My fan broke after five? years of near 24/7 use. Customer support was very easy to reach. They sent me a new one after I sent some serial numbers as proof. They asked me then to break off a blade, and a picture of it so I didn't have to sent it back.
I get why. But that still seems wasteful
If the old one could still be used, they shouldn’t send a new one anyway.
Well, if it can still be repaired but the producer doesn't want to bother and just sends a new fan, that's fine. That doesn't mean a repairable product should be destroyed and sent to a landfill just because it makes Noctua's logistics easier.
The point is, if the owner thinks it can be repaired, they shouldn’t call for a replacement in the first place. And indeed they wouldn’t get one, because they wouldn’t break the blade. So it’s completely under control of the owner.
Sure but the owner could've technically been left with a spare part in this case
Though it's not that likely that users will try to replace the blades on a fan.
But would it be more wasteful than shipping a parcel with broken equipment?