Obsolescence

13th of April 2019

This is the AKA Supermix.

My grandmother bought this in 1984. A few years ago it went into my kitchen. This mixer is 35 years old and it runs like on the first day.

Why? Because we can build things that last a very long time and in the GDR (socialist eastern Germany) things where built to last a very long time. Just because there was no incentive to build things, that break early.

How long does a mixer last today?

In a world that with idiotic growth drivers like fashion or planned obsolescence it doesn't last very long if you grab the wrong mixer in the market. Yes, there are still companies that produce things that last a long time, but you have to search for them.

We know: Who buys cheap buys twice.

Looking for things that last and ergo need to be bought only once is a crucial piece when it comes to environmental friendliness as well as the crucial change of the society towards post-growth.

Joseph Bartz