The production and consumption of electronics has grown rapidly, and for consumer electronics, the products are often characterized by short useful lifetimes. Based on a study commissioned by the European Environment Agency, the actual product lifetimes of smartphones, televisions, washing machines and vacuum cleaners were shorter than both the designed lifetime (as indicated by manufacturers) and the desired lifetime expected by consumers. For example, according to the survey results in the European Union, the actual average lifetime of smartphones was 1.8 years, whereas the designed lifetime was 2.0 years and the consumer’s average desired lifetime was 5.2 years – a 65% gap compared to the consumer’s expectation.
Data from Japan indicates that the average lifetime of electronics has increased significantly for some products and only slightly for others. The average lifetime of mobile phones, for instance, increased by 79%, from 2.4 years in 2004 to 4.3 years in 2021. At the same time, the lifetime of TVs has fluctuated, but recorded a slight upward trend from 9.3 years in 2004 to 10 years in 2021. Washing machine, refrigerator, air conditioner and computer lifetimes have increased by 15%, 25%, 29% and 62%, respectively, over the same time period.
There is no specific target defined. In general, higher indicator values are regarded as better, unless environmental impacts from the use phase suggest that replacement would be a net better option.