“If socks can have a lifetime guarantee, why can't anything?” asks entrepreneur Tara Button. This is the premise behind her online store, Buy Me Once. It only stocks products – from tables and chairs to towels and toothbrushes – that are made to last a whole lifetime.

Technology brands like Apple have become so desirable that we’ve almost forgotten they sell products built to break, thereby keeping people shopping. But the backlash against planned obsolescence is swelling, and a new generation of design brands are creating pieces made to last.

‘Til death us do part’ is usually reserved for weddings. But as sustainability becomes a bigger concern, it could be applied to our prized possessions, from cashmere jumpers to iPhones. But how achievable is this in a world where acquiring and upgrading are the status quo?

One guy microwaves his phone instead of a burrito. Another accidentally drops it in a drink. So goes one of Virgin Mobile's 'Happy Accidents' adverts, which have been watched by millions since they first aired in 2013. It's no joke though. People really are secretly breaking their stuff. But why?