Tuesday, July 29, 2008
“Colour it green, and you can sell it” (Friedmann)
You know why this whole ‘green’ push the world is running with at the moment just won’t take off? Because there’s just too much money in it. Friedmann was a (mere) planning theorist, but his words can apply to a lot here.
Just the other day, I bought a new mop. Nothing super. Just a mop with the replaceable foam heads. The mop (with foam head) cost me $8.45. The replacement foam head for the mop costs $8.90. Go figure.
This means that from an economic rationalists point of view, every time I wear out the head of the mop, it’s cheaper to throw the whole thing out and start again. It kind of got me thinking that maybe the manufacturers don’t assemble the mop parts in the factory, they start with a complete mop, and take parts off until there’s nothing but the foam head left. That’s the only way I can figure it – all the extra labour involved in stripping it down to a foam head results in the extra 45 cents.
It’s the same with razors. I like Schick Mach 3 (and no, Schick, I don’t need a gentle reminder to upgrade to the 5 blade model, because shaving with 5 blades is just f*cking stupid). I like the Mach 3 because it bends, and I once went 5 months on the one blade, and that’s shaving my head and face, and that’s great and I’m awesome.
My problem is, 4 replacement heads for my Mach 3 handle costs $11.90, whereas a 4-pack of Mach 3 disposable razors only costs $6.90. Again, go figure. And don’t give me some rubbish about using higher quality blades on the replacement heads because that’s just crap and you know it. I’ve shaved my head for nearly 10 years now, so I know a crap quality razor when I see one. All of those plastic handles go to waste (and don’t forget, plastic is made of oil, too).
So at the end of the day, we’re supposed to minimise waste and save power and save water and save the f*cking planet from the parasitic leech that is the human race, but it’s going to cost us more, because everyone’s in it to make a killing.
2 comments:
Respect for that blog, well done. I like how this blog allows you to have a bit of a whinge.
I have come up with some more aspects you may wish to look at in future: Consumeristic society, too many people on the planet with 3 billion more by 2050, not enough good music being promoted by record companies, too much secularism, teaching is a poor career choice, oil companies are greedy, housing affordability,housing renovations, mopeds, degrees and dogs
I bought a lovely printer from JB Hi-fi a month ago. It cost me the princely sum of AU$59. I was thrilled with the addition of a built-in scanner as well!
I figured that I would need to buy myself some ink so I purchased, for the frustrating price of AU$65, a double pack (read price-saving pack) of black ink. As incredible as it is that 2 cartridges of ink cost more than the printer itself, I was speechless when I realised that although it did not contain a usb cord (only moderately compulsory :s ) it did contain two ink cartridges! One black and one colour cartridge! How can it be possible that the manufacturing cost of 2 cartidges be even remotely comparable to the manufacturing cost of the printer/ scanner plus two different cartridges? I can't believe it. Where is common sense in the world?
Post a Comment