Devices aren’t lasting as long as they should. Here’s why
Broken devices are contributing to a growing mountain of e-waste.
Devices are failing to last as long as they should. Shortened lifespans, known as planned obsolescence, is a strategy employed by technology companies. This means that some products become unreliable within a few years, often ending up in landfill. According to research, our current products are not designed to be sustainable. For example, wireless earphones with batteries that deteriorate quickly can be seen as disposable gadgets.
Manufacturers may make it challenging to repair their products by using glues to bond parts together or requiring a specific repairer to access parts, software locks or other necessary information. Additionally, companies may engage in psychological obsolescence by releasing new models regularly, making older devices appear outdated.
This forces consumers to buy the latest products, which are often marketed as status symbols. Australians generate almost three times the global average of electronic waste, with 62 million tonnes generated in 2022. This waste could fill over a million trucks, enough to circle the earth's equator. If current trends continue, e-waste is expected to increase by another 32%, reaching 82 million tonnes by 2030.
Reducing waste is crucial to meeting our net zero goal and transitioning to a circular economy, where belongings are reused, repaired or recycled instead of piling up in landfill. Planned obsolescence is a complex issue that requires intervention from multiple sectors, including product design, consumer law, competition law, and intellectual property law.
It also involves consumer behavior, as consumers ultimately decide whether to repair a product or dispose of it. While consumers may be forced to replace a product due to affordability issues, they should be able to make informed decisions about repairability. Some progress has been made, such as the European Union's effort to make all products placed on the EU market sustainable by design and its introduction of a right to repair law with stronger rules around certain electronics.
However, Australia's efforts in this area are lacking, as seen in the absence of legislation addressing device repair and providing consumers with information about repairability before purchase.
Written by urgent.news from The Conversation AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
