When we buy something as children, we believe we can use it forever, or at least until we get something better. We realize that the industry doesn’t work like that as we grow. It works in the opposite direction, with many prioritizing planned obsolescence rather than genuinely better features to sell you the next product. The new EU’s Right to Repair adoption seeks to give us the tools to defend ourselves from planned obsolescence and perhaps live in the world we imagined as children.
An infinite example
The economy discourages long-lasting products. You cannot sell something that lasts longer than once per customer. The Centennial Light is a prime example of this. This single incandescent lightbulb has been on with only a few interruptions (outages, relocations) since 1901. Over a million hours of light (albeit dim) versus the average incandescent light bulb at 1000 hours. It isn’t hard to imagine which lightbulb a company would choose to produce. Potentially, over a thousand bulbs could be sold since 1901, and given that the Centennial Light is still going, even more, just to replace the one.
The Centennial Light is an incandescent light bulb, recognized as the oldest known continuously operating light bulb. It was first illuminated in 1901, and has only been turned off a few brief times since. pic.twitter.com/zOhqE4x9yi
— Historic Vids (@historyinmemes) June 27, 2024
Freedom to chose
The situation today is worse than limiting only innovation. By limiting repair options and using non-standard parts, companies create their ecosystem where they can dictate the prices. De facto creating small monopolies. Even worse, they dictate when a product’s life ends. Companies say this is because unauthorized repairs can damage products and negatively affect their reputation.
The new EU’s Right to Repair includes obligations to provide cost-effective repairs within a reasonable timeframe, warranty extensions for repaired items, and mandating repairs for regular household items outside of warranties; this includes smartphones. Additionally, companies won’t be able to impede the use of secondhand or 3D-printed parts or refuse a repair if the device has already been repaired by someone else, nor will they be able to insert clauses or hardware/software limitations.
https://twitter.com/TheMIFinc/status/1826273488379977890
Starting from the automotive industry and gradually being accepted by other sectors, the right to repair now has international recognition. Even before the current EU’s Right of Repair, single-member countries adapted the right to repair to their own legislations, like France’s adaptability index. As children, we didn’t know or care about planned obsolescence; we just wished our things would last. Once the EU’s Right to Repair and similar adoptions worldwide are approved, we can dream of that again.
Photo credit: The feature image is symbolic and has been provided by FXQuadro.
Source: European Parliament
