Hilarie: Frozen wastes of built-in obsolescence

May 30 2009 By Hilaire Stelfox

And so we have ordered a new fridge freezer, in silky graphite-finished steel, for only slightly more than the cost of a repair. This time we have taken out one of those much maligned extended warranties. But for £89 we are guaranteed repairs or a replacement should anything go wrong - for the next five years. Had we spent this relatively minor sum two years ago we wouldn’t have had to resort to keeping our milk on the back doorstep for the last two weeks.

But what really bugs me is the sheer wastefulness of it.

It would be tempting to say that consumers usually get what they pay for. After all, what does someone expect from a £300 fridge freezer that costs less than a week’s pay when such goods in the past represented a major purchase. Although, at this point, I should say that OUR fridge freezer was chosen because it was NOT cheap. We thought that by paying a bit more we could guarantee quality and endurance. We were wrong.

Built-in obsolescence is nothing new and is all around us - from the give-away toys from fast-food chains (that even charity shops won’t recycle) to the fitted kitchens ripped out and replaced simply because they are the wrong colour. We don’t fix things any more because it’s cheaper and easier to buy new. And, yes, I’m as guilty as the next consumer.

We choose appliances with a good energy rating and yet we have no idea of the environmental impact of their manufacture. Ours is an age that talks about recycling and saving the planet while merrily squandering resources.

How is it, said the Man-in-Charge, that it can cost as much for a repair as for a new appliance? The answer, of course, is that the labour costs of building an appliance in, for example, China are less than the wages of a British repairman.

But this state of affairs may not last much longer and I can’t helping thinking that it may not be a bad thing because we really need to start looking for quality that lasts.. Cheap is not cheerful, or even cheap in the long term.