Reviews & Articles

Shedding light on the most durable (and shoddy) products. Read our independent reviews, advice on living a calmer, less wasteful life, plus the latest news about our mission to end throwaway culture.

Interview: The True Story of France's Fight against Planned Obsolescence - Buy Me Once UK

Interview: The True Story of France's Fight against Planned Obsolescence

For almost a century, companies have been designing products to fail, so they can sell the same thing to you again next year. It’s called planned obsolescence. In August 2015, France became the first country in the world to define and outlaw the practice. To get the full story and find out what’s going to happen next, we spoke to the people fighting planned obsolescence on the front line.
The Best in Ethical Fashion: A Revolutionary Study - Buy Me Once UK

The Best in Ethical Fashion: A Revolutionary Study

Here at BuyMeOnce, we carefully choose brands that are not only sustainable but ones that are also models of ethical fashion. We’ve curated a list of superhero BuyMeOnce brands who have heard the call of the Fashion Revolution movement and are happy to share their supply chain process, from the farmers who grow the raw materials to the factory workers who stitch everything up.
End of an Era: Dr Martens scrap their lifetime guaranteed "For Life" range - Buy Me Once UK

End of an Era: Dr Martens scrap their lifetime guaranteed "For Life" range

Dr Martens have decided to scrap their lifetime guaranteed “For Life” range of boots and shoes with immediate effect. The decision was made without warning and without reason. We have contacted Dr. Martens for information, they have declined to comment.
Could Blue Planet II turn the tide on plastic waste? - Buy Me Once UK

Could Blue Planet II turn the tide on plastic waste?

“Never have we had such an awareness of what we are doing to the planet and never before have we had the power to do something about that. Surely, we have a responsibility to care for our blue planet.” – David Attenborough.

BuyMeOnce at the World’s Biggest Repair Cafe! - Buy Me Once UK

BuyMeOnce at the World’s Biggest Repair Cafe!

At BuyMeOnce we strongly believe that everyone is entitled to the knowledge and resources to be able to fix their own stuff, which is why we were thrilled to be invited to the World’s Biggest Repair Café.
David Attenborough hits out at plastic waste - Buy Me Once UK

David Attenborough hits out at plastic waste

As pressure mounts around the world to tackle the growing scourge of plastic waste, David Attenborough has added his towering voice to the chorus of dissenters. With “Blue Planet 2” already splashed across screens worldwide, the superstar naturalist is not afraid to use his position to champion a cause for which he cares dearly.

H&M accused of burning 60 tonnes of unsold clothes - Buy Me Once UK

H&M accused of burning 60 tonnes of unsold clothes

The fashion world was rocked this morning to find out that Swedish clothing giant H&M has been accused of burning 60 tonnes of unsold clothing since 2013. According to a report from Retail Gazette and the Danish television programme Operation X, who performed the investigation, H&M have sent “over 1500 kilos of unwanted garments to be destroyed.

The People versus Printers: A New Saga in Planned Obsolescence - Buy Me Once UK

The People versus Printers: A New Saga in Planned Obsolescence

Printer manufacturers are being challenged in a revolutionary French criminal lawsuit. The case comes against the four manufacturers that dominate the French market: HP, Canon, Epson and Brother. The suit is being led by the environmental association group Halte à l’Obsolescence Programmée (Stop Planned Obsolescence).

5 Ways the Sharing Economy Supports Sustainable Fashion - Buy Me Once UK

5 Ways the Sharing Economy Supports Sustainable Fashion

The fashion industry bombards us with the latest styles: what’s “on trend” this season, what we should be buying, what celebrities are wearing… But this culture of conspicuous consumption is starting to grate. People want to know who made their clothes, from what, where and under what conditions.
The Right To Repair Movement: What It Is And How To Help - Buy Me Once UK

The Right To Repair Movement: What It Is And How To Help

Fair Repair bills, legislation that champions a citizen’s right to repair their own gadgetry, have recently stalled in several states in the USA. This is not good news. Encouragingly, the fight against planned obsolescence continues through the noble work of the right to repair movement who believe that real, positive change in the electronics industry is necessary.