Good gosh I've always hated how I often can't reuse packaging material and/or containers for something else. I would want to but (1) I get too many of them, (2) they're sometimes too dirty (for various reasons) to be able to reuse easily, and (3) even if I could come up with ways to reuse them I'd also have to convince people I live with.
We need to reduce the amount of stuff from further upstream, rather than just having consumers try to do all the three R's by themselves.
Good gosh I’ve always hated how I often can’t reuse packaging material and/or containers for something else.
It's unfortunately an isolated example because it's the only company I know of that does it, but I buy the brand of pasta sauce that comes in Mason jars specifically because it comes in Mason jars. It's funny: the company isn't actually happy about it and tries to warn against reuse of its jars (they claim they're too thin for actual canning), but they work fine for other things Mason jars get used for. They even tried to switch to lug style/twist-off style lids about a decade ago, but a wave of complaints (including one from me) forced them to switch back!
On a related note, I'm about to try using them for some pressure canning for the first time despite what the company says. (I'm not overly concerned about breakage because it's just chicken stock, which was made from the parts of the chicken I'd normally consider waste anyway). Wish me luck so I don't die from exploding glass shrapnel, LOL!
Dyson gets shit on a lot, but I’ve had a ton of luck with a Dyson V6 cordless stick vacuum. I bought it used about 7 year also and it’s still going strong. The main issue is that eventually the battery wears out and you have to replace it. It’s only 2 screws to remove it though.
Also. if you aren’t willing to service them, they might “die” within a year or two, but with a little bit of elbow grease they can last a long time. The good news is that because they are the name brand, there are a bunch of videos on YouTube with ways to service them, and replacement parts are plentiful.
The casing — made to look like fancy metal — is cheap plastic. One fall on the hard floor (and it will eventually fall and hit the floor) and the casing breaks. Pretty soon your vacuum is covered in duct tape to keep it from leaking air.
These vacuums have some merit, but they are def not designed to last more than a few years.
Yards of plastic when a wad of paper would do. I think we need to use natural biopolymers like cellulose and chitin much more. Packaging waste alone justifies the research cost needed to figure out the best way to make that work.
I wouldn't call this thing BIFL. It'll last a couple of years, but I'm on my second one now. The graduated numbers wear off pretty quickly, the rubber will break down eventually, and in my first one, eventually hairline cracks started appearing in the tube. It's well made for what it is, but almost nothing made primarily of plastic will be BIFL, just because of material shortcomings alone.
It does make a good cup though, even with the reusable metal filters, which are the real BIFL.
My current one has definitely held up better than the first one, so I'll give them that. And it was still functional, but the stirring paddle had snapped, so I figured I'd get another and put the old one in the camper.
I was just tapping it on the side of the sink after rinsing it off and it came apart at the T joint. I thought about just using a spoon but figured the metal would scratch it up over time.
Ah, darn.
Well, considering it's thin and recycled, 6 years+ of use is acceptable. But If you've happened to find anything that's comparably thin but lasts even longer, I'd be interested to switch once mine wears out.
Wallets must be good for this topic. I just looked up mine to see if they were still in business. https://www.flipsidewallet.com
I assumed it might have been a case where they designed themselves out of business with a solid product no one needs to replace. I’ve had mine for, idk, 10 years, maybe more. Honestly can’t remember when I didn’t have it.
I followed the BIFL subreddit for a really long time. It changed my mindset towards buying so many different products. It was a really great sub.
But then at some point it just became a sub for people to post pictures of old toasters and fans that still worked from the 50.
I strongly preferred it as a guide to purchasing products that will last long term, as opposed to just items that have survived in working condition for a long time.
So I guess my question is which one will this place be?
That's a good question. I'm a bit of weirdo in that I'll actually track down some of that old stuff if it's not too expensive and can perform better than modern alternatives (a rare combination). But I think you're right in that the community could quickly just become a place for people to post their old stuff, which isn't much help for others who are looking for something that's quality and still easily obrained.
I think I'll take the stance that this BIFL will be solely focused on things that are still being made, and make that a hard rule (once I get around to editing the sidebar).
I love all the ideas for the community, especially the inclusion of handmade or modified items. Vintage item megathred will be especially good on lemmy since users can post images in the comments.
The only thing im iffy about is self promotion/advertising-- maybe it could be limited certain day of the week or something? I like the other stipulations you listed for self promotion.
Thanks for taking over the comminity! Im looking forward to it becomming more active :)
If you don’t want to use a real luffa made from the luffa gourd, you can use a simple cotton washcloth to scrub. They can last for decades, wash in the laundry with your towels, and biodegrade/compost after a long and useful life.
Gulikit makes controllers with hall effect joysticks that are immune to stick drift. I don't have one of those, but I have their hall effect joysticks for the steam deck and they're very nice.
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