Planned Obsolescence
Published on 06.13.2018
2 min read
High School
Life and earth sciences
Certain manufacturers of household appliances and consumer electronics deliberately limit the lifespan of their products so that they need to be replaced more often. This practice is called planned obsolescence, and was invented in the United States in 1932 to stimulate the economy. But aside from the cost for the consumer, the practice also has an impact on the environment: in 2016, nearly 50 million metric tons of electrical and electronic waste was produced worldwide.