Let’s use general definitions to explain planned obsolescence:

• From WIKIPEDIA: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_obsolescence) “In economics and industrial design, planned obsolescence (also called built-in obsolescence or premature obsolescence) is a policy of planning or designing a product with an artificially limited useful life or a purposely frail design, so that it becomes obsolete after a certain pre-determined period of time upon which it decrementally functions or suddenly ceases to function, or might be perceived as unfashionable."
• “Planned Obsolescence” (https://obsolescenzaprogrammata.it/) defines three different kinds of obsolescence: technological, psychological and planned.

These definitions give a more complex idea about what technological obsolescence actually is, about what causes it and how to prevent it. It exists since a long, long time, even though we often make the mistake of considering it a modern problem: a clear example can be the plow, drag by men, then by animals, then replaced with the tractor, or any mean of transport, modern or not, subject to costant changes.

Why are we considering planned obsolescece a problem to solve then? Why do some intellectuals consider it “a symbol of over-consumption” (Serge Latouche - Obsolescence, Pubblicity and Credit).

We consider it a problem because the inevitable technological obsolescence is different from the modern planned obslescence for the timing and the ecological impact. Technological obsolescence might be defined as “progress”, as it increases the quality of human life turning the previous technology into obsolete. Technology surely produces garbage, but in longer time and opening new possibilities of recycling. Modern technology, on the other hand, having a shorter life, produces much more garbage and is harmful for the planet, only to respond to fake necessities of supposed increase in life quality. Usually this increase is not real, or if it actually exists, it is so small that it produces more damage than advantage.

Let’s see the history of this “modern” obsolescence (not precisely called “planned”). It can be divided into three:

• technological – natural progress in technology turns devices into obsolete (for example, videotapes before DVDs)
• psicological – feeling the need of a change because of the influence of pubblicity or social status (for example, new mobile phones to be “fashion”)
• planned – the product design is developed to last a certain amount of time and no more, so that it must be bought new (for example, all those home appliances that irreversibly break just a couple of months after the expiring of the warranty)

In modern times, time factor was added: in the 1950s, a new model of home appliance came out every ten years. Today, between six months and one year.

Even though we can all claerly see the consequences of these changes, let’s summarize them:

• 53,6 milion tonnes of technological garbage in the world, ONLY in 2019, with and increasing trend of about 38%

• Insufficient recycling (only 17,4%), which means pollution

• Non-renewable resources (minerals, water, fossils) consumed for over-production

Obviously, consumers are only spectators, while only politics can put limits to this excessive waste, but we still have the power of the choice of the producer and the responsibility of recycling th old products we own.

What can we do? Repair, reuse, recycle, but most of all, choose where to buy.