Built to last vs. built to break: finding balance in a disposable world
One of the few products I own that will outlive me is my cast iron skillet. If I threw my skillet outside for a year where it rusted in harsh weather because I didn't understand what seasoning it meant, a little elbow grease would bring it back up to par for cooking eggs within a day.
Tools like a hammer and wrenches will last me a lifetime as well, but everything else will need to be replaced within a decade or two.
For centuries, creating products built to last was a point of pride for craftspeople and manufacturers alike. 150 years ago, you didn't buy a new dining table at IKEA every 15 years, you had the table. The one passed down from grandma. All furniture for many people was a major investment.
Typewriters could last decades. Steel framed watches were heirlooms. Clothing was repaired instead of replaced. Leather luggage aged gracefully over many journeys.
Today, we buy a new phone every few years and that cheap end table likely won't survive another move.
The problem isn't that everything should last a lifetime, it's that we get so little time out of products before they break or become obsolete. To be fair, we don't want to haul grandma's heavy dining set across the country. Some things we actually want to replace as styles change. And technology will always outpace old machines.
Certainly, there's a more sustainable balance we haven't struck. Some things are meant to be used up, others should offer better value over time. There are brands that exist like Pelican producing cases that endure torture tests and Zippo lighters still come with a lifetime warranty.
Google and Apple recently extended the length of software support for their new phones, showing that pushing back against early obsolescence is possible, even for tech devices. Some steps are being made in some places, hopefully this direction catches on with other companies in the near future.
