買東西之前要問三個問題

買東西之前要問三個問題

In my office sits an archaic (by most standards) desktop computer. It's more than a decade old and is often slow and fussy. My son is a computer engineering student, so that old machine frustrates him. He always urges me to get something newer and faster, shinier and less cranky, but I resist.

在我的辦公室里有一臺陳舊的(按大多數標準)臺式電腦。它已經有十多年的歷史了，通常很慢，而且很繁瑣。我兒子是計算機工程專業(yè)的學生，所以那臺舊機器讓他很沮喪。他總是敦促我買一些更新、更快、更有光澤、不那么古怪的東西，但我拒絕了。

If your toaster oven or works, don't be so quick to replace it. (Photo: Waraporn Kraitavin/Shutterstock)

That was until yesterday, when my computer made a series of ominous clicking noises — and then died. While my son mused over a possible replacement, I came up with a simpler plan. He's getting a new laptop, so I'm going to take his old one. No computer shopping for me and no unused technology sitting under his bed. It's a win-win.

直到昨天，我的電腦發(fā)出了一連串不祥的咔噠聲，然后就死機了。當我兒子在考慮一個可能的替代者時，我想出了一個更簡單的計劃。他要買一臺新筆記本電腦，所以我打算用他的舊電腦。我不用重新買電腦，他的床下也不會閑置任何東西。這是一個雙贏。

And it's a reminder to think about your impact on the environment before you buy something and to consider if you truly need it.

它提醒你在買東西之前考慮一下你對環(huán)境的影響，并考慮一下你是否真的需要它。

"We seem to be focused on how quickly we can get things, how cheap they are or how fashionable and trendy," said Martin Bourque, executive director of the Ecology Center in Berkeley, California, told The New York Times. "We buy too much stuff because there is an endorphin rush from acquiring new things."

加州伯克利生態(tài)中心執(zhí)行主任馬丁·布爾克在接受《紐約時報》采訪時表示:“我們關注的似乎是我們能多快買到東西，它們有多便宜，有多時尚。”“我們買了太多東西，因為有一種獲得新東西的內啡肽沖動。”

But what if we all stopped and asked ourselves a couple of questions before each purchase? The results could be impressive.

但如果我們在每次購買前都停下來問自己幾個問題呢?結果可能令人印象深刻。

Do you need it?

你需要嗎?

Before you buy, give yourself 24 hours to decide if you really need or want something. (Photo: My Life Graphic/Shutterstock)

If something necessary is broken — like a can opener, hair dryer or computer — then you no doubt need to replace it. But if something is just aging or doesn't fit your decor anymore, can you live with it?

如果某樣必需的東西壞了——比如開罐器、電吹風或電腦——那么毫無疑問你需要更換它。但如果有些東西只是老化了，或者不再適合你的裝飾，你能接受嗎?

Some people attempt to take part in a no-buy year where they try to go 12 months without buying certain items like clothing, knickknacks or electronics. Some do this to save money or to pay off debt, but others do it so they won't accumulate more stuff.

有些人試圖參加不買東西的一年，他們試圖12個月不買衣服、小擺設或電子產品。一些人這樣做是為了省錢或償還債務，但另一些人這樣做是為了不積累更多的東西。

Is it made to last?

它能持久嗎?

Some costly items can be worth it if they are made of high quality and come with a lifetime guarantee. (Photo: Keith McDuffee [CC by 2.0]/Flickr)

Shop around and do your research to find products that last a lifetime. Many items come with guarantees while others just have rave reviews from legions of fans.

貨比三家，做你的研究，找到可以使用一輩子的產品。許多產品都有保證，而其他產品則得到了大批粉絲的好評。

If you're tired of replacing things, head to Buy Me Once, a website that's dedicated to finding items that last forever. There's everything from clothing and cookware to toys and luggage.

如果你厭倦了更換東西，那就去“買一次”吧，這是一個專門尋找長生不老物品的網站。從衣服、炊具到玩具和行李，什么都有。

Can I recycle the old item? What about the new one?

我可以回收舊物品嗎?新的怎么樣?

In 2015, Americans generated nearly 262 million tons of trash. Of that, about 34% was recycled or composted, but more than 137 million tons of that trash — a whopping 52.5% — was sent to landfills, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

2015年，美國人產生了近2.62億噸垃圾。根據美國環(huán)境保護署(EPA)的數據，其中大約34%的垃圾被回收或制成堆肥，但有超過1.37億噸的垃圾(52.5%)被送到了垃圾填埋場。

If you decide to buy something new and it's replacing something old, what happens to the old item?

如果你決定買新東西，而它要替換舊的東西，那么舊的東西會怎么樣呢?

If it still works, you can donate it to a thrift store, give it to a friend or a family member, sell it online or offer it through a sharing website like Freecycle.

如果它還能用，你可以把它捐給舊貨店，送給朋友或家人，在網上出售，或通過Freecycle等分享網站提供。

If it doesn't work (or no one wants it), don't be so quick to toss it into the trash. You'd be surprised at the items you can recycle. From bras to eyeglasses, there's a place for many things other than the landfill.

如果它不能用了(或者沒有人想要它)，不要那么快就把它扔進垃圾箱。你會驚訝于你可以回收的物品。從胸罩到眼鏡，除了垃圾填埋場，還有很多其他的地方。

"Sustainably managing materials requires thinking beyond waste and instead focusing on the life cycle of a product, from the time it is produced, used, reused and ultimately recycled or discarded," says the EPA.

美國環(huán)保署表示:“要想以可持續(xù)的方式管理材料，就必須超越廢物的范疇，關注產品的生命周期，從產品生產、使用、再使用，直至最終回收或丟棄。”

So when you eye that aging toaster oven or computer, think hard before you replace it, considering where it will end up and whether it has a next life beyond your home.

所以，當你看到那臺老化的烤箱或電腦時，在更換之前要好好想想，考慮一下它最終會在哪里結束，以及它在你的家之外是否還能繼續(xù)使用。