A Strategy for Planned Product Aging in View of Sustainable Development Challenges

Małgorzata Niklewicz-Pijaczyńska, Elżbieta Stańczyk, Anna Gardocka-Jałowiec, Zofia Gródek-Szostak, Agata Niemczyk, Katarzyna Szalonka and Magdalena Homa
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Małgorzata Niklewicz-Pijaczyńska: Faculty of Law, Administration and Economics Institute of Economic Sciences, University of Wroclaw, Uniwersytecka 22/26 Street, 50-145 Wrocław, Poland
Elżbieta Stańczyk: Faculty of Law, Administration and Economics Institute of Economic Sciences, University of Wroclaw, Uniwersytecka 22/26 Street, 50-145 Wrocław, Poland
Anna Gardocka-Jałowiec: Faculty of Economics and Finance, University of Bialystok, Warszawska 63, 15-062 Bialystok, Poland
Zofia Gródek-Szostak: Department of Economics and Enterprise Organization, Cracow University of Economics, 27 Rakowicka Street, 31-510 Krakow, Poland
Agata Niemczyk: Department of Tourism, Institute of Management at the Cracow University of Economics, 27 Rakowicka Street, 31-510 Krakow, Poland
Katarzyna Szalonka: Faculty of Law, Administration and Economics Institute of Economic Sciences, University of Wroclaw, Uniwersytecka 22/26 Street, 50-145 Wrocław, Poland
Magdalena Homa: Faculty of Law, Administration and Economics Institute of Economic Sciences, University of Wroclaw, Uniwersytecka 22/26 Street, 50-145 Wrocław, Poland

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 22, 1-20

Abstract: In this paper, the issue of the deliberate aging of products by manufacturers is discussed. Deliberate aging consists in intentionally planning or designing a product with an artificially limited lifetime in order to force consumers to replace it faster. The resulting rapid acceleration of the cycle of obtaining and utilizing consumer goods has serious consequences in the form of negative externalities. For this reason, the conscious aging of products is now recognized as the cause of unjustified consumption, generating huge economic and social costs and leading to the devastation of the natural environment and excessive exploitation of natural resources. Thus, it is in clear contradiction to the model of sustainable development. The aim of this paper was to identify the purchasing attitudes of buyers in the durable goods market. For its implementation, a pilot questionnaire study, which covered a representative group of 354 respondents, was carried out. The results indicate that the factors that influence the purchase of restitution goods depend on the type of product and the consumer’s income. At the same time, about two thirds of the respondents recognized the problem of the deliberate aging of products. In their opinion, the goods produced in the autarkic economy were more durable and their life cycle was much longer. The results obtained require further empirical verification carried out in comparative studies.

Keywords: circular economy; sustainable development; planned obsolescence; environment; classification trees (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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