By Birgit Müller
A new group from France joined our EGC community and they sent us the following message:
We, the Mamies pour le futur (Grannies for Future), are fed up with appeals to consumers!
Every day, millions of brand-new items roll off our production lines or arrive by container.
These items line the pockets of manufacturers, delight shareholders and enchant retailers. Designed not to last, mobile phones, household appliances, cars, clothes and even buildings let us down, becoming irreparable and obsolete. Their shoddy manufacturing — repeated time and time again — is warming the planet and placing a heavy burden on the wallets of citizens who feel betrayed.
This vicious circle calls for strong action from our political decision-makers, for this is not an unsolvable crisis. Alternatives do exist.
We grannies have known washing machines that lasted forty years, high-quality coats that could be worn for several generations, and furniture that was passed down through the family.
Laws exist to curb wasteful practices. In France it has even become a criminal offence to deliberately shorten a product’s lifespan. Grannies for Future are calling for current laws to be significantly strengthened and made enforceable and binding on manufacturers in order to tackle the climate and social emergency.