Why do household appliances last less and less?

There are two words that explain, by themselves, a seemingly very strange phenomenon: the fact that household appliances, at all levels, have made great strides in terms of performance and efficiency, but they are increasingly short-lived. And therefore they need to be replaced more frequently than in the past. The first is planned obsolescence, a highly sophisticated technique by which electrical and electronic devices are intentionally manufactured to have a short lifespan and be replaced with a new purchase. The second is the (denied) right to repair. Everything must change, and nothing in this field needs to be repaired.

The throwaway culture is taking its toll. While technology raises the bar of its progress every day, creating new products and new needs, we find ourselves with electronic devices that last less . In fact, they are designed to last less . In Germany, the results of a study by the University of Hamburg caused a scandal, showing that 60 percent of televisions replaced by German consumers are still perfectly functional , while the average lifespan of a TV has dropped from 9 to 5,6 years in the last decade. Almost half. The same goes for computers, which lose 10 percent of their longevity every seven years. And for washing machines , vacuum cleaners, dishwashers. Or for iPhones, which are produced with the following synchrony: each new model has a shorter lifespan than the previous one. The objects that symbolize consumerism, in short, are increasingly sophisticated and attractive in terms of performance, but they must have a shorter lifespan. To be replaced.

In jargon, it's called planned obsolescence , and it's not a gimmick, but rather a lever to push the purchasing curve upward, well beyond our needs. Here, in this apparent paradox of progress making every object more vulnerable, lies a vital cog in the manipulated engine of compulsive capitalism, the one that short-circuited with the Great Depression. In France, between 1990 and 2008, the year a never-ending recession began, electronics purchases increased sixfold, while repair costs decreased by 40 percent, and 44 percent of French household appliances end up in landfills. Less maintenance, more consumption : this is the equation of the throwaway civilization. Where the numbers don't add up, if we look at them from the perspective of consumer budgets, to the point that a very strict law against planned obsolescence was passed in France itself. Where it is proven that an appliance is designed to "intentionally" shorten its lifespan, those responsible face a fine of up to €300,000 and prison sentences of up to two years. A similar proposal is also pending in the Italian Parliament, presented by SEL MP Luigi Acquanti, who calls for fines and warranties for appliances lasting no less than ten years.

But a law, no matter how severe, certainly won't dismantle a mechanism that has guided a model of economic growth for decades. In the United States, the case of light bulbs caused a stir . Until the 1929 crisis, they lasted, on average, 2.500 hours; then, when it came to relaunching the economy, which in America primarily meant mass consumption, the major manufacturing companies agreed to shorten the life of light bulbs to no more than 1.000 hours. Obsolescence served, then as now, to maintain consumer demand. Now that the Great Depression has radically changed our lifestyles , the question arises as to whether reducing the lifespan of an appliance is still the most efficient one—for the market, for producers, and for consumers. The answer is no, it doesn't benefit anyone. First of all, it doesn't attract the same consumers: in Italy, until 2008, only 60 percent of them considered repairing an electrical or electronic appliance; now it's 85 percent. We're not willing to passively submit, with our hands raised in surrender, to the diktat of the shopkeeper who, faced with a small broken piece of equipment, peremptorily told us: "You'd better buy a new one." We want service, quality, and the ability to repair, without the slavery of forced purchase , which often translates into waste . In our homes, for each family, there are eight still-functioning, unused appliances hidden in some closet, drawer, or cellar. Secondly, the throwaway culture has become horizontal and flat. It generates little employment and even leads to a low level of innovation. The circular economy, where consumer goods have a longer, and sometimes even double, lifespan, creates new opportunities, starting precisely from rewriting paradigms.

As all labor market research shows, maintenance is generating a new demand for labor. Therefore, repairing an appliance not only saves money for the owner, but also provides a source of income and employment for those who can exploit it. And we've reached the point where companies themselves, once trapped in planned obsolescence, are considering recycling and reviving appliances. At the Milan Polytechnic, thanks to an investment by the CNR (National Research Council) and industrial groups like Candy and Magneti Marelli, a circular economy factory has been built, a true prototype of the future, employing 25 people. Each appliance is dismantled and broken down before deciding what to do with it. There are two options: the appliance is reconditioned and sold as new, or all its precious raw materials, including gold, are recovered. Finally, the circular economy has a knock-on effect in terms of reduction: it allows for a reduction in electronic waste , which currently amounts to twenty kilograms per person. Less waste and more recycling: the new development model, so much in the minds of economists around the world, also passes through here.

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