Product lifetime

For example, discussion of product lifetimes are an integral part of the European Commission's action plan for the circular economy[9].

Durability is described by Cooper[11] as "the ability of a product to perform its required function over a lengthy period under normal use conditions of use without excessive expenditure on maintenance or repair" (p. 5).

[3] Cooper[3] notes that user behaviour, and broader social and cultural trends play important roles in the product's longevity.

Murkami et al.[1] identify the following overarching concepts in product lifetime definitions which are discussed below: Age, Residential time, Service life, Possession span and Duration of use.

A conference paper by Oguchi et al.[10] sought to identify and test differences in definitions of product lifetime expectations.

Building on these previous studies (described above), Oguchi et al.[10] identified and tested three distinct definitions of expected product lifetimes, these are outlined below.

Since this study, work has been undertaken by other academics into measuring actual and expected product lifetimes; the methods employed are outlined below.

[3] Oguchi et al.[12] identify that surveys of waste treatment and recycling facilities can provide information on the age of the appliance at break or discard.

Identifying information such as the product serial and/ or batch number can be used to find out a date of manufacturer from which the age of the appliance at break or discard can be calculated.

Cooper and Mayers[21] conducted household interviews to establish the age of 17 electrical and electronic items at discard and break.

[12][22] One of the earliest attempts to estimate product lifetimes was undertaken by Pennock and Jaeger[23] who utilised actuarial methods to measure the Service life of household goods for one owner.

With the exception of Oguchi et al.[10] and Wieser et al.,[18] many studies into expected product lifetimes have not distinguished between the different definitions (outlined above).

Survey methods (such as Oguchi et al.[10]) can also use Likert items to evaluate if current products meet users expectations with regards to durability and longevity.