RichMichaelGoFixIt

__iFixit.com - A Repair Manual for Everything__

iFixit is a revolutionary concept that has the potential of combating e-waste on a personal level. iFixit.com is not only a database of free repair manuals, it also contains a section called "Fix the Planet" which describes the consequences of e-waste and how the world suffers. Some supporting links are offered to fully explain why iFixit.com exists, their mission, and reasons to use their website to "fix the world."

The Story of Stuff is a wonderful short film explaining the life cycle of our manufactured products and addressing how our current consumer processes are unsustainable. iFixit mentions BAN, claiming it is one of the few organizations that dare to confront the problems inherent with e-waste and international trade. The UNEP page on e-waste recycling is also referenced. This expands upon where the waste is coming from, who is affected by it, where it goes, and what could be done to divert or even avoid that waste all together.

Joanna Aliprando, a student in our Sustainability Problems, has also touched upon the complications of e-waste in her wiki post titled "Electronic Waste Exportation."

Giles Slade's book on obsolescence is a witty composition of facts and stories illustrating the downward spiral America has been dwelling in for quite some time. Coupling obsolescence with advertising, Slade insists that our standard of living and our consumer culture has not only allowed for obsolescence, but in fact, encourages it. Our societal obsession with buying the best and the newest consequently results in mindlessly throwing away perfectly good products in order to simply make room for the new model. In some instances, appliances are replaced because they break. Sites like iFixit are looking to make repairs easier, to combat the typical response to malfunctioning equipment. (Made to Break)

In the years to come, iFixit.com will be able to accumulate a multitude of repair manuals rivaling books and manuals such as "1001 Do-It-Yourself Hints & Tips," a book full of helpful advice on maintaining and even building residential amenities without the need for a professional. Of course, free consultations may be lacking in quality and thoroughness, but this is just the beginning.

__BIBLIOGRAPHY__

//1001 Do-It-Yourself Hints & Tips//. Reader's Digest, 1998. Print.

Aliprando, Joanna. "Electronic Waste Exportation." //SustainabilityProblems//. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 May 2010. .

"Fix the Planet." //iFixit: The Free Repair Manual//. N.p., 2010. Web. 3 May 2010. .

"iFixit." //iFixit: The Free Repair Manual//. N.p., 2010. Web. 3 May 2010. .

Slade, Giles. //Made to Break: Technology and Obsolescence in America//. 1st ed. United States: Technical Innovations, 2006. Print.

"The Great E-Waste Recycling Debate." //United Nations Environment Programme//. UNEP, 2002. Web. 3 May 2010. .

"The Story of Stuff." //The Story of Stuff Project//. Web. 3 May 2010. .

"Welcome to the Basel Action Network - BAN." //Basel Action Network//. BAN, 21 Apr 2010. Web. 3 May 2010. .