The Guardian: "I'll take our 'throwaway society' over the days of the dodgy twin tub washer"

Link to The Guardian

"It is easy to reminisce about a time when goods were built to last – but remember, breakdowns are rarer than ever now.

"In 1970, the cost of a washing machine was equal to 8% of average annual earnings. Today it's just 1.5%. Manufacturers, according to Which?, increasingly design low-cost products to be disposable, rather than repairable.

"Today, consumer goods have collapsed in price, yet their reliability has improved dramatically. The chances of a washing machine breaking down in its first six years is now just 12%. The high-street repair shop has shut down, not because we live in a disposable society, but because the work's not there."