Author: transition-minett

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Circular Economy Planned Obsolescence

Eco-citizen initiatives as solutions to planned obsolescence

Sébastien Kanarek, head of Facilitec’s participatory workshop, was one of the guest speakers at the round table on ‘Obsolescence and the circular economy: between environmental challenges and economic and social opportunities’, organised by the Circular Innovation Hub of the City of Wiltz and Infogreen on 15 October at Wiltz Castle. The event provided an opportunity to present concrete Transition Minett projects linked to the circular economy.

Planned Obsolescence: What is it?

First, let’s take a step back in time. The term ‘planned obsolescence’ has been around for almost 100 years. It first appeared in 1925 in Stuart Chase’s book The Tragedy of Waste, and then with Bernard London, an American developer who put words to the concept. In 1930, Lewis Mumford, a technology specialist, also criticised the phenomenon of planned obsolescence, which he saw as growing in parallel with the development of technology. A bit of history later, one question remains unanswered: from 1925 to the present day, how did we go from technological development to the hyperproduction of waste?

Where do we stand today?

There is still a great deal of work to be done, particularly to change consumer habits. Regulations are major levers for encouraging virtuous consumption. While the solution cannot be found overnight, the Transition Minett collaborative workshop at Facilitec, the circular economy centre, is one of several initiatives that are giving concrete expression to this growing awareness.

First of all, we need to look at planned obsolescence not as a single action, but rather as a series of different types of planned obsolescence, whether technical, software-related or aesthetic. With the criteria set out above, we can see that this practice has become, despite ourselves, a phenomenon in its own right. According to Catherine Phillips, Head of Legal Affairs at the Consumer Protection Directorate, who was also a guest at the round table, planned obsolescence is a factor in renewing the needs of consumers, who may therefore suffer from a lack of transparency.

Regulatory work, in particular with the ‘Right to Repair’ directive, which aims to encourage consumers to extend the life cycle of products through repair, provides a virtuous framework for the life of objects. In Luxembourg, we are seeing a delay in the introduction of regulations on planned obsolescence. On the other hand, legislation in France and Belgium seems to have already taken a step forward, in France with an explicit definition of the term ‘planned obsolescence’ in the Consumer Code. Belgium was the second country to adopt a reparability index for household appliances (the index is due to come into force in 2026)[1]. In short, we can see that Luxembourg has a considerable amount of catching up to do, penalising consumers at the same time.

So, while public authorities are increasingly encouraging us to change our consumption patterns, we can all act now, thanks to citizen initiatives.

What can i do? Nothing is lost, nothing is created, everything is transformed!

Today, 6,000 tonnes of electronic waste are produced every year! To reduce this figure, consumers need to adopt various alternatives. What if, instead of renewing an object and indirectly contributing to the phenomenon of planned obsolescence, we were to suggest ways of extending the life of objects?

Repairs and second-hand goods are concrete ways of promoting sensible consumption, to have an impact on the lifespan of products and therefore reduce waste. That’s what our participative workshop is all about, while adding a social approach, with exchanges between citizens and volunteers. This initiative also has an economic impact, by reducing personal purchases in favour of goods that could be used by a larger number of people. And last but not least, there’s the undeniable ecological impact of this initiative. We are helping to extend the useful life of objects and reduce waste production.

In practical terms, Transition Minett is proposing to look at ways of extending the life of objects that are little used on a daily basis, using the Gutt Geschier (the right tools) tool library, set up in collaboration with EBL. More generally, Facilitec is helping to promote the 5Rs (Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rot), which are fundamental to acting responsibly in the face of ever-increasing waste production. Other inspiring eco-citizen initiatives, such as the Repair Café project, were highlighted during the round table by Léonard Andersen, coordinator of the Repair Café Luxembourg project and the Citizen for Ecological Learning & Living (CELL). We can also mention the various initiatives of the National Comity of Social Defense (CNDS), represented by its Director Raoul Schaaf during this exchange, which demonstrates the possibilities of linking ecology to social inclusion.

Read also: Repair Café – Learning to repair to extend the life of our objects


Interested in the collaborative workshop or need a tool?

Come and discover or rediscover Facilitec at 37B rue de la Fontaine in Esch-sur-Alzette (access on rue Berwart).

Opening times:
Monday and Thursday: 2pm-8pm
Tuesday and Wednesday: 1.30pm-5pm
Friday: 9am-4.30pm
Weekends closed, except for events and the last Sunday of the month (workshop open from 2pm to 5pm).

And because we’re not the only ones working for the circular economy in Esch, we invite you to discover these projects if you don’t already know about them!

Centre Formida, FerroForum (a third-party metal workshop), CIGL Esch, SIVEC Schifflange, the Give Boxes: at the Kufa, the Mesa, and one for books at Place de l’Hôtel de Ville.

We would like to extend our warmest thanks to the Circular Innovation Hub of the municipality of Wiltz and the InfoGreen media for inviting us to this round table.

[1] Source: press release from Zakia Khattabi, Belgium’s Minister for Climate, the Environment, Sustainable Development and the Green Deal.

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Repair Café – Learning to extend the life of our items!

Repair Cafés, workshops organized by Facilitec in Esch, are dedicated to repairing everyday items, in order to help extend the life of products but also to strengthen environmental awareness and solidarity within local communities.

What is a Repair Café?

A Repair Café is a place where expert volunteers, often DIY enthusiasts, share their skills to repair items brought in by participants: household appliances, clothing, bicycles, electronic devices, furniture, etc. These free workshops promote knowledge sharing while preventing these items from ending up prematurely in the landfill. The concept originated in the Netherlands in 2009 and has quickly spread worldwide, with thousands of events held each year.

A Concrete Action to Reduce Environmental Impact:

One of the main contributions of Repair Cafés to the ecological transition is their ability to effectively reduce the environmental impact of waste. Each repaired item represents waste avoided and resources preserved. According to studies, over 50% of electrical devices that are discarded could still be used after repair. By extending the lifespan of items, Repair Cafés contribute to a significant reduction in waste while limiting pollution associated with their disposal.

At our latest Facilitec Repair Café, 5 volunteer repairers fixed 9 out of 10 items brought by participants! For example, we repaired a printer that needed a good cleaning, a waffle maker that required new electrical wires, a laminator that had a paper jam, and a rice cooker that needed new heating parts…

A Model of Circular Economy

Repair Cafés are a perfect example of the circular economy model. Unlike the conventional linear economy, which follows the cycle of “produce, consume, dispose,” the circular economy aims to complete the life cycle of items by promoting their reuse, repair, and recycling. By repairing items instead of replacing them, Repair Cafés reduce the demand for raw materials, the carbon footprint associated with production, and the amount of waste generated.

Beyond the technical aspect of repair, Repair Cafés also serve as a place to promote learning and social cohesion. They allow participants from diverse backgrounds, united by a common cause, to discover how their items work and to better understand the importance of responsible resource use. This process of recovering objects encourages more conscious and environmentally respectful consumption. Repair Cafés also raise awareness about the negative impacts of overconsumption and planned obsolescence while promoting sustainable alternatives. Moreover, skills sharing and mutual cooperation foster a sense of community and solidarity, thereby strengthening the local social fabric. This human dimension is crucial for creating strong collective dynamics around ecological transition.

Join Our Repair Cafés

Come to our next Repair Cafés organized by Facilitec. We offer sessions dedicated to bicycles, gardening tools, electrical/electronic items or small appliances, and sewing workshops to repair our clothing.

What should I check before coming to the Repair Café?

  • Power Supply: Is the power light on? Are the batteries charged? Is the power cable in good condition?
  • Maintenance: Empty the filters of hairdryers and vacuum cleaners, descale a coffee machine with citric acid or other descaling agents, etc.

What should I bring for the repair? Make sure to bring all the necessary items to test your object. For a coffee machine, bring coffee or a capsule, for a DVD player, bring a DVD, for a gas-powered machine, bring your fuel, etc. Also, bring the charger, cable, and instructing manual if available.

For your Hi-Fi system: bring the remote control and speakers.

For your TV: bring the cables used for connection (to the receiver, amplifier, etc.).

If you have identified a replacement part, bring that as well.

Find out more at www.repaircafe.lu

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Blog

Esch’s new ecological transition map

Discover and download the map with all the places linked to the ecological transition in Esch-sur-Alzette:

Esch Transition MapDownload
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Blog

ECO-ANXIETY: some tips to improve our mental health

Decouvrir l - 2

May 2023 (Forli, Emilia Romagna, IT) = On a sunny afternoon of a dry season, alternating with violent rains here and there, I read on my phone screen the civil protection’s weather alert for heavy rain forecast.

I dismissed the problem without thinking, and that same evening, and for the next 48 hours, it fell on the territory of Emilia the same amount of rain that usually falls in 7 months.

The rainfall caused landslides, destruction, and fatalities.

Locked at home during those days, without light or electricity, forced to attend university lectures online despite living a few minutes walk from the faculty, I had the realisation that I was experiencing an environmental catastrophe firsthand. 

A (not-so-new) feeling of fear and helplessness in the face of life’s unpredictability crept into my everyday life. That same anguish, which has become stronger over the past few years, has a precise name and face: Eco-anxiety, and thousands of young people all over the world suffer from it. 

What is eco-anxiety?

The American Psychology Association (APA) describes eco-anxiety as “the chronic fear of environmental cataclysm that comes from observing the seemingly irrevocable impact of climate change and the associated concern for one’s future and that of the next generations”1. 

Specifically, eco-anxiety can be triggered by various events we witness in our daily lives, such as rising temperatures or weather reports on television, or, worst of all, we can witness first-hand climate disasters such as floods or forest fires that are becoming increasingly frequent.

Concern for the planet’s future has become a daily cause of distress and frustration for some people. Eco-anxiety manifests itself through symptoms that should be monitored, such as intense anxiety about the state of things, a feeling of powerlessness when faced with environmental degradation, a loss of faith in the future, obsessive thoughts about the climate, frustration, and anger towards the generations blamed for the current climate situation, panic, and depression, and in extreme cases, loss of appetite, insomnia and difficulty in concentrating. 2

Image created with Canva by Noemi Dolciotti

But who are most affected?

Anyone can suffer from eco-anxiety, but certain categories of people feel more pressure from environmental issues: 

  • Young people. Given the state of our planet, the future of the younger generation is uncertain. Yet, the data in the IPCC reports are very clear: to avoid disastrous climate consequences, we should be able to limit the world temperature rise to 1.5°C.3  However, to this day, only 6% of scientists believe that it is still possible to stay below this threshold.  Young people more than others (especially young women) feel the weight of this responsibility on their shoulders, and the uncertainty surrounding the future is becoming an increasingly tangible threat for some.

Other categories suffer particularly from eco-anxiety: 

  • People most easily affected by climate change, such as those who work in contact with nature or agricultural land (farmers, etc.);
  • People living near areas at risk (maritime and coastal regions or extremely dry areas);
  • People from marginalized communities who do not always have the means to cope with the burden of environmental damage.

How can we deal with it?

What you shouldn’t do: 

  1. Over-stimulate yourself. Staying informed about climate change is a useful way of keeping abreast of developments and becoming aware of the state of the planet and what is happening to others, but be careful not to become overwhelmed! Obsession is never the right solution, so skimming the news or even taking breaks from the media can help alleviate the symptoms of eco-anxiety.
  2. Isolating yourself. One of the biggest mistakes people can make in anxiety situations is usually to close in on themselves; talking to a family member, a friend, or a professional when experiencing episodes of anxiety or panic is always the best solution.
  3. Avoid universal pessimism. Yes, it’s important to be realistic when discussing the future of the planet: the current conditions are not the best… but there’s still a lot that can be done! Studies on mitigation and adaptation to climate change are constantly evolving, and nothing is yet definitive!4

What you can do:

  1. Make changes. Work on the things we can do right away: buy organic and local products, reduce food waste, favor soft and sustainable mobility ( bicycles, etc.), buy second-hand clothes, recycle, save energy, donate to associations that fight to preserve the environment, make those around us aware of environmental issues and sustainable practices… there’s a lot we can do, we just need to roll up our sleeves! 
  2. Get involved. Don’t forget that you’re not alone – many of us have the same concerns. Finding a local or regional organization to join or volunteering for NGOs or associations can make a real difference! As well as helping the environment, it’s a great opportunity to meet new people and get socially involved! One example is joining a group from the Collective Citoyen pour le Climat in Esch!
  3. Go outside! Take a breath of fresh air, do some outdoor activities, get in touch with nature, appreciate and be grateful for the life we are lucky enough to live every day, and focus on the beauty of the things you have in the present.

Sources:

  1. https://www.iberdrola.com/social-commitment/what-is-ecoanxiety#:~:text=The%20American%20Psychology%20Association%20 ↩︎
  2. https://mentalhealthcommission.ca/resource/understanding-and-coping-with-eco-anxiety/  ↩︎
  3. https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/syr/ ↩︎
  4. https://www.colorado.edu/health/blog/climate-anxiety  ↩︎

To go even further:

Categories
Blog

Buy less and more consciously: a “trend” that will help your wardrobe…and the ecology!

This is the first of a short series of articles on ecology in Luxembourg. Over the next few weeks until the end of June, I’ll be taking you on a journey of discovery on a variety of topics, starting with fast fashion, and then moving on to food, mobility, and more!

To find out more about the problem, just pass by “rue de l’Alzette” in Esch

In Luxembourg alone, the average person throws away 12 kilos of clothes a year, of which only 1% is recycled1. So where does the rest go?

This is the question that the exhibition “The Revival“, on display until May 11th in the former Sephora building (69 rue de l’Alzette) in Esch, seeks to answer.

Observation, reflection, and hope for a change: that’s the aim of this interactive exhibition, which shows the impact of fast fashion on other countries, such as Ghana.

As we all know, most of the clothes we buy at low prices from fast fashion chains are not produced ethically, either from a social/human point of view (such as the Rana Plaza accident, considered one of the biggest disasters in the fashion world) or from an environmental point of view (pollution and waste of vast water resources).


Photo of the revival exhibition. Ghana is one of the many landfill sites in the country where over-consumption is not generated directly, and discarded clothes are imported from global “North” countries.

Our most powerful weapon: our conscience

Although much progress has been made in recent years to regulate the impact of the fashion industry, there is still a long way to go. So how can we help?

We can start by committing to the path of sobriety, which is necessary if we want to create a positive impact and change the fashion industry.

However, the concepts of ‘sobriety’ and ‘minimalism’, which are in direct contrast to the consumerist society we live in, often have a negative connotation. We associate ‘owning less’ with a form of failure or social status that we reject. On the contrary, it could be an opportunity to free our minds, lighten our budgets, and save precious time.

The most effective solution is certainly to change our shopping habits and the way we dress. That’s why we need to ask ourselves some essential questions before we purchase an article: “Why am I buying it? Is it really useful? Will I still be wearing it in a few years? Is it made from sustainable materials?

One way to solve the problem: create a capsule wardrobe!

Photo: the beginning of the presentation led by Adelaide Dubucq in the Lëtz’ Refashion Luxembourg boutique.

To learn how to shop differently, I went to Lët’z Refashion by Caritas in Luxembourg City, a boutique-atelier dedicated to circular fashion. As part of the “Rethink your clothes” campaign, I took part in the “How to create your own capsule wardrobe” workshop with Adélaïde Dubucq, image consultant and founder of Relooking and Queen.

The event was instructive in many ways: I learned that, on average, each of us has around 70% of unwanted clothes in our wardrobe that end up being thrown away. To avoid this issue, Adélaïde Dubucq explained the importance of creating a ‘capsule wardrobe’, a wardrobe made up of a few essential items that can be worn for any occasion. The keywords are comfort, minimalism, creativity, and style. We only need 40 pieces in our closet – between clothes and accessories – that are easily interchangeable and combinable with each other. They should mostly be in neutral basic colors, but let’s not forget about our favorite unique and colorful pieces! This number, which may seem relatively small, is ideal for avoiding the “paradox of choice” that we face every day when we have to decide what to wear among the thousands of different items we possess.


Photo: spaces in the Letz’ Refashion boutique

Following trends and constantly updating our wardrobes doesn’t necessarily mean dressing fashionably or with style. Finding your style is essential if you don’t want to fall into the trap of “wanting to own everything you see in the shop window or online”.

So what do you do with the clothes you don’t need? Here are some ideas:

Create a stock, pack them up, and physically give them to organizations like Caritas, or sell them on platforms like Vinted or Facebook Market, sell them at flea markets, swap them at swap parties, or simply give them to friends and family or people in need.

On this occasion, I learned that even though it’s hard to make a change, it’s always less complicated than you think. And our smallest actions can have a huge impact, not just on our own lives, but on the lives of others…

I look forward to seeing you back here on the Transition Minett website to follow me on the next adventure and discover more about the ecological transition in Luxembourg!

To go even further:

  1. source: Exhibition “The Revival” by caritas Luxembourg ↩︎
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The winter anti-waste recipe: Rabanadas

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Circular economy (podcast)

In this episode, Yasmin Labidi (Transition Minett association) talks with Caroline Holz and Miss Bak about circular economy, local economical activities that respect the environnement and about alternative economy.

Caroline Holz is the coordinator at Facilitec in Esch at the Transition Minett association.

She trained as a landscape architect and urban planner, and was involved in the design and construction of public spaces.

Ahoua Bakayoko is the foundor of the project « MissBak » in Luxembourg, a natural cosmetics brand, which is vegan and aimal testfree respectful of the environnment.

Listen here

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Do you you know what Facilitec is ? Facilitec, a third place for circular economy

I’m sure you’ve been here many times before, or even come in for a visit, but do you really know what you can do at Facilitec?

Housed in the former Claude Muller carpentry on Rue Berwart, 5 minutes from the train station in Esch-sur-Alzette, the place was renovated thanks to participative workshops and with second-hand materials from the end of 2018 to make it a place dedicated to circular economy. Here we share and give space to initiatives that take in the direction of ecological transition. The 300 m² offered by the building is already a lot, but we’re often looking to push the walls for certain projects: there’s no shortage of ideas! For example, you can come here to learn how to DIY, repair an object, make something, borrow a tool, co-work, meet entrepreneurs committed to a citizen ecological transition, come to an event, meet other citizens, drink a coffee with the Transition Minett asbl team, consult a book on ecology or zero waste, test a more sustainable lifestyle (with a workshop), an alternative mobility solution…

Facilitec defines itself as a “Third Place”, in the sense that it is inhabited by our association (Transition Minett) and a wide variety of users who often cross paths and exchange projects, and who together try to manage the new activities, uses and day-to-day life of the place as best they can.

The idea is to divide into working groups and move forward by meeting together from time to time. The groups meet monthly and twice a year, all the groups meet. For example, at the time of the renovation, the architecture planning group made monthly progress on small jobs such as the pallet terrace. This is also how the communication strategy on social media was defined, with the communication group, and how the governance group defined the general rules for use of the site, which have since been constantly evolving according to the subjects that came up.

Address : 37B rue de la Fontaine (access via rue Berwart)

Opening hours : Monday and Thursday 9 am-8 pm / Tuesday 11 am-5 pm/ Wednesday 9 am 5 pm / Friday 9 am-4 pm. Weekend closed except if there is an event and on the last Sunday of the month (workshop open de 10 am to 5 pm

In the same galaxy as Facilitec

We’re not the only ones working for Circular Economy in Esch, so we invite you to discover these projects if you don’t already know them!

Center Formida, Benu Village, FerroForum, a third-party metal workshop, CIGL Esch, SIVEC Schifflange, The other Give Boxes: at Kufa, Mesa, and one for books at Place de l’Hôtel de Ville.

A growing and unifying theme: active mobility!

At the time of the creation of Facilitec and in parallel to the neighborhood work, a group quickly formed around active mobility, first to create the Vélorution Esch group (Critical Mass), then a wider reflection group on active mobility as part of the Collectif Citoyen pour le Climat.

The subject of mobility has always brought together a large number of dynamic and motivated citizens: between active cyclists, DIY cyclists and supporters of low-carbon mobility, discussions on infrastructure needs to facilitate the use of alternatives to cars in the city and on a daily basis are well underway. Facilitec is a meeting place, a starting point, a place for storage, testing, experimentation, repairing or even temporary artistic creation (remember the bicycles painted as giant sea animals on the theme of Jules Verne as part of the Nuits de la Culture in April 2023).

The active mobility group continues to grow and develop, sometimes in smaller groups to organize the Vélorutions, sometimes in larger groups to produce a leaflet on cycling with the city, or to set up a future bike house in Esch: d’Haus vum Vëlo, which could become real in spring (to be continued!).

Facilitec will always be there to support initiatives that help promoting more sustainable lifestyles, with the aim of making the ecological alternative the easiest to implement. We still have a long way to go, but the energies channeled here are promising, and – we hope – multiplying.

  • Repairers: do you have a talent for repairing electronics, bicycles, sewing, wood or any other subject?
  • Donations of objects to share: as part of the 2024 launch of the library of objects, we’re looking for small kitchen appliances and children’s equipment to complete the library!
  • Coworking! Are you an entrepreneur looking to join our network?

Contactez : info(@)facilitec.lu

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CCC – 1 year already

The thematic groups of the Collectif Citoyen pour le Climat will soon be celebrating their one-year anniversary, and all of them already have some nice actions and achievements to their credit. As a reminder, the first meeting was on December 3rd 2022, and on June 29th we all got together at the Breedewee Garden in Esch to discuss what each group is doing, to celebrate our collective and to reflect on its future (picture). There are many ideas on how to show the general public what the different groups are doing and how to join them, but also to improve communication between the groups, to offer joint mobilization actions and to move forward in the direction of citizen participation in the construction of public policies. Now is the moment to give ourselves the means to make them happen!

In order to develop concrete proposals for the future of the Collectif Citoyen pour le Climat, and to propose a sustainable, co-managed (or even self-managed!) mode of operation, we are launching a discussion with representatives of the various groups, the board of the association and Transition Minett employees. The aim is to come up with concrete proposals for the entire Collectif Citoyen pour le Climat (inter-group and external communications / joint mobilization and awareness-raising actions…) and a proposal for overall governance.

We will then validate these proposals and their implementation at a major assembly next year. If you would like to join the Collectif Citoyen pour le Climat, please contact us (contact(@)transition-minett.lu).

Focus on:

  • CYBERN’ETHIQUE

With the code of conduct of FACILITEC’s Cybern’ethique workshop in place, the group of users of the workshop was able to carry out numerous individual and group projects throughout the summer.

With the start of the new school year, new opening hours have been introduced, with openings on Monday and Thursday until 8pm, the last Sunday of the month still being open from10am to 5pm (next November 26). So no more excuses: come and borrow tools, carry out your projects and join our DIY community!

Contact: atelier(@)facilitec.lu

  • 0 Waste Group

The Zero Waste group visited Minett Kompost and Sivec over the summer, then organized an awareness-raising and waste-picking action in Esch to talk about the problem of littering, in collaboration with Serve the City. In partnership with Foodsharing Luxembourg, the group organized a meal with rescued food, in a cheerful and anti-waste atmosphere, at the end of October.

Would you like to join us? Contact us! yasmin(@)transition-minett.lu

The Collectif Citoyen pour le Climat also includes the Culture et Transition – The Art’ivists group, the Active Mobility group, the Construction in Transition group, the bio and local food basket group, the Eco-feminism group, the Esch Community Gardens group, the bio, local… and Vegan Food group, the Nonnewisen neighborhood group, the Lallange neighborhood Group. For news and contact information on each group, click here: https://www.transition-minett.lu/en/the-ccc-contact/

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Second-hand in Luxembourg and surrounding areas