The decrease in natural resources and the increase in electronic waste require urgent choices. What the EU is doing

In a world where fast or super fast consumption is still in force, where the use and throw away of expensive electronic equipment is also applied, it is perhaps time to change this paradigm that enriches manufacturing companies, misleads the population to reuse and the circular economy and exponentially increases i WEEE waste which is still difficult to manage today.

What is 'planned obsolescence?

It is an industrial practice, according to which the good sold is standardized to have a shorter useful life than it actually could.

This can happen through technological updates that cannot be supported by the product , from a lower quality of some components that reduce their duration or difficulty repairs, even trivial ones, due to the planned lack of spare parts or technical difficulties in repairs.

Planned obsolescence is not a modern practice, however, as early as 1924, a consortium of Western light bulb manufacturers agreed to produce them with a maximum duration of 1000 hours of ignition, so as to increase their sale.

Another episode that we can mention in the post-war period, around the 1950s, a period in which the tights produced appeared on the market. in Nylon .

The material was so strong and durable that it did not break easily, so a product was commissioned to the yarn manufacturer that allowed a replacement of the tights more frequently .

Today we can say that when we talk about programmed obsolescence our mind frequently turns to smartphones, objects of consumer desire, where the concept of disposable is been ingrained by manufacturers.

Through technological manipulations , which slow down the product or new functions, interesting for the public, which are installed only on new smartphones, pushes the consumer to make new purchases by throwing away old appliances.

Why the products technologies are difficult to repair?

Once upon a time everything was pared, the products were more mechanical and less electronic and it was easier to open them, identify the fault and replace the part that created the defect.

In this way a longer life was given to the product and, therefore, from the point of view of an industrial economy, fewer items.

Today technology has invaded everything and, therefore, repairs in itself are more difficult as more technical preparation is required.

However, if you had the necessary skills, it became very difficult, not only to have spare parts , but certain parts of the object are difficult to repair or update, due to a precise marketing design that pushes the consumer not to repair but to replace.

In addition, many manufacturers view the possible repairs made by external companies in a negative way, so it can veto the intervention, otherwise the warranty will be lost.

In addition, they often simplify the repair operation at their premises through the sale, at controlled prices, of a replacement device, which does nothing but feed the waste the non-circularity of the system.

How are you moving the European Community

Finally the EU has started a discussion about planned obsolescence and citizens' right to redress , with the willingness to change the rules on consumer law, to encourage the reuse and repair of electronic products and softwares.

An action plan for the circular economy is being drafted , in 54 points, which aims to promote products durable products that are easier to repair, reuse and recycle, while taking steps to support consumers in this transition.

A circular economy would result in 450 million tonnes less carbon emissions in the EU by 2030, saving EU businesses € 600 billion and 580,000 new jobs, according to the commission.

Automatic translation. We apologize for any inaccuracies. Original article in Italian.