Strategies against obsolescence Ensuring a minimum product lifetime and improving product service life as well as consumer information

Studies on behalf of the German Environment Agency have shown, that most electrical appliances are being used for a decreasing amount of time than 10 years ago. Products that are replaced before they reached optimal product life-time or usage time (so-called obsolescence), lead to an increasing loss of resources and volume of waste. For this reason the German Environment Agency recognizes the need for action and has developed recommendations in a position paper on the basis of these studies.