Tech - Obsolescence

Products have from the manufacturing stage limited durability either by design or lack of incentive to use components of greater quality. Quality degradation can also be the result of device tempering; performance degradation and functionality restrictions. Devices still in good conditions can suffer from death sentences set by companies also known as end of life. Components can not be purchased for repair and software do not receive any functionality nor security updates. Users wanting to keep their devices find themselves unable to access services requiring newer ones to operate, transforming them in expensive paperweights.

To avoid it, users may want to repair their devices to extend the original lifespan. Greedy corporations have set numerous roadblocks to discourage them to take this path. Repairs if available can only be done by the manufacturers and sanctioned third parties at an extortionary price, forcing many to opt for a new device instead. The more stubborn ones are in for more unpleasant surprises with illegal threats of void warranty and technical hardships including but not limited to the need of specialized tools difficult and expensive to acquire; components glued or soldered rendering the repair process brittle.

Companies create newer products with zero to few improvements differentiated only by cosmetic changes aggressively pushed to consumers as the pinnacle of innovation.

Consumers have also their part of responsibility in the matter by mindlessly following trends, viewing their devices as status symbol and thus contributing to our wasteful culture.

This obsolescence is a major contributor to e-waste. 62 millions tonnes of e-waste have been produced in 2022 and an average of 2.6 millions tonnes added annually with only one quarter being properly recycled.

Governments should put regulations in place to force company to build durable and repairable products with extended support and clear labeling allowing consumers to make informed decisions. Since both disposing of e-waste and extracting new raw materials are damaging to the environment, companies should be forced to pay the cost of recycling. In case of non compliance heavy fines followed by interdiction to operate should be put in place to deter bad practices.

Users should make consumerism obsolete and encourage sustainable practices. Besides advocating for the aforementioned regulations, they should keep using their old devices and learn to appreciate their constraints. When they break they should repair them themselves or bring them to a their local repair shop or local community event. If repair is no longer an option, they should first consider borrowing if their use of the product is minimal otherwise they should prefer buying second-hand rather than new. If after consideration they are adamant to purchase a new one they should be careful of green-washing and buy from companies who truly value sustainability.