In the past 12 months there has been a lot of fuss in Dutch media about the nitrogen crisis in the construction industry, but you don’t read much about pollution in the home improvement sector. Nonetheless home improvement & maintenance also pollutes a lot, whether you do it yourself or hire an expert. MrFix helps you make it more sustainable with 5 specific tips:
- When choosing material, think carefully about the impact of the material, for example of window & door frames: wood feels organic & natural, but tropical hardwood can contribute to deforestation of vulnerable areas. PVC is not recommended but it is low maintenance. This also applies to aluminium, which can also be recycled optimally. The most sustainable solution is using material that has already been recycled or is simply left over from another job. MrFix learned that leftover paint has an especially high impact on the environment so we ask the Customer before every paint job if they have any leftover paint that can be used
- In addition, materials like electrical equipment also have a significant impact on the environment during their lifetimes. Of course you have been replacing broken light bulbs (and old-fashioned ‘low-energy lamps’) for years by LED bulbs with a much longer lifespan and a fraction of the power consumption. But nowadays we also see environmentally conscious Customers replace electric awnings and blinds by handheld ones, for example. These not only save electricity but also maintenance
- We see a similar trend in white goods. We ask all our professionals to advise the Customer honestly and professionally about their options, including the choice between repair and replacement. With white goods, repairs often cost more than half as much as replacement, so traditional white goods mechanics are often quick to recommend replacement. However, we see many Customers still choose repair This is often because they realise that removing an old washing machine or dishwasher and installing a new one can be a real hassle. But more and more often we hear Customers say that they simply want to reduce their impact on the environment
- Rent or borrow tools! How often do you really use that beautiful saw and that sanding machine? Most people have more tools than they need. They cost money, waste space and mostly rust away: all that pollution of making & transporting tools is often (almost) for nothing. Just sell that stuff or have it recycled: it makes more sense to rent most tools or borrow them from your neighbours ?
- Of course our Customers are much smarter than average ? So you didn’t buy tools at all, or you sold them years ago. And if something needs fixing at home you simply use MrFix. Our experts always do their best to work as sustainably as possible. Hang on, you might say: that expert pollutes the environment too when driving to my house, right? Actually, not as much as you’d think:
- We work with more than 500 experts throughout the Netherlands and always try to find an expert for your job who lives as close to you as possible. We even help the expert plan an efficient route to reduce the driving distance
- We do our very best to avoid inspection visits. We create WhatsApp groups for Customer and expert so they can exchange photos, floor plans, links and videos: this way we avoid more than half of the inspections
- MrFix and the expert ask you for additional info right after we create the WhatsApp group. We ask and help our experts to bring the right tools and materials. In this way, we avoid the usual problem: the expert who discovers upon arrival that he has to go away again to buy materials and pick up different tools. So again, less driving distance and less burden on the environment and your wallet.
If you’re serious about sustainability and especially if you want a new building, we advise you to read more on the site of German architect Thomas Rau. We have heard Thomas speak several times and support his ideas in the field of CO2 neutral, energy neutral, energy positive and even circular building.
