My iPod headphones are MIA. I have two options: drive to the Apple store and buy a new pair of Apple Earphones ($19.95) or walk to CVS and buy a less-cool-pair ($9.95). I decide the sustainable choice would be to walk down my street to CVS. Here comes my dilemma: all of the earphones at CVS have heavy duty packaging with stubborn plastic casing that requires pliers and a cool, calm attitude. The cost is significantly substantial between the CVS/Philips brand vs. Apple ($10)-- and the Apple brand still comes in plastic packaging. Which choice would you have made?
I think the other factor to consider is the product longevity. I'm slightly suspicious of the long-term quality of electronics purchased at CVS (as the saying goes, "you get what you pay for..."). Therefore, you may save the car trip now, but the CVS headphones might give out one year before the Apple headphones meaning you then have to buy yet another pair anyway. Of course, I guess the real question is whether you NEED the headphones, your ipod and recorded music in the first place. :)
ReplyDeleteI agree with Brian about the longevity of CVS products. Also, have you ever noticed just how much useless packaging that Apple uses on their products? To purchase a small cord used to connect a Mac to a projector is in roughly an 8" x 8" plastic. They don't recycle their own computers.
ReplyDeleteWe’re talking about first-cost here—how much more (if any) it costs to make green/sustainable/healthy choices. Life-cycle costs are different. When we factor in energy savings over time, or increased durability, or enhanced worker productivity, sustainable design features (the Apple headphones) and materials become much easier to justify. It would be wonderful if life-cycle costs were considered in product design—but they are not.....Now I wish I bought the Apple headphones....
ReplyDeleteApple also doesn't recycle power supplies fried by the chance meeting of baby spit and power outages. Go figure.
ReplyDeleteI would have went to the apple store and bought the headphones. I would have justified it by either a trip to the mall, or told myself to go to the one in Dedham, then browse the Whole Foods or something. Because if I bought the one at CVS I would still want the apple ones and chances are buy the apple ones when I see them, then I would have twice as much plastic packaging and an extra pair of ear buds that would probably get thrown out sometime. Basically, don't settle.
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