An empirical survey on the obsolescence of appliances in German households

Abstract

Obsolescence is the wearing out of technical appliances. Planned obsolescence is often seen as an economic strategy to improve sales by reducing the lifespan of these appliances. Although there are a lot of public discussions about planned obsolescence, there is a lack of data available to support or contradict this hypothesis. The objective of this survey is to collect quantitative data about the maintenance and discarding history of five household appliances throughout their lifecycle in private households in Germany. The survey is an internet-based questionnaire. A total of 1075 respondents were recruited in Germany and included in the evaluation.What happens in this observed lifecycle is different in detail for the various appliances: More expensive products seem to last longer. Repairing products seems not to prolong the lifespan. Small appliances, such as kettles and hand mixers, are rarely repaired and are discarded, even if still functioning. Washing-machines and laptops are not always discarded, even if they are defective. Washing-machine lifespan depends – more than any other of the observed products – on the purchase price and usage frequency. Consumers’ mind-set seems to be a limiting factor for the actual lifespan of technical appliances. It appears that lifespan cannot exceed consumers’ expectations. Moreover, consumers are the link in the chain to extend the product lifecycle, because the reuse and deferred disposal can only be solved with their support. Obsolescence is not only an issue that should be addressed to the manufacturer, but also as a responsibility to the consumer.