Last week, when I was looking for snap buttons which I needed to repair a pair of shorts that I didn’t want to throw away, I realized how difficult it is to find many items that we usually need for simple repairs.
The degree of difficulty in searching for materials needed for mending or repairing stuff was something I noticed because I started searching for the coveted snap buttons at malls and department stores, where unsurprisingly, one can’t even find simple buttons there anymore.
I started at the department store, asking if they had buttons, because I knew “snap buttons” would be a stretch, and it turns out they didn’t have any. A kind sales lady suggested the mall bookstore, where the closest thing to buttons I could find were craft project decorative types, which you probably couldn’t even use if you needed to mend a regular button.
Anyway, I basically gave up on my futile mall-based quest after that, and figured that if I wanted to repair my shorts, I will have to go to local department stores or the central market area, especially if I was looking for “special” buttons, which I didn’t even know were named snap buttons or just “snap” before I started looking for it. All I knew was I probably had to look for them in a store that sold buttons.
Based on the lack of supplies and options for repair or mending, it would seem that not a lot of people are interested in such activities anymore. In a world of planned obsolescence and fast fashion, we have normalized throwing away anything that is deemed no longer usable, simply because it has incurred some kind of damage that could’ve been repairable.
To make a long story short, I was able to find some “snaps” at a Central Market stall, and after messing up the replacement process just once before being successful with the help of YouTube, my shorts are now usable again and I have just saved it from becoming trash, and avoided falling into the trap of consumerism where the production process is pollutes our planet and generates harmful emissions that add to its warming.
I found my repair materials and pushed through with the DIY fix because I’m kuripot by nature, but I don’t think most of us are willing to go all the way to Central Market just to look for buttons to mend a pair of shorts.
As I was mending my shorts, I also remembered that I once had a pair of nice sandals that I threw away, even if it could’ve been easily resoled. That happened around 10 years ago, I reckon, when I was not really thinking about our planet and the circular economy, and I am now literally kicking myself for having been so wasteful by getting rid those sandals which could’ve been perfectly fine after some simple repairs.
Maybe I’m just growing older and maybe the times and the mood has changed, but I no longer care of the judgement that I used to be afraid of if someone saw me using repaired stuff. This time, while I’m proud that I was able to mend my shorts that probably cost P1-3K if I buy a new pair, I’m also disappointed at myself for throwing away those sandals that could’ve been fixed by a cobbler for less than P1K, when a new pair that basically looks and feels the same probably costs upwards of P5K these days. It’s easier to justify the benefits of this behavior with monetary values, but if you come to think of it, it’s about more than that. By repairing instead of buying, we are actually helping save our planet and reduce waste. Imagine the impact if millions, or billions of us, stopped throwing away stuff with minor damage and started prioritizing repairing over outright replacement?
Another thing about growing older is that I am now willing to pay more for quality stuff that can be repaired, instead of cheaper items that are unfortunately unrepairable because they fade, stretch out, or simply break down. I am finally starting to see the value of patronizing local craftsmen and tailors, and choosing better quality materials, along with the option to mend or repair.
However, for this to happen, we will first need better access to repair materials and craftsmen, especially since not all of us are DIY-inclined like me. We also need to cultivate and patronize local craftspeople who can make stuff that can be trendy or classic, but certainly better quality than those found at fast fashion stores. This is going to be the tough part, because they just cannot compete with giant multinational retailers in terms of price, and it will have to be the costumers that will keep their community alive and productive if they are going to stand a chance against those behemoths.
Perhaps it is time we should ask ourselves… what do we have lying around that can be repaired? And are we willing to go through the effort of getting it repaired, for our sake and that of the planet’s future?*
