1. Planned Obsolescence
Life Cycle Thinking
EcoNetwork 23rd July 2009
Ecodesign Centre Wales
Leyla Acaroglu
Director, Eco Innovators
Melbourne, Australia
www.ecoinnovators.com.au
Leyla Acaroglu :: www.EcoInnovators.com.au
3. What is planned obsolescence?
⢠The intentional failings of a product
⢠The shortening of a products life
⢠Manipulation of a market through product
lifespans
Leyla Acaroglu :: www.EcoInnovators.com.au
4. Definition of Planned Obsolescence
âthe deliberate policy of making a product
become rapidly out of date or unserviceable, as
by changing minor characteristics of a model, in
order to ensure continual sale of new goodsâ.
- The Macquarie Dictionary (2005, p1459)
Leyla Acaroglu :: www.EcoInnovators.com.au
6. When did it start and why?
⢠Great Depression and post World War economy
⢠Used to stimulate economic growth and generate
employment and combat âfrugalityâ
⢠Wanted to facilitate growth by making people have to
consume more frequently
⢠Corporations realised they could make more profits
from continual consumption
⢠Create long term sales volumes by reducing the time
between repeat purchases
Leyla Acaroglu :: www.EcoInnovators.com.au
7. Does it really exist?
⢠Count how many mobile phones you have owned
and list the reasons that you had to purchase a
new one
⢠Consider how often your have had to replace
household electrical items such as kettles and
toasters
Leyla Acaroglu :: www.EcoInnovators.com.au
8. Vance Packard and the Waste Makers
⢠The Waste Makers was published in the 1960s and
set out to expose the social and environmental
degradation resulting from wasteful society and
planned obsolescence in products
⢠âthe systematic attempt of business to make us
wasteful, debt-ridden, permanently discontented
individualsâ.
Leyla Acaroglu :: www.EcoInnovators.com.au
21. Designer influencesÂ
⢠Over 80% of a products social and environmental
implications are decided and âlocked inâ at the
design stage (USA EPA)
⢠Designerâs are the agents that have some of the
greatest capacity to dictate the social and
environmental implications of consumer goods
Leyla Acaroglu :: www.EcoInnovators.com.au
30. Final Thoughts
⢠Its not someone else responsibility to solve
social and environmental problems â its
everyone's responsibility
⢠Designerâs are in a unique position to
influence change over corporations and
consumers alike
⢠Donât wait to be asked â just do it
⢠Be a subversive designer
Leyla Acaroglu :: www.EcoInnovators.com.au
31. Thanks for your time
Questions:
ecoinnovators@gmail.com
Leyla Acaroglu :: www.EcoInnovators.com.au