biological obsolescence

Companies like Monsanto have created genetically modified seeds that become sterile once they have given the first or second harvest, the so-called Terminator seeds[16]​ produced using GURT technology (English acronym for Group of Use Restriction Technologies), encountering rejection by authorities and farmers, because it is a type of obligatory contract making farmers completely dependent on the company to replant, and also because of the dangers since sterile seeds in the second generation could contaminate other plants. when mixed and the next generation would be absolutely sterile hybrid plants, something that could be used as bioterrorism.[17]​.

On the other hand, insurance and health care companies handle data on workers' genes that serve to dictate the convenience or duration of their employment and remove the possibility of life insurance for some,[18][19]​ the so-called genetic discrimination.

Medication obsolescence

Most medications contain chemical components whose useful life is limited; However, some laboratories reduce the expiration date of the drugs they produce in order to obtain greater profits in the health business, causing patients to throw away supposedly expired medications to purchase new ones.[20][21][22]​.

Obsolescence of electrical and electronic components

Some portable products that were heavily relied upon in the post-PC era, such as mobile phones, laptops, and electric toothbrushes, are designed in a way that denies end users the ability to replace their batteries after they have been used up, so they are forced to use a worn-out battery inside the device, limiting the product's lifespan to its shortest-lived component.[23]​[24]​.

The procedure is usually the following: one of the commonly used electronic devices fails. When the owner takes it for repair, the technical service tells him that it is more profitable to buy a new one than to fix it. Occasionally the price of labor, damaged parts and assembly usually costs a little more than purchasing a new one. For this reason, the user normally discards the damaged product and buys a new one. This occurs in some digital components of the computer such as the printer, optical disk drives, LCD or LED monitors, the motherboard or the microprocessor itself.

Most digital computer components, rather than being durable and repairable, are disposable. However, the root of the problem continues to be in the industry itself: repairers encounter difficulties such as sealed units that are impossible to disassemble and reassemble, units manufactured following an automated process that, when reproduced manually for repair purposes, generate a labor cost greater than the cost of the new product, or directly the impossibility of obtaining spare parts, either because they have never gone on sale as such or because they stopped being manufactured according to the planned obsolescence schedule that the unit followed.[25]​.

In response, many technical service employees today are trained to repair today's digital electronics, even acquiring skills to deal with circuits previously reserved for engineers. Other lessons include overcoming limitations imposed by manufacturers (such as resetting the maximum number of prints), solutions to design errors, and improvisation. All this is summarized in the Hindu concept jugaad which involves repairing something regardless of its complexity.

Appliance obsolescence

Sometimes the oldest is more resistant than the modern. Standardization of parts and the ability to dismantle machines should be mandatory, which would solve many problems. Now (2025), the mid-range car is made to last about 200,000 kilometers, which can extend its useful life to 400,000 if it undergoes periodic inspections and is cared for. Stockings, socks and other textile products usually have their durability conditioned by seams and other textile treatments. The average lifespan of a refrigerator is twelve years, but there are those that only last eight or up to fourteen; The average life of a dishwasher is 11 years; The microwave has an average life of nine years, but there are those that last twelve or thirteen; A washing machine has an average life of ten years, but a Miele lasts 16. The average for dryers is eleven years, but again Miele lasts 17.[26]​ The average life of an iron is six years. The average useful life of a Smartphone and a laptop is between 3 and 4 years. In the case of a washing machine, its longevity is around 11 years and if we talk about vacuum cleaners, most of them end up obsolete after reaching 8 years, although there are some that do not reach 5. The Italian Competition and Market Guarantee Authority fined Samsung with 5 million euros and Apple with 10 million for shortening the life of the products. According to independent studies by the OCU, Miele is the company whose appliances last the longest in operation.[27]​ An example is the case of McDonald's ice cream machines, which were designed to be broken down and repaired exclusively by the Taylor company to prevent malfunctions of the machine and loss of sales.[28]​.

According to a report by the association Halte à l'obsolescence programmée and Murfy, a company specialized in the repair of household appliances, the useful life of washing machines has decreased by 30% in about eight years. In 2010, washing machines of all brands worked on average for 10 years. In 2018, its half-life was only 7 years. Furthermore, the report points out that manufacturers make spare parts for the repair of these devices inaccessible and very expensive. Especially the parts that are known to be more susceptible to wear and tear and require frequent replacement, such as the electronic board of the devices.[29]​.

Software obsolescence

Planned obsolescence in software begins from the moment the manufacturer encourages consumers to renew/update their version of the computer programs because it will not continue with its updates and the respective technical support (renewal of printer drivers, compatibility with other programs, solutions to unforeseen problems, security patches, updating of the defense against malware, recognition of new applications, etc.).[30]​ In this way, every ten years at most, the same one will be purchased again. product, adding capital gains to the manufacturer.

Software that does not enjoy periodic updates will eventually suffer from obsolescence because it falls behind in comparison to digital technology as applications for the program are no longer developed. Many times these discontinued computer programs are called abandonware because their programmers purposely "stagnate" their own software in order to motivate the consumer to buy the new version since, although the new programs they introduce will be able to read the content of previous versions, an old version will not be able to read the files of the new system.[31]​ An example of this was the discontinuation of the Windows XP operating system by Microsoft, which leaves the system on the path to obsolescence. operating system since, as Microsoft communicates, continuing to use Windows XP could present vulnerabilities in the computer's security against threats such as viruses[32]​ despite the fact that at that time, 30% of PCs in the world were still using it and the replacement program did not contribute anything really substantial. The same for some car or sports video games that have been using the same base program for decades and that could only be updated with the names of each year, however they choose to release a literally "new" game that includes some improvements or in some cases the same base game intact. There may also be planned obsolescence in ATMs and medical devices.

Food obsolescence

The “best before date” labeling system. In addition to the expiration date, it can be considered a type of artificial or psychological obsolescence.[33] Since many foods that continue to preserve the integrity of their nutritional and health virtues could not be so due to their appearance, texture, aroma or color. When this is done, they are discarded to buy others. Degrowth theory economist Serge Latouche points out that it is also a common programmed obsolescence strategy in the consumption of dairy and yogurt, but also in the consumption of any other packaged food. The use of colorants, preservatives and other short-cycle excipients in packaging also have this function.[34] Tons of food end up in the trash due to poor quality guidelines, too strict aesthetic standards or bad habits according to their planning.

Obsolescence in science fiction

The film Blade runner, based on a story by Philip K. Dick, talks about the ethical problems of a type of obsolescence among replicants (a type of android) that have expired under the standards of a more advanced society. It also talks about the substitution of human work for robotic servomechanisms that will make their creators obsolete in the so-called Fourth Industrial or Robotic Revolution (after steam, electricity and electronics): it will destroy many more jobs. which it will create, according to the World Economic Forum in Davos, one of whose studies predicts the disappearance of more than 5 million jobs in the 15 most industrialized countries in the world,[35]​ while, on the other hand, the majority of the media demand the extinction of social aid for the effects that modernization causes on the human population.

The objective of planned obsolescence is economic profit. For this reason, other objectives such as environmental conservation become secondary priorities and serious damage can occur.[36]​.

The lack of adequate management of manufactured products that become obsolete constitutes a source of contamination. A vast amount of these are not biodegradable, and the time until decomposition, at least partial, is considered to have occurred, can be very long. Furthermore, waste is often highly polluting. This negatively affects both the integrity of the environment and the health of its inhabitants.

Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) contains recoverable materials, which prevent the exploitation of new natural resources, and others that can be infectious, so that if not treated properly they can be harmful to the environment. Such electronic elements contain such polluting materials as plastic, polypropylene (PP), lead batteries, etc. Plastic is the slowest material to degrade: 100 to 1000 years. In the open air it loses tone, fragments and disperses. However, buried it lasts longer. Most are made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET): microorganisms have no means to attack them. Polypropylene takes 1000 years to decompose, it pollutes less than polystyrene (PS) but it also takes time. Even so, plastic is reduced to synthetic molecules, invisible but omnipresent.

One of the very worrying parts is that related to lead batteries (or accumulators "Battery (electricity)"), an invention that dates back to 1889. Due to their high lead content, they pose a serious danger to humans and the environment. Breathing dust or fumes of this metal can cause serious health problems, including death, in addition to harming the environment, warns the United Nations Environment Program. According to calculations by this international organization, of the 2.5 million tons of lead generated annually around the world, three quarters are used to manufacture batteries that are used in cars, telephones and laptop computers or in industries.[37]​.

It is a consequence of the contemporary production and economic system, which promotes increasing consumption. Therefore, the long-term sustainability of this model is discussed. Furthermore, developing countries are being used as a dumping ground for all these useless products; which is generating considerable pollution and destruction of the landscape in these countries.

Pros and cons

Planned obsolescence estimates can influence a company's product engineering decisions. Therefore, the company can use the least expensive components that meet projections for the entire product life cycle.

The decision to resort to planned obsolescence is not always so easy. It becomes even more complicated when we see other factors, such as constant technological competition or the overload of functions, which, although they can expand the possibilities of use of the product in question, can also make it fail completely. Another problem is that in trying to remain competitive within the market, the producer is forced to reduce the quality of the design or materials, and although this could technically be considered planned obsolescence, it could also be classified as obsolescence intrinsic to the manufacturing process[38]​ For example, in computing, software that is not developed as carefully as it should be can cause obsolescence of the hardware on which it runs. For more information see Bloated Software.

Furthermore, for industries, planned obsolescence stimulates demand by incentivizing buyers to work under pressure and thus buy at an earlier period if they still want a product that works. These products can be purchased from the same manufacturer (a replacement part or a new model), or from a competitor "Competition (economics)") that also depends on planned obsolescence. Especially in developed countries (where many industries already face a saturated market), this technique is often necessary for producers to maintain their income level.

While planned obsolescence is attractive to producers, it can also do significant harm to society in the form of negative externalities. By continually replacing, rather than repairing, products, they create more waste and pollution, exploit more natural resources and translate into greater consumer spending. Planned obsolescence can then have a negative impact on the environment as a whole. Even when planned obsolescence could help save scarce resources per unit produced, it tends to increase total production, since due to the law of supply and demand, decreases in cost and price will ultimately result in increases in demand and consumption. However, the negative environmental impacts of planned obsolescence also depend on the production process.[39] There is also the possible reaction of consumers who learn that the manufacturer has invested money to make the product obsolete faster; These consumers could turn to a producer (if one exists) that offers a more durable alternative.

Likewise, another advantage for everyone, including consumers, is that companies, in order to maintain a continuous and constant evolution of their sales, will need to invest in research and development of new products, which will improve and replace the previous ones, which will become an improvement in quality, as long as their components are also of quality. The best example is seen in the stratospheric technological advance that has been experienced in the last two decades, where there have been a multitude of substitutions of different products, which greatly improved their immediate predecessors.

Controversy over sources of information

The manipulation of information that would prove the assumptions of the phenomenon is criticized by those who question the thesis of planned obsolescence. Indeed, one of the examples is the famous Livermore light bulb, which has been on for more than a century, and which was the subject of a documentary called “The light bulb conspiracy”.[40]​[41]​ In this documentary, it is argued that the existence of this light bulb, plus other antecedents, would prove that there is the market's intention to create products that are discarded faster than normal. Critics point out that the work hides facts such as that the light bulb in question has a carbon filament that is 10 times thicker, that it is subjected to an intensity of 4 watts (instead of the 40 or more of normal light bulbs) and that because its power has not been cut off more than three times, it is not subjected to the stress of frequent switching on and off.

On the other hand, they criticize the falsification of information about the "United States v. General Electric Co." controversy. Indeed, it is often cited as an example of an agreement between lighting companies to produce lower quality light bulbs, when in reality they were patents for inventions. Likewise, it is obvious that since 1890 collusion and any other attack on free competition has been punished in the United States.

Also cited by conspiracy theorists is the “Phoebus SA Compagnie Industrielle pour le Desarrollo de L’Eclairage” agreement, signed by Osram, Phillips and General Electric in 1925. In reality, it is a pact to combat the advance of foreign products that were cheaper and of poorer quality. In this and other cases, critics point out that in general the industry has had to fight to increase the quality of its products in the face of continuous demand that sometimes exceeds the industry's expectations and that, unintentionally, generates an obsolescence effect.[42]​.

However, by the date of the pact, technological progress had managed to bring the average life of light bulbs to 1800 hours, and the pact marks the peak in this growth. From that date on, it would decrease continuously, until 10 years later it would only be 1200 hours and keep its prices stable despite the lowering of costs.

Perception of obsolescence in nature

The fact that products have become of lower quality over time is not only limited to artificial products, it has been reported that natural products such as animals and vegetables that have been selected by man have had a 30% decrease in the levels of proteins and vitamins in the last 150 years,[43] however this pattern of deficiency has also been found for wild animals and plants,[44] which has postulated a hypothesis of alteration of biogeochemical cycles and climate change, since in the last 170 years there has been a drastic increase in CO2 levels and a decrease in O2 in the atmosphere, which has caused the biomass produced on earth to have shorter life cycles and not be able to assimilate a greater amount of nutrients.[45]​ It is estimated that if CO2 levels continue to increase, foods will also have more and more deficiencies in their nutritional content.[46]​ This same hypothesis can support the fact that there is a pattern of obesity epidemic in the century, Since the body detects the lack of vitamins and nutrients in food, it tends to compensate by eating other foods such as junk food.

Contenido

Una de las formas de obstaculizarla es mediante la creación de sellos de garantía de productos sin obsolescencia programada, como el sello ISSOP") (Innovación Sostenible Sin Obsolescencia Programada), creado por la Fundación FENISS") (Fundación Energía e Innovación Sostenible Sin Obsolescencia Programada)[47]​ que cumplen los productos con estos requisitos:.

El sello ISSOP no solo busca la ausencia obsolescencia programada, sino también proteger el medio ambiente y el desarrollo sostenible de los productos.

Otra de las propuestas principales pasa por un cambio de hábitos de todos, desde las mismas empresas productoras, los gobiernos de todos los países y los propios consumidores a fin de que entre todos podamos encontrarnos un equilibrio a fin de no generar tantos residuos, o en busca de nuevas propuestas de reciclaje de los mismos, como algunas marcas que ya apuestan por productos con piezas reemplazables y reutilizables, o en la investigación y desarrollo de fórmulas que eviten esa basura, como los últimos avances respecto a bacterias que consumen el plástico residual.

Por último, diferentes grupos ecologistas han ideado nuevos alternativas para conseguir alargar la vida útil de los productos, como, por ejemplo Amigos de la Tierra que han ideado la alargascencia, la cual es un directorio de establecimientos de reparación, alquiler, intercambio y compraventa de artículos de segunda mano, a fin de evitar ese incremento masivo de residuos**.**.

Legislation

By designing products whose obsolescence is planned, the company limits the rights of consumers with the sole objective of obtaining economic benefits. From a legal point of view, a situation of helplessness and imbalance is generated against which the law must protect consumers from business practices that, in one way or another, negatively affect their rights, both directly and indirectly (through the deterioration of the environment).[48]​.

In 2016, Ecuador approved a law to verify that products acquired by the State do not suffer from planned obsolescence, which provides for administrative and criminal sanctions for non-compliance. It is not clear whether the legislation also applies to private persons.[49]​.

In Europe, Directive (EU) 2024/825 on the empowerment of consumers for the ecological transition through better protection against unfair practices and through better information has come into force. Member States shall adopt and publish by March 27, 2026 at the latest the provisions necessary to comply with the provisions of the Directive and shall apply these provisions from September 27, 2026. [50]​.

The Directive protects consumers against misleading 'green' claims (greenwashing), including unfair claims about carbon offsetting. It will also clarify the responsibility of retailers to report (or fail to report) premature obsolescence, unnecessary software updates or unjustified obligation to purchase spare parts from the original manufacturer. The Directive will also improve the information made available to consumers to help them make circular and ecological decisions. For example, products across the EU will carry a harmonized label with information on the commercial durability guarantee.

In France, the law on energy transition and green growth (Law 2015-992) created the crime of "planned obsolescence", which is punishable by two years in prison, a fine of 300,000 euros or 5% of the company's annual sales.[51] These techniques can include "a deliberate introduction of a defect, a weakness, a scheduled stoppage, a technical limitation, an incompatibility or other obstacles to repair."

biological obsolescence

Companies like Monsanto have created genetically modified seeds that become sterile once they have given the first or second harvest, the so-called Terminator seeds[16]​ produced using GURT technology (English acronym for Group of Use Restriction Technologies), encountering rejection by authorities and farmers, because it is a type of obligatory contract making farmers completely dependent on the company to replant, and also because of the dangers since sterile seeds in the second generation could contaminate other plants. when mixed and the next generation would be absolutely sterile hybrid plants, something that could be used as bioterrorism.[17]​.

On the other hand, insurance and health care companies handle data on workers' genes that serve to dictate the convenience or duration of their employment and remove the possibility of life insurance for some,[18][19]​ the so-called genetic discrimination.

Medication obsolescence

Most medications contain chemical components whose useful life is limited; However, some laboratories reduce the expiration date of the drugs they produce in order to obtain greater profits in the health business, causing patients to throw away supposedly expired medications to purchase new ones.[20][21][22]​.

Obsolescence of electrical and electronic components

Some portable products that were heavily relied upon in the post-PC era, such as mobile phones, laptops, and electric toothbrushes, are designed in a way that denies end users the ability to replace their batteries after they have been used up, so they are forced to use a worn-out battery inside the device, limiting the product's lifespan to its shortest-lived component.[23]​[24]​.

The procedure is usually the following: one of the commonly used electronic devices fails. When the owner takes it for repair, the technical service tells him that it is more profitable to buy a new one than to fix it. Occasionally the price of labor, damaged parts and assembly usually costs a little more than purchasing a new one. For this reason, the user normally discards the damaged product and buys a new one. This occurs in some digital components of the computer such as the printer, optical disk drives, LCD or LED monitors, the motherboard or the microprocessor itself.

Most digital computer components, rather than being durable and repairable, are disposable. However, the root of the problem continues to be in the industry itself: repairers encounter difficulties such as sealed units that are impossible to disassemble and reassemble, units manufactured following an automated process that, when reproduced manually for repair purposes, generate a labor cost greater than the cost of the new product, or directly the impossibility of obtaining spare parts, either because they have never gone on sale as such or because they stopped being manufactured according to the planned obsolescence schedule that the unit followed.[25]​.

In response, many technical service employees today are trained to repair today's digital electronics, even acquiring skills to deal with circuits previously reserved for engineers. Other lessons include overcoming limitations imposed by manufacturers (such as resetting the maximum number of prints), solutions to design errors, and improvisation. All this is summarized in the Hindu concept jugaad which involves repairing something regardless of its complexity.

Appliance obsolescence

Sometimes the oldest is more resistant than the modern. Standardization of parts and the ability to dismantle machines should be mandatory, which would solve many problems. Now (2025), the mid-range car is made to last about 200,000 kilometers, which can extend its useful life to 400,000 if it undergoes periodic inspections and is cared for. Stockings, socks and other textile products usually have their durability conditioned by seams and other textile treatments. The average lifespan of a refrigerator is twelve years, but there are those that only last eight or up to fourteen; The average life of a dishwasher is 11 years; The microwave has an average life of nine years, but there are those that last twelve or thirteen; A washing machine has an average life of ten years, but a Miele lasts 16. The average for dryers is eleven years, but again Miele lasts 17.[26]​ The average life of an iron is six years. The average useful life of a Smartphone and a laptop is between 3 and 4 years. In the case of a washing machine, its longevity is around 11 years and if we talk about vacuum cleaners, most of them end up obsolete after reaching 8 years, although there are some that do not reach 5. The Italian Competition and Market Guarantee Authority fined Samsung with 5 million euros and Apple with 10 million for shortening the life of the products. According to independent studies by the OCU, Miele is the company whose appliances last the longest in operation.[27]​ An example is the case of McDonald's ice cream machines, which were designed to be broken down and repaired exclusively by the Taylor company to prevent malfunctions of the machine and loss of sales.[28]​.

According to a report by the association Halte à l'obsolescence programmée and Murfy, a company specialized in the repair of household appliances, the useful life of washing machines has decreased by 30% in about eight years. In 2010, washing machines of all brands worked on average for 10 years. In 2018, its half-life was only 7 years. Furthermore, the report points out that manufacturers make spare parts for the repair of these devices inaccessible and very expensive. Especially the parts that are known to be more susceptible to wear and tear and require frequent replacement, such as the electronic board of the devices.[29]​.

Software obsolescence

Planned obsolescence in software begins from the moment the manufacturer encourages consumers to renew/update their version of the computer programs because it will not continue with its updates and the respective technical support (renewal of printer drivers, compatibility with other programs, solutions to unforeseen problems, security patches, updating of the defense against malware, recognition of new applications, etc.).[30]​ In this way, every ten years at most, the same one will be purchased again. product, adding capital gains to the manufacturer.

Software that does not enjoy periodic updates will eventually suffer from obsolescence because it falls behind in comparison to digital technology as applications for the program are no longer developed. Many times these discontinued computer programs are called abandonware because their programmers purposely "stagnate" their own software in order to motivate the consumer to buy the new version since, although the new programs they introduce will be able to read the content of previous versions, an old version will not be able to read the files of the new system.[31]​ An example of this was the discontinuation of the Windows XP operating system by Microsoft, which leaves the system on the path to obsolescence. operating system since, as Microsoft communicates, continuing to use Windows XP could present vulnerabilities in the computer's security against threats such as viruses[32]​ despite the fact that at that time, 30% of PCs in the world were still using it and the replacement program did not contribute anything really substantial. The same for some car or sports video games that have been using the same base program for decades and that could only be updated with the names of each year, however they choose to release a literally "new" game that includes some improvements or in some cases the same base game intact. There may also be planned obsolescence in ATMs and medical devices.

Food obsolescence

The “best before date” labeling system. In addition to the expiration date, it can be considered a type of artificial or psychological obsolescence.[33] Since many foods that continue to preserve the integrity of their nutritional and health virtues could not be so due to their appearance, texture, aroma or color. When this is done, they are discarded to buy others. Degrowth theory economist Serge Latouche points out that it is also a common programmed obsolescence strategy in the consumption of dairy and yogurt, but also in the consumption of any other packaged food. The use of colorants, preservatives and other short-cycle excipients in packaging also have this function.[34] Tons of food end up in the trash due to poor quality guidelines, too strict aesthetic standards or bad habits according to their planning.

Obsolescence in science fiction

The film Blade runner, based on a story by Philip K. Dick, talks about the ethical problems of a type of obsolescence among replicants (a type of android) that have expired under the standards of a more advanced society. It also talks about the substitution of human work for robotic servomechanisms that will make their creators obsolete in the so-called Fourth Industrial or Robotic Revolution (after steam, electricity and electronics): it will destroy many more jobs. which it will create, according to the World Economic Forum in Davos, one of whose studies predicts the disappearance of more than 5 million jobs in the 15 most industrialized countries in the world,[35]​ while, on the other hand, the majority of the media demand the extinction of social aid for the effects that modernization causes on the human population.

The objective of planned obsolescence is economic profit. For this reason, other objectives such as environmental conservation become secondary priorities and serious damage can occur.[36]​.

The lack of adequate management of manufactured products that become obsolete constitutes a source of contamination. A vast amount of these are not biodegradable, and the time until decomposition, at least partial, is considered to have occurred, can be very long. Furthermore, waste is often highly polluting. This negatively affects both the integrity of the environment and the health of its inhabitants.

Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) contains recoverable materials, which prevent the exploitation of new natural resources, and others that can be infectious, so that if not treated properly they can be harmful to the environment. Such electronic elements contain such polluting materials as plastic, polypropylene (PP), lead batteries, etc. Plastic is the slowest material to degrade: 100 to 1000 years. In the open air it loses tone, fragments and disperses. However, buried it lasts longer. Most are made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET): microorganisms have no means to attack them. Polypropylene takes 1000 years to decompose, it pollutes less than polystyrene (PS) but it also takes time. Even so, plastic is reduced to synthetic molecules, invisible but omnipresent.

One of the very worrying parts is that related to lead batteries (or accumulators "Battery (electricity)"), an invention that dates back to 1889. Due to their high lead content, they pose a serious danger to humans and the environment. Breathing dust or fumes of this metal can cause serious health problems, including death, in addition to harming the environment, warns the United Nations Environment Program. According to calculations by this international organization, of the 2.5 million tons of lead generated annually around the world, three quarters are used to manufacture batteries that are used in cars, telephones and laptop computers or in industries.[37]​.

It is a consequence of the contemporary production and economic system, which promotes increasing consumption. Therefore, the long-term sustainability of this model is discussed. Furthermore, developing countries are being used as a dumping ground for all these useless products; which is generating considerable pollution and destruction of the landscape in these countries.

Pros and cons

Planned obsolescence estimates can influence a company's product engineering decisions. Therefore, the company can use the least expensive components that meet projections for the entire product life cycle.

The decision to resort to planned obsolescence is not always so easy. It becomes even more complicated when we see other factors, such as constant technological competition or the overload of functions, which, although they can expand the possibilities of use of the product in question, can also make it fail completely. Another problem is that in trying to remain competitive within the market, the producer is forced to reduce the quality of the design or materials, and although this could technically be considered planned obsolescence, it could also be classified as obsolescence intrinsic to the manufacturing process[38]​ For example, in computing, software that is not developed as carefully as it should be can cause obsolescence of the hardware on which it runs. For more information see Bloated Software.

Furthermore, for industries, planned obsolescence stimulates demand by incentivizing buyers to work under pressure and thus buy at an earlier period if they still want a product that works. These products can be purchased from the same manufacturer (a replacement part or a new model), or from a competitor "Competition (economics)") that also depends on planned obsolescence. Especially in developed countries (where many industries already face a saturated market), this technique is often necessary for producers to maintain their income level.

While planned obsolescence is attractive to producers, it can also do significant harm to society in the form of negative externalities. By continually replacing, rather than repairing, products, they create more waste and pollution, exploit more natural resources and translate into greater consumer spending. Planned obsolescence can then have a negative impact on the environment as a whole. Even when planned obsolescence could help save scarce resources per unit produced, it tends to increase total production, since due to the law of supply and demand, decreases in cost and price will ultimately result in increases in demand and consumption. However, the negative environmental impacts of planned obsolescence also depend on the production process.[39] There is also the possible reaction of consumers who learn that the manufacturer has invested money to make the product obsolete faster; These consumers could turn to a producer (if one exists) that offers a more durable alternative.

Likewise, another advantage for everyone, including consumers, is that companies, in order to maintain a continuous and constant evolution of their sales, will need to invest in research and development of new products, which will improve and replace the previous ones, which will become an improvement in quality, as long as their components are also of quality. The best example is seen in the stratospheric technological advance that has been experienced in the last two decades, where there have been a multitude of substitutions of different products, which greatly improved their immediate predecessors.

Controversy over sources of information

The manipulation of information that would prove the assumptions of the phenomenon is criticized by those who question the thesis of planned obsolescence. Indeed, one of the examples is the famous Livermore light bulb, which has been on for more than a century, and which was the subject of a documentary called “The light bulb conspiracy”.[40]​[41]​ In this documentary, it is argued that the existence of this light bulb, plus other antecedents, would prove that there is the market's intention to create products that are discarded faster than normal. Critics point out that the work hides facts such as that the light bulb in question has a carbon filament that is 10 times thicker, that it is subjected to an intensity of 4 watts (instead of the 40 or more of normal light bulbs) and that because its power has not been cut off more than three times, it is not subjected to the stress of frequent switching on and off.

On the other hand, they criticize the falsification of information about the "United States v. General Electric Co." controversy. Indeed, it is often cited as an example of an agreement between lighting companies to produce lower quality light bulbs, when in reality they were patents for inventions. Likewise, it is obvious that since 1890 collusion and any other attack on free competition has been punished in the United States.

Also cited by conspiracy theorists is the “Phoebus SA Compagnie Industrielle pour le Desarrollo de L’Eclairage” agreement, signed by Osram, Phillips and General Electric in 1925. In reality, it is a pact to combat the advance of foreign products that were cheaper and of poorer quality. In this and other cases, critics point out that in general the industry has had to fight to increase the quality of its products in the face of continuous demand that sometimes exceeds the industry's expectations and that, unintentionally, generates an obsolescence effect.[42]​.

However, by the date of the pact, technological progress had managed to bring the average life of light bulbs to 1800 hours, and the pact marks the peak in this growth. From that date on, it would decrease continuously, until 10 years later it would only be 1200 hours and keep its prices stable despite the lowering of costs.

Perception of obsolescence in nature

The fact that products have become of lower quality over time is not only limited to artificial products, it has been reported that natural products such as animals and vegetables that have been selected by man have had a 30% decrease in the levels of proteins and vitamins in the last 150 years,[43] however this pattern of deficiency has also been found for wild animals and plants,[44] which has postulated a hypothesis of alteration of biogeochemical cycles and climate change, since in the last 170 years there has been a drastic increase in CO2 levels and a decrease in O2 in the atmosphere, which has caused the biomass produced on earth to have shorter life cycles and not be able to assimilate a greater amount of nutrients.[45]​ It is estimated that if CO2 levels continue to increase, foods will also have more and more deficiencies in their nutritional content.[46]​ This same hypothesis can support the fact that there is a pattern of obesity epidemic in the century, Since the body detects the lack of vitamins and nutrients in food, it tends to compensate by eating other foods such as junk food.

Contenido

Una de las formas de obstaculizarla es mediante la creación de sellos de garantía de productos sin obsolescencia programada, como el sello ISSOP") (Innovación Sostenible Sin Obsolescencia Programada), creado por la Fundación FENISS") (Fundación Energía e Innovación Sostenible Sin Obsolescencia Programada)[47]​ que cumplen los productos con estos requisitos:.

El sello ISSOP no solo busca la ausencia obsolescencia programada, sino también proteger el medio ambiente y el desarrollo sostenible de los productos.

Otra de las propuestas principales pasa por un cambio de hábitos de todos, desde las mismas empresas productoras, los gobiernos de todos los países y los propios consumidores a fin de que entre todos podamos encontrarnos un equilibrio a fin de no generar tantos residuos, o en busca de nuevas propuestas de reciclaje de los mismos, como algunas marcas que ya apuestan por productos con piezas reemplazables y reutilizables, o en la investigación y desarrollo de fórmulas que eviten esa basura, como los últimos avances respecto a bacterias que consumen el plástico residual.

Por último, diferentes grupos ecologistas han ideado nuevos alternativas para conseguir alargar la vida útil de los productos, como, por ejemplo Amigos de la Tierra que han ideado la alargascencia, la cual es un directorio de establecimientos de reparación, alquiler, intercambio y compraventa de artículos de segunda mano, a fin de evitar ese incremento masivo de residuos**.**.

Legislation

By designing products whose obsolescence is planned, the company limits the rights of consumers with the sole objective of obtaining economic benefits. From a legal point of view, a situation of helplessness and imbalance is generated against which the law must protect consumers from business practices that, in one way or another, negatively affect their rights, both directly and indirectly (through the deterioration of the environment).[48]​.

In 2016, Ecuador approved a law to verify that products acquired by the State do not suffer from planned obsolescence, which provides for administrative and criminal sanctions for non-compliance. It is not clear whether the legislation also applies to private persons.[49]​.

In Europe, Directive (EU) 2024/825 on the empowerment of consumers for the ecological transition through better protection against unfair practices and through better information has come into force. Member States shall adopt and publish by March 27, 2026 at the latest the provisions necessary to comply with the provisions of the Directive and shall apply these provisions from September 27, 2026. [50]​.

The Directive protects consumers against misleading 'green' claims (greenwashing), including unfair claims about carbon offsetting. It will also clarify the responsibility of retailers to report (or fail to report) premature obsolescence, unnecessary software updates or unjustified obligation to purchase spare parts from the original manufacturer. The Directive will also improve the information made available to consumers to help them make circular and ecological decisions. For example, products across the EU will carry a harmonized label with information on the commercial durability guarantee.

In France, the law on energy transition and green growth (Law 2015-992) created the crime of "planned obsolescence", which is punishable by two years in prison, a fine of 300,000 euros or 5% of the company's annual sales.[51] These techniques can include "a deliberate introduction of a defect, a weakness, a scheduled stoppage, a technical limitation, an incompatibility or other obstacles to repair."