{"id":26978,"date":"2024-09-25T09:22:42","date_gmt":"2024-09-25T13:22:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quantumlifecycle.com\/?p=26978"},"modified":"2024-10-06T08:32:56","modified_gmt":"2024-10-06T12:32:56","slug":"the-impact-of-planned-obsolescence-on-e-waste-generation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quantumlifecycle.com\/en_CA\/blog\/the-impact-of-planned-obsolescence-on-e-waste-generation\/","title":{"rendered":"The Impact of Planned Obsolescence on E-Waste Generation"},"content":{"rendered":"

From fashion to automobiles, manufacturers in virtually every industry are constantly evolving their products to offer the latest and greatest to consumers. At the same time, previous models are often rendered unusable due to lack of support or compatibility with new developments, such as software.<\/p>\n

Through strategic marketing initiatives, consumers are led to believe they need the newest products, despite the fact that enhancements in updated models are often superfluous. While this rapid churn of products is problematic for waste generation in any industry, it\u2019s especially dangerous in the world of electronics, where electronic waste<\/a> (\u201ce-waste\u201d) can have toxic effects on our environment. Here\u2019s a closer look at the pitfalls of planned obsolescence and what we can do to address them.<\/p>\n

What is planned obsolescence?<\/h2>\n

Planned obsolescence is a strategy in which products are designed to intentionally break down or become unusable after a certain amount of time, prompting customers to return for upgrades. Coupled with annual updates to products, manufacturers create an ongoing purchase-and-replace cycle, leading to accelerated waste generation.<\/p>\n

There are two types of obsolescence:<\/p>\n