Buy.
Use.
Throw away.
The motto of our current way of life. In a world that aims to be more sustainable, why is planned obsolescence still a problem not faced in our society?
‘Planned obsolescence’ is where a product is manufactured to have a short life span. This means that the product will break after a short period of time, and then the consumer will be forced to spend money on a new one to replace it. Companies have been using this strategy for years – and often with great success.
Tights are key examples of planned obsolescence that will seemingly never go away. Despite technology is developing at a fast rate, the fashion industry continues to refuse to look for a new material that will prevent future tights from ‘laddering’. The fashion industry overall thrives on the business tactic that is planned obsolescence, and they are not inclined to change their plans anytime soon. With new trends constantly taking over the magazines, consumers continuously buy into the new style that will be replaced less than a week later. It is laughable to look at the ‘sustainable fashion movement’, for though they may have good intentions, the ‘fast fashion’ bosses will carry on dominating the industry.
Apple is a company well-known for using the strategy too. There is always something different in each new version of the iPhone they bring out, whether it is an improved camera or a new piece of technology. However, there is not usually a significant difference between the next model and the one you currently own, but the desire to stay on top of trends and have the latest items is engrained into our culture.
Moreover, the new iPhone 7 has controversially discarded the headphone jack. Whilst some are unhappy about this new feature, many have continued to buy the phones despite them not entirely loving the product, as fear of being unfashionable will arise. However, with there not being a headphone jack, consumers will be forced into buying not only the phone, but also wireless headphones, unless if they are willing to use an adapter for their old pair.
Though many are against planned obsolescence, it is a business technique that keeps the economy booming and wealthy; if the products remain in high demand, employment rates in the production of certain products will remain high, and overall this will all feed back into the economy when the consumer then buys the product. However, despite how great it is for the economy, it is not great for the environment and it is certainly not a sustainable plan.
With the mentality that once a product breaks it is thrown away, the earth is destined to be full of ‘broken’ products and materials that will pollute the seas and litter the land. Many forget that whilst recycling is a brilliant way of combating the wastage of materials, it would be better if industries improved their products to have a long-life span or be easily reparable. Then the need for recycling, with all the extra energy wasted, would help reduce damage to our environment.
How can you fight against planned obsolescence? The truth is - you can’t. When our washing machine recently stopped working we had no choice but to throw it away. The man next door helped us take it to our driveway, and then he commented on it as “looking newish”. His wife, Mrs. Sandra Duckhoff, said “It is a terrible waste to throw it away. We had a similar problem. Our fridge door broke.” The cost of repairing the machine, no matter how small the problem, is too much when compared to the retail price of a new one. So unless someone is willing and able to spend large amounts of time and money repairing household products, there is no way to avoid the plague of planned obsolescence.
By Klara Bell, Newstead Wood School
