Keeping it going
A Circular Economy
You might have heard of the circular economy in the newspapers or on TV, it is a concept which has gained traction in recent years, picked up by businesses, governments & environmentalists as the most promising solution to our planet’s sustainability issues. A circular economy is so much more than the familiar ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ approach which many of us are aware of but we are now being told that recycling alone will not save us!
The circular economy refers to the more efficient and longer term use of our natural resources, avoidance of waste and a shift away from the ‘take, make, dispose’ model of last century’s industrial economy. We are now told 45% of global emissions can be tackled by changing the way we design, make & use products, transforming our throwaway society into one where we keep products & materials in use for as long as possible.
Can we keep our equipment going?
We all know how frustrating it is when an appliance breaks down and we can’t fix it for a decent price. We’re often told that it’s cheaper and easier to chuck it out and buy a new one than it is to repair adding to the ever-growing mountain of global junk. While we can’t help with all of your household appliances, at Fenland Spirit Services we want to keep as much machinery out of landfill as possible so we make every effort to repair your garden equipment even if spare parts are not easily available. As well as servicing your machinery & replacing components we can weld broken metal parts or fabricate new ones, including ride on mower decks, some plastic parts can also be mended and Stu is a whiz with 12 volt electrics & re-wiring.
Did you know the world produces about 50 million tonnes of electronic waste every year, it is now the fastest-growing domestic waste stream on earth and is expected to more than double by 2050. Most of this waste is not recycled and the UK produces more of it per person than anywhere in the world, apart from Norway. E-waste includes washing machines and fridges, electrical goods, phones, tablets & TV’s, it contains lots of harmful chemicals that – if not handled properly – end up in our soil, water and air and can sometimes be illegally exported to countries that don’t have protective laws in place, exposing those working to recover the valuable materials to many harmful substances. We therefore need to recycle responsibly and ensure that products go to the right places and not to landfill, but we can’t simply rely on recycling to deal with the waste we generate. We must look to repair and reuse this equipment for as long as possible minimising creation of waste in the
first place.
Is there a right to repair?
Many manufacturers ensure that there are limits on our access to spare parts that would enable us to fix your machine and you may also have heard of planned obsolescence, an actual business strategy where manufacturers deliberately build appliances to stop working after a certain period or make them need software updates which older machines won’t
accept (think about your mobile phone). Sadly the same applies to garden equipment. We can easily get parts for many of the big manufacturers but we have recently seen examples of battery powered ride on’s & hedgetrimmers where we cannot easily replace the parts which is incredibly frustrating to us as well as the customer. We like to think out of the box when needing parts for many budget makes too, can we modify the broken part or will a new part for another machine fit your item, to give it a few more years of use? This is not a standard response in the garden machinery industry but it’s what our customers want and is central to our philosophy, it’s why we are different.
Fortunately, people are now taking notice and campaigning to carry out repairs themselves or through small businesses. There is a movement within European countries for a right to repair & governments are slowly responding with laws to support this although there is quite some way to go. People are increasingly rejecting our throwaway culture and a few
businesses like Fenland Spirit Services will actively repair your machinery instead of offering you a new product.
Repair Café’s have sprung up around the world and there are local ones in Cambridge, Ely, Soham & Cottenham. These are places where people gather to repair everyday objects, sharing their tools, knowledge and skills so that goods can be repaired and waste avoided. They can be found on Facebook or you could start your own if you have skills to share. We are now offering our own kind of garden machinery café giving you advice & instruction on how to look after your mower or other garden equipment along with simple fixes to save you money. There will be monthly sessions at our workshop starting in late October – details will be on our Facebook page very soon.
In addition to sharing our knowledge and advice for free we can confirm that we are continuing to accept CASH as payment for our services. Many other businesses in the area are now switching away from receiving notes & coins but we are keen to keep it going. You can also pay by bank transfer (our preferred method) or if needed by card when you collect, although we try to keep the costs associated with card payments to a minimum. It helps to save you money in the long run and supports our small business.
Winter Servicing – why do it now?
Now that winter is drawing closer & we’ve had the first named storm of the year ‘Agnes’ we would like to draw your attention to the benefit of servicing your equipment during the off season.
Servicing your machine before storage will ensure it’s in good working order and will start easily in the spring. Giving your lawnmower a darn good service will maximise the engine’s lifespan and prevents corrosion over winter, therefore keeping your mower going for many years to come, saving you money & time.
Book online here – https://www.fenlandspiritservices.co.uk/lawn-mower-serviciing
A winter service includes the following:
- Full engine service including oil change, filter change and new spark plug(s), carburettor clean, tank empty & refuel.
- Blade(s) removed, cleaned, sharpened and balanced & deck cleaned out underneath to prevent corrosion over winter.
- Inspection of all belts, bearings, cables & other moving parts, controls & safety features.
- Battery tested for health & charged up as needed.
- General inspection for any other faults or damage, machine tested & washed.
- If additional parts are needed we will contact you with a quote before spending your
money.
How much will a winter service cost?
A service on a walk behind mower is £99 and this year we are offering for petrol walk behind mowers brought to us for service between 1/10/23 & 31/12/23 using the code FUEL ME UP – we will refuel your mower with Aspen fuel & give you the rest of the 1 litre bottle to use for FREE. If your mower doesn’t start in March & still contains Aspen we will sort it out at no extra cost. https://www.fenlandspiritservices.co.uk/lawn-mower-serviciing
A ride on mower service costs £249 including local collection & delivery.
We don’t offer a discount for winter servicing however as many of our customers know we get incredibly busy during the spring & summer, with waiting times up to 4 weeks for collection of your ride on mower, so we strongly advise booking now and get it done before the grass starts growing again.
Book in NOW – https://www.fenlandspiritservices.co.uk/lawn-mower-serviciing
Thank you for reading, we look forward to hearing from you soon.
Best wishes
Carol, Stu & the Fenland Spirit Team
Recent Comments