Teraga

WHY THESE LOW-TECH THINGS STILL WIN

I recently wrote about my love for low tech and, particularly, for my non-smart phone. But I have many other examples of low(ish) tech objects and devices that I don't plan to upgrade because they work just fine (even during blackouts).

BROOM AND DUSTPAN.

I live in a multispecies household. This means that our floor tends to gather a fine mix of dust and human and non-human hair. Yes, using a vacuum cleaner is faster, but I still prefer using the old broom and dustpan combo. Here are some reasons:

• cheap, but long-lasting
• compact, takes little space = great for small spaces
• no need to recharge or plug it in = great during a blackout or in a crisis
• spare parts available everywhere = easy to repair
• easy to clean, no need to change the bag or add filters
• keeps you active and lets you squat and bend to reach weird corners
• eco-friendly options available
• doesn't try to electrocute you if faulty

PAPER NOTEBOOKS.

Private, customisable and easy to DIY, long-lasting, easy to recycle and to refill. No cookies, companies or algorithms reading your stuff!

REFILLABLE PENS.

Every year, billions of plastic ball pens end up in landfills and in oceans! I couldn't find global data, but I read that between 1600 and 2400 pens are discarded yearly in India, so we can imagine how it may go for the rest of the world! Most pens are made of different types of durable plastic, some completely non-biodegradable.

If we think about it, most people consider it perfectly acceptable to buy a plastic pen (made of non-biodegradable or hard-to-biodegrade materials), use it and throw it away when the ink has finished. Once discarded, the pen becomes waste and a hazard to the environment, animals and also humans. Using an incredibly durable material for something that won't be used long sounds quite unwise, doesn't it?

That's what I realised a few years ago, when I decided to buy a refillable pen and a bottle of ink and use it as my primary pen. Six years later, my pen still works perfectly. I have to refill it from the ink bottle from time to time, but it's not a big deal. I haven't yet calculated how many pens I've avoided buying (and consequently throwing in the bin), but I plan to do it soon and update this section.

PAPER BOOKS.

Long-lasting, smell good, make a great gift and are great for entertaining yourself, learning new stuff and for your mental health.

RECORDS and VIDEOS.

Vinyls, CDs, MCs, DVDs and VHS tapes. You buy them once (often second-hand), and they're yours for life! You can listen to or watch them, collect them, gift them, sell them or upcycle them! You choose what to listen to or watch, and nobody analyses your taste and habits to try to sell you more stuff.