L’obsolescence des produits électroniques : des responsabilités partagées

Abstract

La diminution de la durée de vie des produits électroniques est à l’origine de nombreux débats. Le fabricant a traditionnellement été désigné comme le principal responsable de ce phénomène, alors que l’usager est généralement considéré comme une victime. Bien que le fait soit peu reconnu, les autorités politiques exercent également une influence sur la pérennité des biens par le biais des stratégies qu’elles adoptent et des règlements qu’elles instaurent. À partir d’une analyse critique de la littérature sur ce thème, le présent article a pour objectif de jeter un nouveau regard sur l’obsolescence en discutant des responsabilités souvent ambiguës de ces trois acteurs qui, à différents niveaux, influencent la durée de vie des appareils électroniques. Cet article révèle que le cadre législatif européen, visant principalement les fabricants, offre des résultats mitigés pour lutter contre l’obsolescence des équipements électroniques. Sur la base de ce constat, les autorités politiques devraient également reconnaître l’influence de l’usager dans la diminution de la durée de vie des produits électroniques en vue d’instaurer des outils de politique environnementale permettant une gestion plus durable et efficace de ce type de biens. À cette fin, l’affichage environnemental de la durée de vie est explorée dans le but de mieux informer l’usager, à l’achat, de la durée de vie des appareils électroniques, et potentiellement minimiser l’obsolescence.The decrease in the lifespan of electronic products is the source of many debates. The manufacturer has traditionally been designated as the main cause of the decrease in the lifespan of electronic devices, while the consumer is usually considered as a victim. Although it is little known, political authorities have also an influence on the goods durability regarding the strategies they choose and the regulations they establish. Based on a critical analysis of literature, the present article aims at bringing a new perspective on obsolescence by discussing the ambiguous responsibilities of these three actors who, at different levels, influence the lifespan of electronic appliances. This article reveals that the current legal framework first aims at the manufacturers, but offers mitigated results to take concrete measures against obsolescence. In the view of this finding, political authorities should also recognize the influence of user in the decrease in product lifetimes in order to introduce environmental policy instruments to tend towards sustainable management of electronic equipment. To this end, the environmental labelling in product lifetimes is explored to better inform the user, at the time of purchase, on the electronic device lifespan and potentially minimize obsolescence

Data Obsolescence Detection Within Connected Environments

“…Few authors (e.g., authors of [23]- [25]) categorize obsolescence as either: (1) technological obsolescence: new technologies replaces older ones, (2) functional obsolescence: reduction of a system's performance, (3) logistical obsolescence: shortages in manufacturing and materials, (4) ecological obsolescence: high environmental negative impacts, or (5) economic obsolescence: discarding a product due to high maintenance. In [26], the authors provide mathematical detection/prediction methods for obsolescence based on the category of interest.…”

Trends characterizing technological innovations that increase environmental pressure: A typology to support action for sustainable consumption

“…The former refers to non-functional products, the latter to functional ones. An exhaustive review identified the various forms of obsolescence and notes the responsibility of users and/or manufacturers (Déméné and Marchand, 2015).…”

“…The question of planned obsolescence, i.e., defined as any practice of producers intended to accelerate the devaluation of consumer goods (Wieser, 2017), will not be covered herein because the subject is beyond the scope of this article. We will simply mention that obsolescence is a shared responsibility between manufacturers and consumers, while government decision-makers may strongly influence stakeholders' decisions and actions (Déméné and Marchand, 2015).…”

Reducing obsolescence practices from a product-oriented PSS perspective: A research agenda

“…maintaining old refrigerators with fluorinated gases, even if they could be upgraded to be more environmentally friendly, still may be more environmentally damaging than replacing them with the latest generation, powered by hydrofluorocarbons; Cascini et al, 2016, [H]), leaving room for ecological obsolescence. No single set of recommendations exists for replacing products for environmental reasons, 1 but companies and authorities may use ecological arguments to increase sales (Déméné and Marchand, 2015, [A]); such arguments become a source of product depreciation (e.g. older cars no longer allowed to drive in city centers invite consumers to buy new ones, encouraged by car manufacturers’ marketing, such as the UK automotive company Dacia’s tagline “protect the environment and reduce your bill”).…”