Little Me Fighting our Disposable Culture

A few weeks ago I took my laptop to a major electronics chain for repair. The woman at the service desk suggested that I purchase a new AC adapter, see if it solved the problem and return it for a full refund if it didn't. Sounded easy enough.

It turned out not to be the AC adapter and I went back to the store to get my refund. With the adapter on the counter, my newly-found green conscious prompted me to ask the cashier what would happen to the perfectly good piece of electronics sitting before us.

"Just tell me it won't just end up in the trash, that it will be repackaged (it came in one of those plastic containers that you have to cut to get open) and re-sold--it's perfectly good," I studdered.

"It'll go back to the vender, and they'll throw it away," she spat.

So now what? Write a letter to the chain? Boycott the store? Suck it up and accept it? Anyone....?

A few weeks ago I took my laptop to a major electronics chain for repair. The woman at the service desk suggested that I purchase a new AC adapter, see if it solved the problem and return it for a full refund if it didn't. Sounded easy enough.

It turned out not to be the AC adapter and I went back to the store to get my refund. With the adapter on the counter, my newly-found green conscious prompted me to ask the cashier what would happen to the perfectly good piece of electronics sitting before us.

"Just tell me it won't just end up in the trash, that it will be repackaged (it came in one of those plastic containers that you have to cut to get open) and re-sold--it's perfectly good," I studdered.

"It'll go back to the vender, and they'll throw it away," she spat.

So now what? Write a letter to the chain? Boycott the store? Suck it up and accept it? Anyone....?

Comments

[Sarah Paquette]

Wow, that is infuriating! I think your photo represents this blog post just perfect. I really hope that the cashier was mistaken and it was simply a case of a disgruntled employee. It just doesn't seem logical to throw away a perfectly fine piece of equipment. I'm sure the store would agree. Afterall, it their loss!

[Heather]

It is their loss...you're so right about that, but many of them have senseless waste worked into their bottom line and think it's cheaper to pitch it than to find it a new home, or repackage it. It's insane!

Thanks for stopping by, Sarah!