Planned Obsolescence: LED light bulbs can last 25 years!!!

East Germany was a Soviet socialist state before the 1990s. Resources were extremely limited so strength and durability were emphasized in industrial production. Their fridge could last for 24 years.

East Germans’ Light bulbs were produced in 1985. They could be used for 24 years. You could almost use one bulb throughout your life, no replacement was needed.

This kind of light bulbs existed 27 years ago. This may be inconceivable to people using incandescent light bulbs or energy-saving light bulbs.

In fact, this kind of planned obsolescence (literally “malicious consumption/waste”) consumption pattern is planned for today’s society.

The Chief Executive of Hong Kong advocated the use of energy-saving light bulbs from 2009 to 2010, claiming that they could save up to 70% of energy that’s needed in incandescent light bulbs.

But energy-saving light bulbs have numerous shortcomings.

They create harmful electromagnetic waves. Every 1 watt energy-saving light bulbs produces approximately 4.67 gigahertz electromagnetic waves.

Energy-saving light bulbs contain mercury. Low quality bulbs may poison their users.

Energy-saving bulbs are 10 times more expensive. It’s difficult to earn back the cost by saving electricity.

The brightness and power consumption of energy-saving light bulbs can’t be regulated. Their lifespan is several times to dozens of times shorter than LED light bulbs.

They can’t be recycled because of the containment of mercury, needing to be disposed carefully.

Their low color rendering index makes them harmful to our health and our eyes.

It’s easy for energy-saving light bulbs to trigger migraine headaches, rashes and skin itching to weaker or sensitive people.

Another common light bulbs are quartz light bulbs. Their disadvantages are:

that they could use up a lot of energy and their temperature can reach 200℃, increasing room temperature.

That they are quit bright, harming our eyes.

that they emit more harmful UV light wave than other light bulbs.

Being under bright light or UV light for a long time could cause diseases like skin cancer.

However, LED light bulbs are very popular these days. Their advantages are:

1) Super energy-saving: (save 90% electricity, turn on a 3W LED bulb for 333 hours only cost about $1.00)

2) ultra long life:

3) ultra-low temperature (their surface temperature is about 50 degrees, making indoor temperature much better in the summer)

4) no radiation, no UV light

5) do not hurt our eyes and skin

6) LED bulbs contain no mercury, need not to worry about crushing during disposal

An energy-saving LED bulb produced by the Dutch Philips Electronics won the 2011 US Department of Energy’s "Bright Tomorrow Lighting Prize" on 22 Apr. last year.

This 10 W LED bulb is equivalent to a 60 W light bulb, saving 83% of energy.

It could last 27.4 years if you only use it for 3 hours a day. It only costs US$25 (about HK$190). You can use it for 25 years through a one-time purchase.

In fact, many countries, corporations, shops and trade unions are using LED bulbs instead of energy-saving bulbs recently.