It's no secret that quality goods are hard to find. In a post from earlier this year, Purplepeoplepleaser (@babblinbradley) begins their video by saying: "Bring back repair and throw away replace."
The video was inspired after their inner car door handle broke, and the solution was an entirely new door. This led to frustration with their slowly fading iPhone to fast-fashion companies like Shein. Bradley used their platform to lament the capitalist, consumer-driven notion of more, more, more.
@babblinbradley They selling us buckets with holes in em #capitalism #plannedobsolescence #repair #replace #fastfashion #mercedes ♬ original sound - purplepeoplepleaser
"We pull these precious metals from the Earth, and instead of keeping these things functional, we literally have plans and software to have this stuff decay and destroy itself and not function properly in order for us to buy more," Bradley says, defeated.
The post goes on to frown upon planned obsolescence — the business strategy of designing items to eventually break, go out of style, or become irreparable.
The video ends with a call to action. "Let's keep quality goods and just repair them instead of having to replace actual garbage."
Planned obsolescence entices people to buy more products with greater frequency. It's all a part of a master plan to maximize profits and ensure returning customers.
E-waste, typically composed of hazardous materials and chemicals, is responsible for over 70% of all toxic waste, according to The World Counts — yet only 12.5% of it gets recycled.
The fashion industry is also guilty. Fast fashion is of poor quality and cheaply made textiles that use up massive amounts of resources, only to end up in landfills by the tons.
It's an unfortunate reality that we live in, which is why it's so important to be mindful of where you're spending your hard-earned money. Support plastic-free, circular, and eco-friendly brands that share your values and be a part of the solution.
Makeup brands like Well People and Attitude use high-quality, naturally sourced vegan ingredients. If you're on the hunt for furniture, Masaya Co. and Joybird are major advocates of sustainable and handcrafted designs with quality products meant to last. They are also seriously passionate about reforestation, which is crucial to wildlife habitats, air quality, and restoring our resources.
Bradley's rant was met by like-minded TikTokers.
"I had a similar issue happen on my old car," one empathized, saying how expensive it was for a door handle. "I just didn't have a door handle on that side until it was totaled."
"Learning how to repair and mend things is an act of rebellion these days," wrote another.
Another proclaimed: "Legislation against planned obsolescence needs to happen yesterday."
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