‘Churn’ is a term used within the interior design industry to describe the replacement of mostly good fixtures and fittings with new stuff. Change for change’s sake, basically. As Leonora recently pointed out the same sort of churn occurs with electrical applicances and white goods. Yet often we are ‘upgrading’ them simply because some small thing doesn’t work quite right. As we demand more from our appliances, their level of complexity increases. And when one tiny link breaks in that complex chain, the whole shebang can stop functioning properly. Then for the sake of one small errant widget we discard an otherwise perfect washing machine, fridge or stereo. (Hopefully an issue the Design for Durability seminar will discuss). R.U.S.Z is an Austrian based Repair and Service venture that believes we don’t need to throw the baby out with the bathwater. It is a remarkable and uplifting story of environmental and social success.
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