How To Fight Planned Obsolescence
What is planned obsolescence you ask?
Planned obsolescence is where companies design products to be obsolete - to break, to be ‘out of fashion’, to be difficult to use or to wear out - with the aim being that in a short period of time, you will be forced to throw the product out, and get a new one.
Examples of Planned Obsolescence
Tech companies that stop updating software on models that are over 3 years old
Clothing companies that use poor quality materials and stitching, meaning that clothes will rip, tear or degrade very rapidly
Jewellery companies that use poor quality plating and cheap soldering so that your earrings/bracelets/necklaces tarnish and break soon.
Shoe companies that use cheaper labour and mechanical stitching methods ( RIP Doc Marten’s BuyItForLife)
Look for companies that provide low cost - or even free - repairs for their products. This can be said explicitly, or you might have a warranty in the T&Cs section of sale. If the company is willing to provide free repairs for items, it probably means that repairing the items is a rare occurence, or that it can be easily done.
Be aware of the materials that you purchase. Materials such as leather, raw denim, pure corduroy, Tencel, Linen, Wool, Silk etc are so durable that they’re often combined with polyester to make them cheaper and less durable. As these are pricey, try to find they second hand. Avoid polyester, acrylic and rayon where possible!
This leads me on to my next point - products made of durable materials tend to be easier to repair. Good quality jeans, leather jackets and woollen socks are sturdy enough to fix with patches or to darn, whereas polyester and acrylic may not be able to withstand the poking and prodding that patching requires.
Quality > Quantity - Planned obsolescence drives prices down - if you know that you’ll replace an item within less than 30 wears, its easier to look for the cheapest option. So, before you buy something ask - Will this be worn/used regularly? Can I see myself still using this in a year? In three years? Will this last that long? Again - you might have to go down the second hand for this one.
Look after what you have. Now, this may contrast with the previous points but bear with me. Don’t wear the items you have out. Swap your jewellery out regularly, taking it off when you go into the shower or the swimming pool. Avoid putting your clothes in the dryer. Wax your leather goods. An item made of good quality materials will still break, tarnish and rip if you use it every single day, drop it regularly, and dunk it in a swimming pool.
Avoiding planned obsolescence is hard so do what you can, what is accessible to you, and what is within your budget. Don’t feel bad if your products break sooner than expected; instead, be angry at the companies that use poor designs.