Planned Obsolescence in Asia: Why Shortcuts Kill Brands Faster Than Products
Let’s call it what it is: planned obsolescence is when brands knowingly design products to break, fade, or lose relevance long before they should. It’s profitable, yes, but it’s also reckless. And in markets like Malaysia and across ASEAN, consumers are no longer turning a blind eye. The circular economy in Malaysia is shifting from policy chatter to boardroom reality. From the Green Technology Master Plan Malaysia to the Circular Economy Roadmap 2030 , governments are signalling that the throwaway economy is running on borrowed time. Brands that don’t adapt? They risk getting left behind by eco-conscious consumers in Southeast Asia who are demanding better. Why This Matters in ASEAN Globally, 92 million tons of textiles end up in landfills every year. Electronics pile up, appliances die early, and consumers pick up the bill, again and again. But in ASEAN, a region with young, fast-growing populations, the scale of waste is staggering. The good news: ASEAN sustainability str...