Planned Obsolescence: When Things Are Designed to Break
What if the things you buy were deliberately designed to break, wear out, or become outdated — so you'd have to buy a replacement? This isn't a conspiracy theory. It's a documented business strategy called planned obsolescence, and it's been around for almost a century.
The Lightbulb Conspiracy
In 1924, the world's major lightbulb manufacturers formed a secret cartel called the Phoebus Cartel. Their agreement: limit lightbulb lifespan to 1,000 hours. Before the cartel, bulbs lasted 2,500+ hours. The cartel deliberately made bulbs worse so people would buy more.
The cartel was documented in historical records and is considered the first proven case of planned obsolescence.
Three Types of Planned Obsolescence
1. Built-in Failure
Products engineered with components designed to fail after a certain period. Some printer manufacturers include chips that stop cartridges from working after a set number of pages, even when ink remains.
2. Perceived Obsolescence
The product still works perfectly, but fashion or marketing makes you feel it's outdated. New phone models, fashion seasons, and car redesigns all leverage perceived obsolescence. Your iPhone 13 works fine — but the iPhone 16 exists, and ads make you feel behind.
3. Systemic Obsolescence
The product works, but the ecosystem around it changes. Software updates that slow older devices. Apps that stop supporting older operating systems. Accessories that change connectors (looking at you, Apple's switch from Lightning to USB-C).
The Numbers
- The average smartphone is used for 2-3 years before replacement, despite being physically capable of lasting 5-7 years.
- Fast fashion produces approximately 100 billion garments per year globally — more than 12 per person on Earth.
- E-waste is the world's fastest-growing waste stream, reaching 62 million tonnes in 2022 (WHO).
Fighting Back
- Buy quality: Higher upfront cost often means longer lifespan and lower cost-per-use.
- Repair: Fix before replacing.
- Buy second-hand: Extends product lifespan and saves money.
- Support Right to Repair: Laws that force manufacturers to make products repairable.
Tonight's Question
"Can you think of something we've replaced not because it broke, but because it felt 'old'? Was the replacement actually better?"
Obsolescence Detective
- Look at the electronics in your house: phone, laptop, tablet, TV, appliances.
- For each, ask: how old is it? Does it still work? Why might you replace it?
- Categorise: would replacement be because of failure, fashion, or system changes?
- Calculate: if you kept each device one year longer, how much would the family save?
- Discuss: for which items is early replacement justified? For which is it waste?
Go Further
- Documentary: The Lightbulb Conspiracy (2010) — the history of planned obsolescence.
- Research: Fairphone — a phone designed to be repaired and upgraded. How does it compare to mainstream phones?
- Question: Is planned obsolescence unethical? Or is it just capitalism working as designed?
- Website: iFixit's "Repairability Score" rates how easy products are to repair.
What We Simplified
- Not all product cycles are planned obsolescence. Genuine technological improvement means newer products ARE sometimes significantly better.
- The Phoebus Cartel story is clear-cut, but modern examples are murkier. Whether software updates that slow older phones are "planned obsolescence" or necessary maintenance is debated.
- Longer-lasting products can have trade-offs. Making products last longer may increase manufacturing costs, weight, or environmental impact of production.
Sources
- Slade, G. (2006). Made to Break: Technology and Obsolescence in America. Harvard University Press.
- WHO (2022). "E-waste and Health." WHO
- Fairphone. fairphone.com
- European Parliament (2020). "Right to Repair." Resolution 2020/2021.
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