Question

In "Excerpt from Gadgets: Built To Not Last," what does the phrase "throwaway culture” in

Answer 1

Answer:

Explanation:

Industry has made devices that are far more expensive to repair (to fix what's wrong) than to replace.  A throwaway culture is one that falls into that category. We don't repair things. We throw them away.

I have a printer sitting in my room. It prints in color. It is the only printer I own that does. And yet I never use it. It is unplugged and sits on the top shelf of a storage cabinate. The author makes exactly the same point I'm describing. And yet I don't want to throw the printer away. I know I will never use it again and I should throw it away, but my frugal sense tells me not to, so I don't.

Phones are the same way. I was surprised to learn that phones are sealed so the battery cannot be replaced. You cannot repair such a phone. You can only clutter the landfill with it.

That's alarming. The author has a solution. Don't buy such devices. If you don't buy it, they won't make it.