Last evening in Chennai, I noticed something interesting. I was waiting at the service centre for my recently purchased speaker system to be fixed. A maintenance man was repairing the AC. From the service centre’s terrace I could see that my third-hand 2003 scooter was safe in its parking space. Next to the service center were a line of tailor shops and 2-wheeler mechanics. Repair shops and recycled and refurbished goods are everywhere here! From technology to clothing– there is certainly an Indian culture of reusing, repairing and recycling.
This is very much unlike the West, where old MP3 players and torn jeans get thrown out in the same trash bag during spring cleaning, as the "term" sustainability is used nonchalantly in conversation at cocktail parties. Indians, however, seem to be much more conscious about the way they use products, taking the concepts of servicing, durability and product life-cycle to a whole new level. The culture of repair is prevalent in both rural and urban markets and is not just a new spring fashion line, it is a way of life– a mindset for most, a livelihood for many and the only affordable option for some. Regardless of the reason, it is definitely a move towards sustainability for all.
India's 3R's: reuse, repair and recycle will not only have huge implications for individuals moving towards a more sustainable lifestyle, but also for companies trying to launch new products in Indian markets. It is a critical factor for the adoption of new products, especially the BoP (bottom-of-they-pyramid), as product purchase decision is often directly related to price and longevity.
3 things to consider when designing products for the Indian market:
- Servicing and support options do matter. Go into a local market and you will see how many mobile phone shops line the streets with young men hunched over dissecting old and new handsets, helping keep models that many of us dare not touch still in circulation. At the same time, this makes me feel confident in my scooter purchase, knowing that new rims and rubber handle grips are just around the corner.
- Consumer education is mutually beneficial. Help consumers get the most out of their products and ensure that new and creative ways of using products will be shared among users. Ultimately, new innovations could flow from the bottom-up allowing for user innovations to positively impact design.
- Materials should be easily accessible. Replacing old parts can only happen if product materials are easily available, replicable or a market for such products is developed. This means that new product models should ideally build from older models. It also has many implications in the way a product is designed and put together; essentially, products need to be designed to be taken apart!
Perhaps, in India, the term sustainability is not being thrown around at wedding receptions or over a cup of chai, but everyone, from local vendors to major companies, is practicing these three 3R’s. Western product companies venturing into the Indian market or those looking for the latest hip party lingo, reuse these concepts from Indian culture: repair is the new recycle and orange and white, the new green.
7 comments:
Nice post pooja!
I like the term 'culture of repair.' In India, products are looked at for 10 possible uses and there are amazing examples everywhere. Yesterday I saw a walking cane that had become a mop at my friend's house. And it is not just in India. In Siberia, my host mother forbid me to throw away a Pringles can so she could grow beans in it on the windowsill in the winter. This culture should be promoted in the West. But, how can it be spread in a consumerist culture, in which products are bought for their primary use and when they reach the end of their shelf life are easily thrown away?
Totally. Per Bree’s point, it makes you wonder whether sustainability and consumerism are compatible concepts… the reasons we don’t 3R in the West start to sound very 'Story of Stuff'-like – we are constantly encouraged by marketing and peer pressure to buy the latest shiny new thing (let me tell you how much grief I got for furnishing my first apartment in Boston with a bed I found on the street and a desk and chair from the Salvation Army). Since consumerism is good for economic growth, though, how do we reconcile these two goals?
Also, I think you’ve touched on something really interesting in your description of 'consumer education' that deserves more exploring – namely how user innovations can impact product design. Instead of concentrating on how we teach consumers that a solar lamp battery shouldn’t be used to power x, y and z other items because it will wear the battery down, are there ways producers can design the battery so it can be used for multiple purposes?
You may be interested in our coverage of cultures of repair over on the collaborative REculture blog. If you want start adding your own examples there over time, I'd encourage you to be in touch with Niti Bhan to see if she's keen for more contributors.
Consumerism and sustainability might be able to hand-in-hand. For example, I spend quite a bit per month fixing up my old 2003 Tvs Scooty, not only on replacement parts but on generally improving the look and feel.
I think there are two sides of the coin – product designers should design products to be repaired (replaceable batteries, removable parts, etc.) and a market for repair needs to be developed.
Check this out: http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/29/a-site-that-pays-you-to-recycle/?src=me&ref=technology
nice post..full of informations,thanks for posting!!!!
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Kanyakumari Hotels
I think there is also an element of the Indian character that is cheap and repairs when a proper cleanout would be smart. There are two sides to the coin.
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