"The plastic counterweight (right) could save around 45,000 tonnes of CO2 each year in the UK..."
How about we just make machines that last instead of having to be replaced all the time.
How about we just make machines that last instead of having to be replaced all the time.
You can get a washing machine that might last perhaps 5-10 years for about 200-300 euro... or a Miele one that'll probably last over 20 years for 1000 euro. It's a hard sell for most people.
The other side of the coin is that the Miele will possibly do a better job than the cheaper model.
I used to buy $100 vacuum cleaners and just replace them when they break, which they usually did after a year or two. The last time one died on me I decided that I had had enough and bought a Miele. Not only will it last longer (the 10 year warranty guarantees that it will), it also does a much better job.
There is zero guarantee of spending more to get higher quality and longer life. It takes a lot of research.
You need to be really, really determined to follow the "Buy It For Life" way.
Of course, they're unlikely to know how well an all new model will last, but most manufacturers don't have all new components in a new model.
I bought my current machine secondhand for AU$200. When it fails beyond repair I plan on buying another on from a repairer, so I'll have the opportunity to ask them what parts commonly fail that make machines unrepairable.
So far, I've not had to have anything repaired - at all. I haven't even had to change an appliance lightbulb. I just keep the consumables replaced on schedule.
Initially, it was quite expensive. I do think it may be cheaper on the long run.
My place is going on 22 years old with the same gas oven/stove top, built in microwave, and standing washer dryer combo. No repairs needed that I know of and even if they did, they are all standard, whirlpool type appliance with an abundance of cheap parts online. Even the fridge was going strong until we had an internal water leak a few years ago which was easily fixed for $100. We did recently get rid of it for a more efficient model though.
Now that I think about it, the dishwasher was replaced a few years ago. Mostly because we didn't think the old one was cleaning well enough. But the new one was barely $200 all in.
Commerical, high end versions of these appliances would need to last more than my remaining lifespan to pay for themselves.
I don't think much financial argument can be made for spending large amounts of money on regular kitchen appliances for their longevity.
Our 32-year-old home, with original washer/dryer, dishwasher, fridge, and oven were only recently renovated mostly because of aesthetics - not operation. Of those appliances, the dishwasher was the only real dud the last year.
250 euros per ~7.5 years = 33 euros per year.
See the problem ?
But also improving the reliability of washing machines isn't hard or expensive. Remember, you're talking about a machine that the most common source of problem with it is a broken/faulty lid switch. cheap and easy to fix.
Surely, with that level of engineered failure(or maybe extreme cost engineering), there's similar stuff hidden there.
If you compare a low-end washing machine, say a Whirlpool or Inndesit or something, to a mid-range one (Bosch etc), to a high-end one (Miele), it's immediately obvious what's going on. On the low-end one, costs are cut to the bone; everything feels flimsy. The door, the drum, even the buttons feel cheap and flimsy. The mid-range one, things feel better (and repairs become easier; easily replaceable drums etc). The top-end one feels like an industrial machine (and durability improves; high-quality motors, the afore-mentioned iron counterweight and so on).
To a large extent, with washing machines, you get what you pay for (as long as you avoid smartphone integration and other nonsense). There's consumer demand for really, really cheap ones, so manufacturers make them, and they break quickly. You can still buy a top-end one which will last, but it'll cost you.
So far, only miele does that marketing, but sadly without the price.
[1]Gigabyte did/does that with motherboards, their ultra-durable line, when they tell you all kind of technical stuff(like "we use tantalum capacitors" which attack a common and cheap MB failure point) to convince you it's reliable.
I paid usd$350 for our new Kenmore washer in 1995. I have had it apart three times in that period, all for repairs that cost less than $50 in parts and at most two hours time.
Contrast this with our 2012 $950 Bosch dishwasher, which broke three times in its second year of service (1-year warranty), and cost collectively $850 to fix because nothing was user serviceable. We threw it out when it broke the fourth time.
My experience with home appliances has been mostly that the cheaper ones last _longer_ than the expensive ones.