opted for a refillable plastic case which despite being plastic does have a limited shelf life and isn’t easy to keep sanitary beyond the first refill. Whilst it’s a step in the right direction it’s sad to see these same brands continually push new designs and scents for customers to collect.
Our solution has been to offer a humble jar return service instead, supporting a circular economy with a jar that will never go to landfill. It’s been about going back to basics. Some of you may remember back in the 80’s when you excitedly returned your empty glass pop bottles on a weekly basis in return for money off your next purchase. For every four jars you return we will give you money off your next purchase, this equates to one product for every four jars returned. This year has seen a 700% increase in our Jar Return Service demonstrating there is a real appetite for this kind of service. It’s also not unusual to receive extended handwritten notes from our customers expressing their love of our humble bar in a jar which is a nice little bonus that puts a spring in our step.
In addition to this, in the past twenty years we’ve only owned two TV’s. The first one was a Philips TV, brought from new which became known fondly known as ‘the beast’ after a house move every year for several years resulted in shear dread at the thought of ever moving it again. After 10 long years this was replaced with a brand new and very slender Sony. Another ten years later, despite still being in perfect working order, many of its functions are now obsolete. We are still muddling on with this one.
I’m a big believer in using technology until it no longer functions and this has been the case with every laptop and phone I have ever purchased, much to the amusement of my students, when I used to be a Design Technology secondary school teacher. I also apply this philosophy to my wardrobe, wearing the clothes I love until they fall apart.
These are core values I hold dear, so it’s only right that we opted to house our natural deodorant in a glass jar which can by recycled endlessly with no loss of quality. Sadly there are brands on the market that have opted for a refillable plastic case which despite being plastic does have a limited shelf life and isn’t easy to keep sanitary beyond the first refill. Whilst it’s a step in the right direction it’s sad to see these same brands continually push new designs and scents for customers to collect.
Our solution has been to offer a humble jar return service instead, supporting a circular economy with a jar that will never go to landfill. It’s been about going back to basics. Some of you may remember back in the 80’s when you excitedly returned your empty glass pop bottles on a weekly basis in return for money off your next purchase. For every four jars you return we will give you money off your next purchase, this equates to one product for every four jars returned. This year has seen a 700% increase in our Jar Return Service demonstrating there is a real appetite for this kind of service. It’s also not unusual to receive extended handwritten notes from our customers expressing their love of our humble bar in a jar which is a nice little bonus that puts a spring in our step.