Atevery turn we are encouraged to reduce, re-use and recycle, but that's easier said than done when it's cheaper to buy new than to repair.

NOW here's a tricky one. We all, of course, despise waste and rubbish. We are learning - willingly or not - to re-use and recycle. At the same time, we are thwarted at every turn. What's the point of us making do with a couple fewer carrier bags when whole skips overflow with redundant televisions, toasters, kettles and irons?

Even if we wanted to, how can we make do and mend when things are unmendable? When manufacturers don't make spare parts? And if they do, we have to pay someone so much to do the repair, that it's just not worth it.

There has been much in the papers recently about domestic appliances that have lasted a lifetime or more. Fridges, hairdryers, sewing machines, vacuum cleaners bought as wedding presents more than 50 years ago and still going strong well past the golden celebrations.

Not any more. We live in a throwaway society.

And to make it more tempting, we now have gadgets at throwaway prices. While the price of houses soars way out of reach for first time buyers, the goods to put inside the house are costing less and less.

Between 1995 and 2006, according to the Office for National Statistics, the price of electrical goods plummeted. Vacuum cleaners by 45 per cent and audio visual equipment by 73 per cent.

Many of the new, cheap electrical goods are made in China - the new powerhouse for the world - and are sold in supermarkets.

In their bid to take over the world, supermarkets have now moved heavily into electrical goods. In the stores they're selling small appliances at rock bottom prices and many of them also have websites where you can by an entire range of white goods.

We've got used to buying clothes, shoes, insurance and credit cards with our weekly groceries, so why not TVs and toasters too?

The prices are amazingly low. But who knows what it might all end up costing us?

ALDI

Small selection.

Tower fan £17.99

Husky drinks cooler £59.99

Cordless hedge trimmer £22.99

ASDA

Also online. See below

Steam iron £4.18

Cordless jug kettle £4.88

Two-slice toaster £3.74

Four-slice toaster £6.47

Coffee maker £6

Deep fat fryer £13

Sandwich maker £4.97

Cyclinder vacuum cleaner £15

LIDL

The problem with Lidl is that their stock is very variable. Because they have so many weekly specials, you cannot depend on everything being there all time. However, the bonus was that every piece of electrical equipment we saw came with a three-year guarantee. Very reassuring.

Juice extractor £6.99

Professional ironing station £49.99

Oscillating tower fan £12.49

Double-slice toaster £14.99

Grill £19.99

Steam cleaner £39.99

MORRISONS

For bargains look out for their First Home range

Toaster £3.99

Jug kettle £4.89

Sandwich toaster £4.99

Steam iron £4.49

Steamer £9.99

Hand-held blender £4.99

Microwave £24

SAINSBURY'S

Also online. See below

Two-slice toaster £3.94

Four-slice toaster £6.47

Hand-held blender £3.97

Jug kettle £4.88

Microwave £29.93

TESCO

Also online. Large range of electrical goods. We just looked at their cheap value range. We found:

Cordless jug kettle £4.97

Steam iron £4.37

Toaster £3.94

Hand blender £3.97

Three-tier steamer £9.76

Microwave £23.97

Cylinder vacuum cleaner £17.42

DVD player £15.15

Some of the supermarkets also have websites with a wide range of electrical goods available for direct delivery.

ASDA, www.asda.co.uk - full range of electrical goods. This week's special included Vivitar 5mp digital camera £35.13; Daewoo 26" LCD TV £299.99; Hoover 6166 1600 washing machine £235.69. Delivery costs range from £5.81 for the camera to £19.99 for the washing machine.

Sainsbury's, www.sainsburyskitchen appliances.co.uk - kitchen appliances only. This week's special included Zanussi 142 washing machine £216; Smeg single oven £271; Electrolux stainless steel fridge £882. Delivery charge £19.99 no matter how many appliances delivered.

Tesco, www.tesco.co.uk - huge range online and via catalogues available in larger stores. This week's special offers included Hoover condenser tumbledryer £209.97; Baumatic stainless steel dual fuel range cooker £599.97; Russell Hobbs 1702 microwave £39.97. Delivery charges are £4.85 for any appliance or £6.85 for a two-hour timed delivery slot. Free collection from some stores.

Remember. When we buy cheap goods from abroad, we are kicking the British manufacturing industry when it's already down. And when we throw away our cheap and cheerful goods, we're adding to the problem of waste - eclectro-scrap is the fastest growing waste sector in the European Union.

Even when goods are ridiculously cheap, there is still a price to pay.