Electronic product life spans are getting shorter
But consumers’ desire to replace products such as flat-screen TVs with newer model is also a major factor in what the research identified as increasingly wasteful consumption of electronic goods.
However consumer preference is also playing a role. A third of all replacement purchases for products such as refrigerators and washing machines were motivated by a desire for a better unit while the old one was still functioning.
Consumers are also increasingly keen to swap their flat screen televisions for better versions with larger screens and better picture quality
For laptops, the desire to upgrade a functioning device seems to have lessened over the study period