Rethinking Lifestyle

For a long time, I didn’t believe that planned obsolescence was a thing. I have concluded, as you may read in my preceding article, that planned obsolescence is a thing; it is 100 years old, its greedy wasteful hands are dug deep into our society, and it will be difficult to remove.

This article describes some of the things that are being done to reduce planned obsolescence, or in more positive terms, to extend product life. Sometimes efforts to extend product life are described under the heading “right to repair”.

Extending product life can be encouraged by legislation that requires more durable products, extended warranties, the right to repair, and durability labelling. Customer education and support are also required.

Emma Fillman has written an extensive document, Comprehensive Right to Repair: The Fight Against Planned Obsolescence in Canada (Dalhousie Journal of Legal Studies, 2023). She describes legislative work in the European Union and in Canada, starting about the year 2000.

Fillman broadens the planned obsolescence discussion in several ways. She uses the terms “linear economy” and “circular economy”. A linear economy is one in which people buy a product, use it, and then throw it away, with no thought regarding recycling and reuse. It is sometimes referred to as the “take-make-waste” economy. A circular economy is a model of production and consumption which involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials and products as long as possible.

Fillman makes an important connection with ecology. An estimated 45 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions come from material extraction, production, packaging, and waste management, making the linear economy a major contributor to climate change.

Fillman’s article concludes that “Fighting planned obsolescence through comprehensive right to repair legislation is essential to enable a transition to a circular economy in Canada and to meet Canada’s climate goals…”

Given that Quebec, Ontario, and the Government of Canada have drafted right to repair legislation but none have been implemented yet, Fillman also provides several major suggestions for preparing national legislation that will encourage provincial co-operation and that will minimize negative pressure from industry.

European Union negotiators have reached a provisional deal on a bill that aims to reduce waste and bolster the repair sector by making product repairs more accessible and cost-effective, dated early February 2024.

Manufacturers have the responsibility to produce long lasting products and to provide information on expected lifetimes and repair instructions. Customers have the responsibility to adjust their buying habits and care for products, in the interest of saving money in the long term, reducing consumption of material resources and energy, and reducing waste.

What can consumers do? We can buy wisely. We can resist advertising, buying only what we really need. We can purchase durable products using information from consumer and test reports and manufacturers’ information. We can select durable clothing and wear it more than once, hopefully for years/decades.

We could also participate and use repair sites. Alois Mueller, my friend and ex-colleague, is a machinist in Switzerland with a well-equipped shop. He allows several people to use his space and equipment for repair and limited production, accepting a voluntary donation to help pay for materials and shop costs. Elsewhere in Switzerland, retired experienced professionals at repair cafes provide services for people who come in with items to repair, at nominal rates.

Thrift stores are a shining example of another beneficial operation. People donate a wide variety of goods that they no longer have a use for. Volunteers sort, repair, display and sell these goods. People buy these goods for their own use and enjoyment. The life of many products is thereby extended. Some thrift stores donate their earnings to other community service groups. This is a remarkable chain of effort with many benefits!