ABSTRACT
Consumption patterns across the industrialized world are widely considered to be unsustainable, not least because they demand an excessively fast throughput of materials and energy. It follows that sustainable development will only be possible if the throwaway culture is challenged and there is an overall increase in the life-span of products such as vehicles, appliances, furniture, clothing and footwear. This introductory chapter traces the origins of the debate on planned obsolescence and identifies a recent revival of interest in the lifespan of consumer products: their longevity. After providing a conceptual and theoretical overview, it reviews the many influences upon product life-spans, the case for (and against) longer lasting products, and possible implications of an increase in product longevity for industry and consumers. Although the intrinsic durability of products is the result of design and manufacturing decisions, product longevity is also influenced by consumer behaviour such as the discarding of functional items. Progress away from a throwaway culture thus requires change across society: in public policy, design and marketing strategies, consumer attitudes and behaviour, and socio-cultural norms.
