Designed to Be Replaced: How Planned Obsolescence Fuels Waste in the Digital Age

As the festive season approaches and millions prepare to give new phones as gifts, there is an uncomfortable truth beneath the shine of packaging and ribbon. Globally, smartphone sales continue to grow, and by late 2025, analysts expect more than 180 million new phones will be gifted worldwide over the Christmas and holiday period. The result is a surge of electronic waste, much of it tied to devices that still function perfectly well.

This phenomenon is closely linked to planned obsolescence, the practice of deliberately designing products to have limited lifespans so that they are replaced sooner than necessary. While technological progress drives convenience and innovation, the environmental cost of constant replacement is becoming impossible to ignore.

The Roots of Planned Obsolescence

The idea of designing for failure is not new. In the early twentieth century, companies sought ways to increase sales in an already saturated market. One of the earliest and most infamous examples came from the Phoebus Cartel, formed in the 1920s by major light bulb manufacturers such as General Electric, Osram and Philips. They agreed to limit the lifespan of light bulbs to around 1,000 hours, ensuring repeat purchases and steady demand.

In the automotive industry, General Motors took a more subtle approach. Under the leadership of Alfred P. Sloan Jr., GM introduced yearly styling updates to its vehicles, making older models look outdated even if they were mechanically sound. By the 1950s, this idea of “dynamic obsolescence” had become a core part of the car industry’s marketing strategy. Consumers were encouraged to buy a new car not because the old one had failed, but because it no longer looked fashionable.

This approach worked so well that the average ownership period of a new car in the United States fell from five years in the 1930s to around two years by the mid-1950s.

The Modern Battlefront: Electronics

Today, the same principles apply to consumer electronics. Phones, laptops, tablets and even smart appliances are updated annually with minor design or software changes. Marketing emphasises the new features while subtly implying that last year’s model is inferior.

Software updates also play a role. Older devices often stop receiving updates, making them less secure and incompatible with new apps. Hardware designs that prevent users from replacing batteries or repairing parts further shorten a product’s usable life.

The environmental impact is staggering. In 2024, the world produced around 62 million tonnes of electronic waste, a figure expected to reach 75 million tonnes by 2030, according to the United Nations Global E-waste Monitor. Only about 20 per cent of this waste is properly recycled.

When we consider that tens of millions of new phones will be purchased and gifted this Christmas, the scale of the problem becomes even clearer. Each device requires metals such as lithium, cobalt, gold and nickel, all of which come from resource-intensive mining processes that damage ecosystems and contribute to carbon emissions.

The Environmental Cost of Short-Lived Design

Planned obsolescence harms the environment at every stage of a product’s life cycle.

• Manufacturing requires extraction of raw materials, water use and energy-intensive production.

• Distribution and transport add carbon emissions and packaging waste.

• Disposal leads to landfill waste and the release of toxic substances, including lead, mercury and cadmium.

Devices that could have been repaired or refurbished often end up discarded because it is cheaper to buy new than to fix the old. Repair restrictions and closed design systems make it even harder for consumers to extend product life.

The environmental consequences of this pattern go far beyond landfills. E-waste frequently ends up exported to developing countries, where informal recycling exposes workers to hazardous materials without proper safety equipment.

Is Planned Obsolescence a Design Flaw or a Business Strategy?

Manufacturers argue that regular product refreshes promote innovation and create jobs. They claim that shorter product cycles allow faster adoption of new technology, such as energy-efficient screens or improved processors.

However, critics point out that this cycle primarily benefits profit margins rather than the planet. Many of the annual “upgrades” in smartphones or consumer electronics are incremental rather than revolutionary. A new colour, camera mode or interface rarely justifies replacing a working device.

In effect, marketing has replaced mechanical failure as the main driver of obsolescence. Consumers are encouraged to buy the latest model not because they need it, but because they feel left behind if they do not.

The Global Response

Governments and regulators are beginning to take notice.

• The European Union’s Circular Economy Action Plan now requires manufacturers to make products more durable, repairable and recyclable.

• France has introduced a repairability index that scores electronics based on how easy they are to repair.

• The United Kingdom has introduced Right to Repair legislation, forcing appliance manufacturers to supply spare parts for up to ten years.

• In the United States, several states have passed or proposed similar laws to give consumers and independent technicians access to parts and repair manuals.

Public attitudes are also shifting. A growing number of consumers now consider environmental sustainability in purchasing decisions, especially during holiday periods. The second-hand and refurbished electronics market is thriving, and companies offering longer warranties are gaining favour.

A Sustainable Approach to the Festive Season

With Christmas around the corner, consumers can make choices that help reduce waste.

• Repair instead of replace: A simple battery replacement or software refresh can extend a phone’s life by years.

• Buy refurbished: Certified refurbished devices perform as well as new ones but come at a lower environmental cost.

• Recycle responsibly: Use verified e-waste collection schemes rather than general waste disposal.

• Support brands committed to sustainability: Some companies now design phones with modular parts that can be easily swapped or repaired.

Every small decision makes a difference when multiplied by millions of households.

Planned obsolescence may once have driven economic growth, but its environmental consequences are now undeniable. The constant cycle of buying, discarding and upgrading has created one of the fastest-growing waste streams on Earth.

As we enter another season of gifting and consumption, the challenge is clear: innovation must no longer mean replacement. It must mean resilience, repair and responsibility.

If consumers demand it and manufacturers respond, the devices under next year’s Christmas tree could tell a different story, one of sustainability instead of waste.