Designed product flows, which cause things to break right after their warranty expires, as well as artificial barriers to repair things, make damage in many ways:
- more precious resources are spent
- throw-away mentality multiplies the effect on consumerism
- there can be more jobs if goods could be repaired
- people can become smarter if they had a chance to repair things
IMHO the problem is that nobody wants to start making repairable things, because first-movers [and here I also mean companies, which tried to make high quality long-lasting goods] can go bankrupt quickly.
I see the solution is a new legislation, world wide, which will affect everyone. As long as everyone will need to play by these rules, it will not cause problems to corporations as they are more concerned of unfair advantages.
Sooner or later, this change will happen under pressure of the consumers. Like when consumers will understand it and start to choose ecologically and socially friendly goods.