Many consumers have encountered a situation where new clothes, shoes, appliances, or furniture quickly become unusable. Often, this isn’t due to a defect but to planned obsolescence, a strategy premeditated by manufacturers. Let’s see what this phenomenon is and how to reduce its impact on your wallet.
What Is Planned Obsolescence?
Planned obsolescence is a premeditated limitation on a product’s useful life, imposed by manufacturers. This applies to appliances, clothing, vehicles, toys, and virtually any other consumer goods.
In 1924, the world’s leading incandescent light bulb manufacturers — General Electric, Osram, and Philips — formed a cartel named Phoebus. They agreed that the bulbs they produced would not last longer than 1,000 hours.
The manufacturers justified the new lifespan with claims of greater efficiency and rational electricity use. However, this decision was disadvantageous for consumers: the bulbs’ lifespan was cut by more than half (they previously lasted up to 2,500 hours), while their cost, conversely, increased.
The Phoebus cartel disbanded by the start of World War II, but other manufacturers learned a simple principle: you can become richer by “building in” a planned breakdown into a new product. Many large companies still use this principle in their manufacturing today.
Types of Planned Obsolescence
Just like a list of sports available at Ivibet Sportsbook Online, the number of types of planned obsolescence is not limited to a single one. While talking on the topic, we must consider:
- Physical Obsolescence: When products break down after a planned period, start malfunctioning, or require repairs and updates. Manufacturers also intentionally make it difficult to repair appliances, forcing consumers to replace them more often.
- Software Obsolescence: When a new software version is incompatible with old hardware, or a device starts working incorrectly due to the inability to receive updates. This forces users to replace still-functional technology with new models.
- Psychological Obsolescence: Heavily used by clothing manufacturers who release new collections several times a year. Different cuts, styles, colors, textures, and design elements create the feeling that last season’s item needs to be replaced, even if it’s in good condition and fits perfectly. This phenomenon is called fast fashion.
How to Fight Planned Obsolescence
- Read reviews before buying. This can reveal if an item is low quality, breaks quickly, or loses its appearance.
- Look for quality used appliances. People often sell items that didn’t suit them or that they grew tired of. Sometimes owners even sell models that are still under warranty.
- Repurpose what you already have instead of buying new gadgets. A broken smartphone can still be used as a voice recorder, alarm clock, or flashlight, and a tablet can serve as an e-book.
- Rent what you don’t need constantly. Personal transport can be replaced by car-sharing, a bicycle, or a scooter. A home theater system can be substituted by renting a projector a couple of times a year. The same applies to repair tools, sports equipment, and gear for tourism and outdoor activities.
- Be more skeptical of advertising to avoid buying unnecessary items. Words like “innovative” and “flagship” are often used to attract attention rather than demonstrate real product quality.
- Pay only for necessary functions. Some models come with optional features that make them more expensive and sometimes less durable.
For example, expensive washing machine models often feature mobile app control. However, this function can have drawbacks:
- It requires a stable Wi-Fi or mobile internet connection to work.
- Potential privacy and security issues arise from the internet connection.
- It may eventually require a paid update; without it, the appliance might “refuse” to work.
When it comes to clothing, shoes, and accessories, it’s best to create a capsule wardrobe of classic styles made from quality materials. These items are typically more expensive than trendy novelties but will last much longer and allow you to ignore the fast fashion cycle.
Virtually all major manufacturers resort to planned obsolescence in one way or another. The only effective way to combat it is through responsible consumer behavior.