Single use shockers
What a contradiction. With a product name like purity and spruiking organic, these single use plastic pouch products create non-recyclable ‘waste’ all in the name of convenience and portability. They deserve to be called out as a product inconsistent with a society that considers the earth precious.

Insidious – the unseen easily ignored ecological cost of line trimmers
During the course of normal operation, a weed whacker’s plastic line abrades into such small pieces that they become almost invisible. And this itself is part of the problem – because it’s hard to address an issue that you can’t see. But it’s time to start noticing line trimmers and the plastic pollution they routinely spew.

Delays in getting new laws
For The Right To Repair movement in the EU things are taking longer than hoped for change to be legislated. We reckon Australian would be just ad keen as their European cousins to have laws requiring manufacturers to make it easier to repair digital devices.  

Sharing via digital tool sheds
The sharing economy is a good, responsible way of using products that benefit both people’s finances and the environment. Husqvarna think that this model is perfect for gardening tools, and is offering people to share battery powered machines by renting from digital tool sheds called Tools for You.

Exploring co-ownership
Tools for You has been tested in Australia, USA, Europe and most Nordic countries. Husqvarna is also doing a pilot study together with ihopa.com, which is a co-owning platform that helps homeowners in the same neighbourhood to get in touch with each other to buy tools together and maximise the utilisation rate of commonly used products.

Could the co-owning economy work in Australia – in Newcastle and the Hunter?

ihopa launches new sharing service in collaboration with Husqvarna.
At Easter 2021, the roll-out of “Grannboxen” begins, a new sharing service where neighbours are offered to subscribe to access to a packed tool cabinet that is in one of the members yard. For the first phase, homeowners in Stockholm County who want to test this new circular concept and can lend space on their lot for the box are welcome to sign up. Cost: 99 Swedish krona = $13.50 AUD per month.

MMM … Issue 37, April – May 2023