Economic and ecological effects of extending the useful life of electrical and electronic devices. Using the example of smartphones, notebooks, washing machines, televisions and e-bikes (pedelecs)

For some years now, there has been increasing evidence that the life or useful life of electrical and electronic products has been reduced. This is a disadvantage for consumers who have to replace the appliance with a new one, especially if the appliances do not function properly at an early stage and repair is not possible or not economically viable. But also for ecological reasons, a long service life for most products is advantageous in terms of resource consumption and global warming potential. The trend towards shorter product life cycles is countered by the desire of at least a large proportion of consumers to use products for a longer period of time. Against this background, the study aims to answer the following questions: - What concrete expectations do consumers have regarding the lifespan of certain products? - What would be the economic benefits for households if the useful life of products were to meet their expectations? - What positive effect would this have on the climate footprint?