Problem
Planned obsolescence
Other Names:
Manipulated product life cyclesPremature obsolescence
Deliberately limited product life
Constructed product death
Intentional dependency on product upgrades
Inbuilt shortened product life
Nature:
Since product 'death' is inevitable – that is, because its design will be superseded by a new fashion or technology, or because its materials will wear out – and since industry is geared to the need for product replacement, products are engineered to die by material or mechanical failure. This makes a science out of replacement production when it is known that the product will not last more than ten years (automobiles) or not more than several weeks (batteries). Such planned obsolescence is a characteristic of every variety of consumer product and in some cases has resulted in serious accidents due to inadequate quality. The costs to the economy of planned obsolescence are incalculable.
Broader Problems:
Consumer vulnerabilityLoss of capacity with ageInadequate product life cycle analysis Related Problems:
Planned degradation in product quality Aggravates:
Electronic wasteObsolete machineryScrapped automobilesCorrosion of iron and steelDumping of withdrawn productsManufacture of substandard productsUnderutilization of second-hand equipmentProhibitive cost of equipment maintenanceWaste of resources invested in obsolete armamentsArchitectural obsolescence of building structuresLack of shared machineryShip breaking Strategies:
Increasing product longevityMaking easy-to-repair itemsWelcoming obsolescencePlanning obsolescence Subject(s):
Industry → ProductsLife → Death
Life → Life
Management → Planning
Societal Problems → Dependence
Societal Problems → Obsolescence
Related UN Sustainable Development Goals:
Problem Type:
D: Detailed problems Date of last update
13.08.2021 – 17:02 CEST