See this article from The Guardian which talks about built-in obsolescence, especially of digital equipment. It doesn’t mention this, but I understand that when the first filament light bulbs were invented, it would have been possible to manufacture them to last indefinitely – but it was decided that that wouldn’t be good for business, and so a limited lifespan for each bulb became the norm. So ‘built-in obsolescence’ is not a new concept, but shocking nonetheless given the mountains of waste we are creating at a time of shrinking resources.
Good to see the reference to Repair Cafes!