Contemporary production models, particularly in electronic products, are structured to maximise corporate profits by intentionally creating “artificial scarcity” through limitations on product durability and repairability. This undermines consumer and workers’ rights; it also wastes valuable resources, and imposes “a poverty premium” on low-income households. Manufacturers retain control over repair through proprietary design, “digital lock-in” mechanisms, and restricted access to technical information, making repair difficult and often more expensive than replacement. Our ballooning landfills reveal the state of e-waste that reached nearly 62 million tons in 2022 alone, and is responsible for irreversible health problems, according to the World Health Organisation. To address these challenges, governments should introduce right to repair and anti-obsolescence policy frameworks that include legally enforceable requirements for product durability and reparability, such as availability of affordable spare parts, independent repair providers, and minimum periods of software support. Planned obsolescence practices, whether through technical, software, or psychological means, should be explicitly prohibited as part of this framework, and public procurement policies should reinforce these standards by prioritising durable and repairable goods.
