Planned obsolescence isn’t an accident...it’s a strategy. Tech companies like Microsoft, Apple, Samsung, and their ilk design products to fail. Batteries degrade by design, software updates throttle older devices, and proprietary screws make repairs a nightmare. Why? To keep us on the upgrade treadmill, shelling out for the latest overpriced gadget. The environmental cost is catastrophic, global e-waste hit 62 million tonnes in 2022, with projections of 82 million by 2030. Yet governments, including New Zealand’s, barely lift a finger to hold these corporations accountable. The only legislation moving things in the right direction in New Zealand, The Consumer Guarantees Act (Right to Repair) Amendment Bill, introduced by Hon Marama Davidson, is likely to be voted down at its second reading by the right block. Instead, we get toothless “sustainability” promises and corporate greenwashing.
The National Party loves to pat itself on the back for its “clean, green” image, but when it comes to e-waste, it’s a sham. New Zealand produces a disproportionate amount of e-waste per person, and because there’s no proper regulation or legislation, most of that e-waste isn’t recycled. In fact our recycling system is a fragmented mess, with local councils left to fend for themselves. The Ministry for the Environment admits only 20% of e-waste is collected for recycling, most ends up in landfills or shipped overseas to be someone else’s problem. Why? Because successive governments have failed to properly fund a national e-waste strategy or enforce producer responsibility schemes. Countries like France have laws forcing manufacturers to cover recycling costs and provide repair manuals. Here, we’re stuck with voluntary “take-back” programs that barely dent the problem. It’s pathetic!
The kicker? Repairing devices could slash waste and save consumers money, but Big Tech lobbies hard to keep repairs inaccessible. Right-to-repair laws, like those in the EU, force companies to make parts and tools available. New Zealand? So far its been crickets. Our government’s too busy cozying up to multinationals to demand accountability. Meanwhile, Kiwis are forced to bin perfectly fixable devices because replacement parts are either unavailable or cost as much as a new gadget. It’s a rigged system, and the government's letting it slide.
Then there’s the recycling farce. Even when Kiwis try to do the right thing, our infrastructure fails to properly recylce. Collection points are scarce, and many “recycled” electronics are downcycled into low-value materials rather than reused. Without government investment in advanced recycling tech or mandatory targets for manufacturers, we’re just rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. Compare that to South Korea, where over 30% of e-waste is properly recycled thanks to strict regulations. New Zealand’s government could learn a thing or two but seems allergic to bold action.
This isn’t just about waste...it’s about justice. Planned obsolescence hits hardest on low-income households who can’t afford constant upgrades. It’s an environmental crime that disproportionately burdens the Global South, where much of our e-waste is dumped. And it’s a betrayal of New Zealand’s supposed commitment to sustainability. The government must step up: mandate repairable designs, enforce producer responsibility, and build a real recycling system. Anything less is a cop-out.
Kiwis deserve better than a government that lets Big Tech trash our planet for profit. It’s time to demand accountability, repair what’s broken, and build a system that values people over corporate greed. Until then, every dead smartphone in a landfill is a monument to the coalition of chaos' failure.
