House Rules: on keeping the recovery going

Buying shiny new stuff might keep sales figures up but it doesn’t help the environment

There are so many recoveries to keep going after Christmas. Recovery of health and waistline after too many Christmas dinners. Recovery of brain cells; ditto. Recovery of sanity after a period torn between advertising and saccharine songs, telling you “it’s the most wonderful time of the year”, and the truth that perfection is a state somewhat in the distance.

But, after December’s buying sprees, what about economic recovery? Not merely your own, but that of the country and beyond? As we’re told it’s ideal to aim for pre-recession levels of production and growth, it can be forgotten those levels weren’t sustainable. There’s only so many televisions a person can usefully buy. Built-in obsolescence was one of the first moves in a game that has maximum output, but also maximum waste as its goal.

When I was little we had a Ferguson TV, so robust that it refused to die, even when my brother and I, keen for one with a remote control, took to changing channel by firing at the buttons with a dart gun. No wonder Ferguson went out of business. Buy one of their tellys and you will never buy another – because you don’t need to.

Now I find myself wanting a music player, not because mine lacks capacity, or has anything at fault. There are just newer, shinier ones out there and mine is eight years old. That’s practically ancient these days, aesthetically obsolete if nothing else. But until we get really efficient at recycling, rather than just carting waste off to landfill in other parts of the world, that’s a toxic luxury.

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A sustainable economic recovery is, paradoxically, unsustainable for the environment and our shared resources.

So this year, one of my resolutions is to embrace the retro. My clunky iPod can play me the music I love, until I'm ready to wave it about on Antiques Roadshow. And, when I do spend money – because we have to keep consuming, or else we're all doomed (don't you know), it will be on things that are made with a thought to resources. If we all do that, the major manufacturers will have to take note. Wishing all your recoveries well, and a very happy New Year.