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Consumption
Buying items: How and why should we think “low-tech”?
I understand what's at stake
If you’ve ever heard of “low-tech,” you probably picture a solar oven. But the low-tech approach is far from being limited to just a few iconic products that people automatically associate with it.
Thinking “low-tech” means setting out to design and use technologies that are:
- useful: meeting a real need (cooking food, heating, getting around…)
- accessible: inexpensive and easy to design, use, or repair
- sustainable: designed to optimize the use of materials and energy, and built to last
Let’s keep in mind that every feature (touchscreen, battery operation, internet connection, etc.) adds complexity, cost, and environmental impact, while making the device harder to repair—and thus less sustainable.
Taking action
It’s worth thinking “low-tech” when making a purchase in a store or buying secondhand:
- Will I need all these features? Do I need my coffee maker to be programmable?
- Does the tool need to be motorized? Do I really need electric (battery-powered) pruning shears, or will manual ones do the job?
- Is it essential for the tool to be cordless (battery-powered)? Do I need a cordless hand blender, considering that I use it in my kitchen, where I have access to electrical outlets? Find more information and numerous tutorials on the Low-Tech Lab website (in French).