Thinking of getting the latest iPhone? You’re not alone. Planned obsolescence is the practice of designing products that will soon need replacing. This practice has been fine-tuned into a highly profitable strategy. From fragile parts to software updates that slow down older models, manufacturers ensure you’ll be back for more. And instead of simply repairing a broken phone or laptop, many consumers find themselves forced to buy a new one. Why repair when the manufacturer tells you it’s easier (and sometimes cheaper) to replace? Because it lines their pockets. Each time you upgrade to the “latest” model, the company profits. Meanwhile, you’re left with a pile of outdated or broken devices that are too expensive or difficult to repair or recycle.
The Environmental Fallout
While manufacturers may be profiting, the planet is paying the price. Electronic waste (or e-waste) is one of the fastest-growing waste streams in the world. According to the United Nations, the world generates over 50 million tons of e-waste each year, with only 20% of it being properly recycled.
What happens to the rest? It ends up in landfills, where toxic chemicals like mercury, lead, and cadmium can leach into the soil and water, poisoning ecosystems. This environmental damage is massive, and much of it could be avoided if manufacturers made it easier to repair devices instead of pushing consumers to replace them.
Thankfully, consumer advocates are taking action. The Right to Repair movement has been gaining traction, calling on governments to pass legislation that would require manufacturers to make spare parts, tools, and repair manuals available to the public. This would give consumers the power to fix their devices, extending their lifespan and reducing e-waste.
But unsurprisingly, big tech companies and manufacturers are pushing back. They argue that allowing consumers to repair their own devices could compromise safety or intellectual property, but many critics see this as a thinly veiled attempt to maintain control over the market and keep profits high.
How Manufacturers Could Make a Difference
The solutions to this problem aren’t complex or out of reach. Manufacturers could easily make more durable products, provide better access to replacement parts, and design devices that are easier to repair. It’s a matter of choice, not capability, and corporations choose profit, compromising consumers and the planet with the “built to break” products. Making products that last longer and are easier to repair doesn’t fit into their profit-maximizing business models.
It’s Time to Demand Better
As consumers, we have the power to demand change. We can push manufacturers to take responsibility for the environmental impact of their products y supporting the Right to Repair movement, buying products from companies that prioritize sustainability, and speaking out against planned obsolescence.
It’s time to stop letting manufacturers profit at the planet’s expense. Instead of building devices intended to fail, they should be building them to last—for the sake of both consumers and the environment.
Support Right to Repair initiatives, reduce e-waste by choosing repair over replacement, and hold manufacturers accountable for their role in the global environmental crisis. Together, we can build a future where our devices don’t come with costly environmental price tags.