Signal 82% use items longer, 69% repair rather than discard, 68% actively reduce waste

Summary

McKinsey's 2026 survey shows how widely consumers are stretching the life of what they already own. Eighty-two percent of respondents worldwide say they now keep items longer before replacing them. Sixty-nine percent say they fix products instead of throwing them away. Sixty-eight percent report making an active effort to cut waste. The report presents these figures as evidence that resourceful habits born of price pressure have become mainstream rather than marginal. For manufacturers and retailers, longer product lives mean slower replacement cycles and a stronger case for designing goods that are durable and repairable.