7 Ways They Make Us Buy New

Now more than ever, our devices have a limited lifespan. Our phones and computers push us to run upgrades with monotonous regularity. Each download slows the performance of the device. Finally, we need a new machine to handle the latest software.?

Encouraging this trend are manufacturers who use deliberate tactics to force us to buy new products more frequently. Meanwhile, marketing enables us to value only the latest developments with must-have features.

With few exceptions, manufacturers pay lip service to environmental concerns. Products are made to be disposed of, with profit being the only seriously valued measure of business success.

Here are seven methods manufacturers use to prematurely drive our desire for new devices.

Planned Obsolescence:?Manufacturers design products with built-in limitations to the life span. These designed limitations and destined-to-fail components push consumers into replacing the device earlier than necessary in the ordinary course of events.

Incompatible Software Updates:?Manufacturers release updates that older hardware can't handle effectively, making devices slower or less functional and encouraging upgrades. Manufacturers often cease supporting older models when they still have life left.

Compatibility Locks:?Devices may be capable, but software locks limit functionality with newer versions, pushing consumers towards new purchases. Devices are also programmed not to accept third-party cords and peripherals.

Limited Repair Options:?Manufacturers discourage or even make impossible third-party repairs using proprietary components or non-standardised parts, often leading to new device purchases. Increasingly, manufacturers refuse to supply spare parts.

Marketing Pressure:?Aggressive marketing convinces consumers that newer versions offer significant advantages, emphasising the fear of technological obsolescence.

Resource-Intensive Updates:?New software updates demand more resources than older devices can provide, making them slower or less functional and encouraging upgrades for improved performance.

Forcing Cloud Services:?Encouraging reliance on cloud-based services that may not work optimally on older devices pushes users towards newer models that better support these services.

The electronic waste epidemic continues to escalate, posing environmental, economic, and social challenges. Manufacturers have the most critical role to play in addressing this crisis. They must shift their tactics if we are to make a substantial difference, prioritising sustainability over short-term profits.

At Whirl, we encounter manufacturer tactics that directly and deliberately hamper repair and reuse. A disposable consumer culture, encouraged by marketing, feeds this planned obsolescence.?

Changes in consumer behaviour can only do so much. Finding an appropriate way to recycle an outmoded device is helpful. However, the market size for people who want to second-hand machines is limited. If the buyers of second-hand goods cannot get support for or repair that product, it will only interest collectors or niche users.

Unless manufacturers are compelled to build viable products with reasonable support for repair, we will continue to battle a tsunami of electronic waste.

?

?

?

?