Sonos contributing to electronic waste

One does need to assess though if the choices are presented in a way that things are not as “free” as they appear to be - in general we know that capable marketing is able to make a mockery of free will in very large majority of cases. In this case, does Sonos say anywhere that if you do not choose to recycle while there is usable life in the kit, you can also do so later when there isn't this life because of a Sonos software upgrade? Is this a legal requirement - no. Is doing so being a good corporate citizen? Many would say yes. Of course the cynics would question including the word “good” in the same sentence as the word “corporate”.

Then there is the perhaps unintended consequence on the downward effect this may have on the market for used gear, if the fear of getting a recycled product weighs on buyers. Or even, as someone suggested, being accused of selling a recycled product may take a seller to the recycling route.

I did say that there is no knowing how much is the absolute effect of this in increasing waste, and that in the bigger picture, this is vanishingly small regardless of what the size of that effect may be even in the worst case.

But messaging is important, and I feel that Sonos could have done a better job of this than they have.

As stated in the post above you, recycling locally is better for the environment then shipping it elsewhere to be recycled.  And you can ship it to Sonos if you wish.

  The trade-up program is optional.  If you’re happy with your play:5 then keep it.

I suppose it’s subjective regarding what marketing methods are ‘bottom of the barrel’ or not.  Sonos did release it’s Q3 financial statements recently and it does looks like sales are moving in the right direction.

https://variety.com/2019/digital/news/sonos-fiscal-q3-2019-earnings-1203295731/

So a manufacturer that sells new equipment and actually financially encourages  dealers to recycle electronic products that have been maintained for in some instances more than ten years is somehow morally wrong?

I think Sonos could have done a lot worse, first by stopping updates after (see some Android phones) a couple of years and then by not caring about recycling at all.

I think the point is that Sonos are eesentiallu making currently functional electronics equipment a waste product.

If or when Sonos decide to stop supporting these products then offering the same thing then would be a lot more palatable - ethical even.

To make it even more unpalatable, I think this old equipment you can trade in includes the likes of this:

https://www.johnlewis.com/sonos-connect-wireless-music-system/p230973910

Yes, you can still buy it.

Thank you, I hadn’t realised that. Man that’s so corrupt and morally wrong. Throwing away working products at the same time as manufacturing the exact same product. 

Waiting for an official Sonos reply...

Thanks for joining in and asking questions. I’ll make sure to pass along your feedback on this program.

@lewisc , it sounds like your main question is on why we’re asking that owners recycle these devices instead of taking it back ourselves or allowing the devices to remain functioning. As you know, this offer is for first generation products that have been replaced by more powerful, capable products in our line-up that introduce new experiences. While we’re proud of how long our products last, we don’t want these old products to be the first experience a new customer has with Sonos if gotten off of a second hand market. We hope that in upgrading to the latest and greatest, people will recycle responsibly, and we feel it’s the right decision to make recycling a condition of this offer. We are prioritizing environmental responsibility and encourage our users to responsibly recycle their deactivated products through local e-recyclers. Lists of local certified e-recyclers can be found online, such as here: https://www.google.com/maps/search/e-waste+recycling

Certified e-recyclers adhere to sustainability policies and practices for managing electronics, including the reuse of materials, energy recovery and responsible disposal. Recycling locally is more eco-friendly and sustainable than packing up products and shipping them back to us. That said, our goal is to keep players out of the landfill, so if local recycling isn’t an option, customers are welcome to ship it back to Sonos at our expense.

I don't believe that the adage applies in this case, these pennies don't automatically lead/add up to pounds; and most complaints about the Sonos exchange program are based on personal financial impacts as opposed to environmental ones, even where those are claimed to be the purpose of this thread.

And I completely fail to see how the trade up program in itself is adding to waste when one can choose to not take the option. So why is it a big deal, by itself?

Now if you were to then say that Sonos contributes to waste by not making products that can last for decades with after sales repair service as/when needed, yes, but that takes us back to Sonos having to operate in the use and throw lifestyle at price points that its markets support - for both getting over boredom by needing constant meaningless change, and for not wanting to pay the price of life time support, even if it could overcome the “boredom” of the same box doing the same thing in their life for decades.

And most people will have a problem with getting off the upgrade path that bricks Sonos devices from time to time because these people will change smartphones often like every other phone user does and unwittingly get back onto the upgrade path for Sonos kit as well.

Those that have the necessary discipline and the tech savvy have successfully gotten on to the path of getting the full hardware service life from their Sonos components, and will not have any personal concerns about this trade up or the need for it.

Perhaps the thread should be titled “ Sonos is making it very easy for us to contribute to electronic waste”.

I think it is interesting that the Connect is on the list of things to be bricked by the recycle program while at the same time is still being sold on the Sonos site. It is no wonder that this program has some public perception issues.

It isn't $50 more than the Port. I (was) looking at the connect.  Very lame and unethical of them not to be upfront about this. 

Is there an announced deadline when the trade up offer expires? It seems to me that there should not be any, so that if I were to choose an upgrade anytime in future that were to render my Connect unusable, and I wanted to get a replacement Port, it should be available to me with a 30% discount.

That would reduce the furore now, I imagine, as well as make the upgrade in future more palatable to everyone. And someone that opts for the trade up just now would do so only to get the additional features on the Port, and not out of any perceived need to mitigate the risk of obsolescence.

I don’t - but I find the concept of selling new kit to people that in a few months time you’re going to be saying simply isn’t up to scratch - to the degree that you’re offering trade-in terms - to be a bit bizarre...

All systems that are connected to the internet need updates. If not to add functions, then for safety concerns.