Brief background: It all started with the light bulb industry, propagated by Auto industry and today it is proliferating in several industries from fashion to smartphones, appliances to stationary and almost all single-use items.
In 1924, when an international group of lightbulb manufacturers called the Phoebus Cartel came up with a scheme to increase sales by bringing the average bulb's lifespan down to just 1,000 hours; prior to this the average lifespan of a light bulb was around 2,500 hours.
In the auto industry, to sell more cars after reaching a saturation point, Alfred P. Sloan, the CEO of General Motors, and his colleagues decided to convince customers that it was all the rage to keep buying new, updated cars.
Visit the following links to learn more about the history of Planned Obsolescence
To this day, manufacturers use this business strategy of planned obsolescence to boost sales and deliberately design products to fail prematurely, artificially reducing their life-span and making it very hard to repair or reuse which then forces consumers to buy a new product instead.
It is a strategic effort to turn a one-time customer into a repeat buyer
For instance, when battery fails in smartphones, it cannot be economically replaced; hence we’ll have to replace the phone itself.
Discarded appliances from homes and businesses are some of the largest contributors to e-waste, amounting to up to more than 50% of e-waste. The lifespan of electronic goods is becoming shorter and on average, less than 20% of e-waste gets recycled responsibly.
While we should be adopting Circular Economy to alleviate Pollution, Conserve Resources and reduce Waste, most electronic items, still tap into the Linear Economy which follows Take-Make-Consume-Dispose-Pollute approach. With current technology, ideally, products should have longer lifespan.
Planned obsolescence creates more waste and pollution, uses more natural resources, and certainly contributes to climate change!
How not to be a victim of planned obsolescence?
To answer that question, look to Waste Reduction Hierarchy
Refuse: Any product that you do not need or can be harmful to environment including freebies. Keep in mind the immense amount of waste already being generated and overwhelming our planet. It is important to not get swayed by the latest trends; we can very well live without certain products. After all, you do not really need to replace your TV every few years!!
Reduce: Take good care of things you already own and keep them functional for as long as possible. Buy items made from recycled materials ensuring sustainability and opt to purchase upcycled or used items, instead of always buying new
Our consumption and in turn our carbon footprint can be reduced by purchasing things we really need and not just at whim; especially, when it comes to online purchases, give yourself a couple of days before checking out that cart.
Reuse: Try to repair and extend the useful life of items; repurpose whenever possible and be creative and find a new use; give items a second life if they no longer serve their original purpose.
For instance, an old smartphone without cellular service can serve as a remote control
Visit below link for more ideas to reuse old smartphones:
Many of today's gadgets can make repairs impossible by gluing parts or surfaces together or can void warranties if tampered with in any way. However, not all items for under this category. With some repairs, products could get back to working condition; iFixit.com is a particularly resourceful site that is worth checking out.
Recycle: Reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills or incinerators; once things eventually break and products become inevitably obsolete, be sure to recycle especially electronics responsibly at the right location.
Recycling prevents pollution by reducing the need to procure and utilize new raw materials, conserves energy and valuable natural resources such as timber, rare / precious metals such as those in electronic devices
Finally, it would help to buy products with a lifetime warranty since even well-made quality products would wear out or break with regular use. When companies offer a lifetime warranty, it would allow consumers to send in the product for repair thus preventing them from buying new things frequently.
Also remember, “The most environmentally friendly product is the one you didn't buy” ~ Joshua Becker
It is generally viewed as being simplistic to dismiss this practice of planned obsolescence as unethical since it offers economic benefits. However, planned obsolescence is built on an unsustainable economic model; has significant implications for the environment due to its abusive use of resources, contribution to waste by encouraging frequent new purchases.
By being aware of this practice, consumers can tackle planned obsolescence by making better, conscious and informed choices; after all, it is our duty to protect the environment!
