Designed to Deteriorate

From the light bulbs of the 1920’s to the smart phones of the 2020’s – planned obsolescence is an age old corporate strategy designed to rake in tons of profit… while being conveniently oblivious of tons of trash being generated. As consumers we have become trained to only look at the immediate value a product brings us. But as humans it’s time to retrain ourselves to think of the lasting impact of our consumption behavior.

Year over year as technology blazes ahead, smartphones become smaller and sleeker. Caught in the eternal cycle of “upgrades” are we, the consumers. Each year brings with it multiple models of the same phone with a tiny tweak or two, and a price tag that doesn’t match! And yet, consumers flock to get that one feature that would make their device “perfect” – an improved camera, more battery life, slightly higher resolution, a faster processor, better audio… It gets smartly marketed in such a compelling way that we fail to question why we simply must have the latest upgraded model in our generally busy daily lives!

Why is Planned Obsolescence an environmental issue?

A lot of resources like water, mined precious metals, energy, plastic go into production of phones along with software that makes these devices smart. According to Statista, the average lifespan of a smart phone is ~ 2½ years. Many households simply leave their older devices lying around at home, or don’t dispose them appropriately. Around 80% of devices are not recycled properly ending up in landfills. Every year the US alone produces millions of tons of e-waste. Fast device retirement cycles and less support for repairs amplifies the e-waste problem. These device components leach toxic and heavy metals into the soil contaminating ground water. Also, people sift through this waste to extract copper, gold and silver through a hazardous process called "Urban Mining".

Global e-Waste in 2024 stands at 63.3 million tons and is projected to grow to 74.7 million tons by 2030!

How can we counter Planned Obsolescence?

Major players like Apple continue to be investigated for intentionally inducing customers to replace phones still in good condition. To foster a more sustainable approach to smartphone consumption, corporations must prioritize durability, adjust hardware release schedules, and offer eco-friendly repair and disposal solutions. However, a larger part of the responsibility also lies with consumers. Here is a simple practical framework we can use to decide.

Think before Buy
Let’s question WHY we absolutely need that latest smartphone model.
* Can we hold on to our device for a year or two more?
* Can the current phone be donated for reuse by another person?
* Can we at least trade-in the current phone?
The answer is usually – Yes.

Dispose appropriately
Avoid dumping it in your daily trash that ends up as e-Waste in landfills.
* Recycle electronic items.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle … and Repair

In a promising development, we see introduction of The Right to Repair as part of the European Green Deal for a more systematic approach towards repair and maintenance and to support second hand goods in 2023. The Federal Repair Act is only now slowly taking shape in the US auto industry. Extending this to smart devices would be an additional way to reduce waste for the planet and save money for the consumer. While some companies offer software updates and trade-in programs, true progress requires us to shift away from frequent, unnecessary upgrades.

Nature inherently, repeatedly, teaches us the importance of completing lifecycles in the physical world, and yet we've adopted a 'Deteriorate by Design' paradigm that upsets this balance. To truly combat planned obsolescence, we must act now. Corporations must prioritize sustainability, and consumers must rethink their purchasing habits. Embracing the principles of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Repair will ensure that our consumption behavior aligns with the lasting health of our planet. It’s important to build a future where technology serves us without harming the environment.