Despite widespread beliefs that modern appliances are built to break, a groundbreaking Norwegian study reveals only washing machines and ovens have shorter lifespans than their predecessors – and changing consumer habits may be the real culprit.
The comprehensive research from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) challenges the popular perception that manufacturers are deliberately designing products to fail earlier, a practice known as “planned obsolescence.”
“Despite what people think, there is no evidence that product lifetimes are decreasing,” said Kamila Krych, who conducted the research as part of her PhD at NTNU’s Industrial Ecology Programme. “Many people think that products have been becoming less durable. But this work suggests that no, that’s not entirely true.”
Krych’s study examined decades of data on large household appliances in Norway, tracking them from their first introduction into homes around 1950. For refrigerators, dishwashers, freezers, and tumble dryers, lifespans have remained remarkably stable over the years.
However, two major appliances broke this pattern dramatically. Washing machine lifetimes decreased by 45 percent, dropping from 19.2 years to just 10.6 years. Ovens showed a similar decline, with lifespans shrinking from 23.6 years to 14.3 years, a 39 percent reduction.
“If planned obsolescence or another single factor was to blame, we would expect the same decreasing trend across all appliances. Instead, we only found it for washing machines and ovens,” Krych noted.
The research team dug deeper to understand why these two appliances bucked the trend. For washing machines, the answer appears straightforward – it’s not the calendar years that matter most, but the number of wash cycles the machine completes.
“For washing machines, what matters is how often you run it. And there has been a documented large change in laundry habits,” Krych explained. “People do the laundry much more often now than in the past.”
The study cited a 2003 research finding that in 1960, an average Norwegian family of four did laundry twice a week. By 2000, this had quadrupled to eight cycles weekly. This significant change in usage patterns puts far more wear and tear on modern machines, potentially explaining why they don’t last as many years as their predecessors.
The story behind ovens’ declining lifespans is more complex. While ovens were historically very durable due to their simple design, the study found that about 40 percent of all ovens in Norway are discarded while still functioning – a higher rate than other household appliances.
Another intriguing pattern emerged from the data. The lifetimes of kitchen appliances like refrigerators and dishwashers are converging – they’re all lasting about the same amount of time, suggesting people might be replacing them simultaneously during kitchen renovations.
“This is circumstantial evidence, but this points to the importance of kitchen renovation,” Krych said. “And right now, we often have all of these appliances integrated in kitchen cupboards. And because of how expensive things are in Norway, it’s often much easier to discard everything at once when you renovate your kitchen than to keep your oven for longer, even though it still works.”
The changing role of kitchens in Norwegian homes may also play a part. “There is lots of social science research that says we use kitchens differently now than we used to in the past,” Krych explained. “People often have kitchens integrated with their living rooms. And this means that the look of the kitchen matters much more.”
The findings have implications for policymakers in the European Union, who have been focusing on product durability and incentives for repairs to reduce environmental impacts. While these are important goals, Krych suggests social factors should also be considered.
“Product lifetimes are not only about how long the product can last, but also what people do with them,” she concluded.
The study, “Long-term lifetime trends of large appliances since the introduction in Norwegian households,” was published in the Journal of Industrial Ecology in January. The research provides valuable insights into product lifecycles and challenges common assumptions about planned obsolescence in modern manufacturing.
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