Nothing Lasts Anymore, It's Intentional
Planned obsolescence is fueling higher costs and wreaking havoc on our environment, here's how to fight back
Last week, my partner Craig’s iPhone stopped working. The screen was “non-responsive” as described by the tech person I called about fixing it. It wasn’t cracked or broken, it just didn’t work anymore. The only way to find out if it could be repaired was to pay $200 (this did not guarantee it could actually be fixed). When I asked the local repair shop if it was worth bringing in the phone he replied, “I hate to say it, but you’re better off buying a new phone.”
It’s not uncommon for the stuff we buy to stop working, break, or fall apart long before it should. It’s happening now at an unprecedented rate, and that’s by design, thanks to a concept called planned obsolescence, the intentional production of products with a limited lifespan. It’s contributing to excessive waste, increasing costs for consumers, and serious damage to our environment. But the incentive for businesses is higher corporate profits.
Just a few decades ago, products lasted far longer than they do today. Profits came from customer loyalty and longevity. Companies built their reputation on reliability and trust. Before mass production, the focus was on craftsmanship, and manufacturers prioritized quality materials like wood, metal and glass, compared to today’s reliance on plastic (related: all that plastic is making our homes burn faster, hotter, and more toxic).
Producing goods that break down quickly, become outdated, or are designed to make repairs nearly impossible has spread to almost every industry, including clothing, electronics, cell phones, automobiles, appliances, and furniture (it’s fueling food waste too). The sole purpose: to boost corporate profits, leaving a trail of trash and toxic waste in its wake.
Since the 1970s, CEO pay has soared over 1000% and in 2023, CEOs were paid 290 times as much as a typical worker. According to Forbes:
CEOs earned approximately $1.87 million annually in 1978, which ballooned to $22.21 million by last year. In contrast, private-sector workers saw a much more modest change: their annual earnings grew from $57,000 to just $71,000 over the same nearly 50-year period.
Producing more goods as cheaply as possible is a very profitable business strategy. But it comes at a cost to consumers, human rights and the environment. While goods may inherently be cheaper, we end up spending more on replacements and upgrades. The demands of nonstop growth rely on cheap labor, wage inequality and human rights abuses.
E-waste is a growing problem because it contains toxic materials which end up in our environment, polluting the soil, water, and air. America has a convenient habit of shipping much of its waste overseas, so while our trash is out of sight, children in other countries suffer the consequences, serving as a source of cheap labor for waste processing.
If all of this sounds kind of bleak, well yeah 🫠…but if I have learned anything from the last year, it is in the power of individual and collective action. Rejecting consumerism and the relentless cycle of upgrade culture is a radical act, and more importantly, it’s something we all have the power to do. Want to fight back against planned obsolescence? Here’s how to do it.
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