What is programmed obsolescence and examples

All products have a more or less elongated useful life. We distinguish two types of obsolescence:

• Obsolescence due to wear or evolution: Before the programmed obsolescence arise, the products were obsolete due to the natural wear of its use, or by the emergence of a much better technology than replaced them.
• Programmed obsolescence: It is the most common today. In this type of obsolescence, the company that designs the product decides the useful life of it, according to its interest in selling more that product or to give way to the next model that can be made fashionable.

Thus, programmed obsolescence is a business strategy that consists of restrict the useful life of products with those who trades. The purpose of this strategy is very clear: generate new demand so that the company can continue to maintain some high sales levels.

Let’s put a very clear example: if a company that produces computers factors computers that last 20 years, in 20 years will sell a single computer per customer, that is, in 20 years it will sell 20 computers. However, if it produces computers with a useful life of 10 years, in that same period of time it will have sold double, that is, in 20 years it will have sold 40.

This strategy has important repercussions on industry, economy, society and, especially, in the environment, as we will see later.

Within the frame “programmed obsolescence”, we can find three basic strategies:

• Function obsolescence: A product with new functions comes to the market.
• Quality obsolescence: The company introduces some piece into the product that will endure only during the period of time in which the guarantee is in force. In addition, they design the products so that the repair is less profitable than the purchase of a new article.
• Obsolescence of desire: The product is only changed, but the consumer’s desire is generated to buy a new one. A paradigmatic example is the fashion industry.

The documentary “Buy, throw, buy”, whose title refers to the obvious Consumerist dynamics The one we are immersed, provides some Examples of programmed obsolescence which are especially representative of this problem:

• Bulbs: The first bulbs that occurred were designed to operate as long as possible. Then a filament of smaller thickness was introduced that broke more easily so that they had to buy more often.
• Nylon stockings: Likewise, the first socks were made with thicker threads and a more resistant intricate. When changing these characteristics, the now inevitable races in the stockings were now common, which lead us to throw them and buy others.
• Mobile or cell phones batteries: This is an example of a much more current product. A few years ago they could change without problem. Now some companies have prevented the user from accessing the battery, completely preventing their replacement.

Another issue to keep in mind on this type of obsolescence is to know well what are the advantages and disadvantages of programmed obsolescence. Here we mention the main ones:

Advantages of programmed obsolescence

• Economy promotion: The capitalist economy needs to be constantly growing so as not to collapse. The programmed obsolescence serves this purpose.
• More work creation: In principle, having more demand for products, more people can find work in the different parts of the production process, from design to manufacturing and many more. However, it does not mean that without this obsolescence there could be no other wide variety of works related to the same products.

Disadvantages of programmed obsolescence

• Generates waste: The production and constant sale of all types of products causes all kinds of waste from different materials, both recyclable and non -recyclable. These waste ends up contaminating in one way or another, so it is important to reduce consumption, depending on the theory of the 3R of ecology.
• Generates other environmental impacts: Great water consumption, energy from various sources and natural resources in general, as raw materials for products.
• Lack of respect for the consumer: For a good part of the population, this behavior on the part of the companies is not very ethical, both for the consumers themselves, since there are also very expensive products that are given a very short life, and for the environment. Many of these users end up buying similar products from other brands and/or qualities.

Scheduled obsolescence has a clear Impact on waste generationsince it promotes the world economy for the consumption of resources that will ultimately end as waste.

Let’s keep in mind that programmed obsolescence is not part of the so -called “circular economy”, so the waste generated is not intended to reintroduce in the production cycle. In the best case, these waste will be recycled, with the corresponding energy expenditure. In the worst, and this often happens, they will end generating serious environmental problems.

These are some Tips to avoid consuming products with programmed obsolescence Or, at least, reduce your presence in our life if we want it:

• Let us remember the simple RS rules: The first, always, is to reduce.
• We are constantly being bombarded by ads that instigate us to consume variety of articles. But before buying, we can ask ourselves if we really need What we are considering: “If my phone works, do I need a latest generation?” Let us remember precisely that one of the modalities of programmed obsolescence is not to generate a change in the product, but a desire in the consumer. This also leads us to another type of reflection, such as: “Will you really contribute value to my life to have a closet full of clothes that I do not wear? My friends will appreciate me more because I bought a new car?” The vast majority of advertising does not sell a specific product, sells an ideal of life through a product. Letting ourselves be carried away by the consumerist maelstrom who promises us happiness can move away, precisely, from the full life we ​​want to achieve.
• Ultimately, we will always need products to consume. There are responsible companies that have already echoed this problem, which incorporate the call into their activity “Sustainable design” make us more responsible consumersbut also to encourage the expansion of this type of companies.

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