EeD's eco-tip: a screw can ... annoy you

A sandwich maker can make your life so easy...if it works. Despite it's a rather simple device, mine failed. So I had two problems: hunger and a device to fix. I guessed it had to be the rheostat. Either way, I had to open it to unveil the guts.

I got my nothing-especial blue-collar toolbox, picked the set of screwdrivers and...Tataaaa! I found the screw in the image. I tried and I tried but it was impossible to unscrew with a regular tool.
Three options were possible:  

1. to throw it away and buy a new one.
2. to buy an especial screwdriver and a new rheostat to fix it. 
3. to pay a professional to repair it. 

It's a shame, but the cheapest option was option #1. And this is what happens in most of cases. A single screw can mean the different between something repairable and the end-of-life of a product, forcing users to purchase new ones with double environmental impact: material consumption + waste generation. 

Eco-tip: a well ecodesigned product will always use standardised components to ease repairing, disassembly, assembly, remanufacturing. This way we just replace single elements and not entire products.

PS: no sandwich makers where harmed in this post. I sold it to someone able to fix it, and bought a secondhand one. Long life to Circular Economy!