Built-in Obsolescence?

We've got a dripping tap.  Back in the day one would buy a rubber washer, and with a little help from a DIY manual would replace it...hey presto, problem solved.
This dripping tap is different, it didn't just drip, every time another tap was turned on elsewhere in the house it emitted a piecing whistling noise.  It even started whistling in the dead of night when there was no other tap activity and as it's in an en-suite it made it impossible to sleep in the adjoining bedroom that night.

To cut a long story short, we called in a plumber and it seems rubber washers are no longer used.  Taps have an internal cartridge containing a ceramic washer (as per the photo).  You now have to change the whole cartridge, if you can find the correct one that is.  After some research it seems that matching the correct cartridge to the tap is fraught with problems, even if you know the make and model of the tap.  Our taps (as shown) are still made, but we discovered that the current cartridges for this model aren't the same size as the ones in our taps.  Our taps are five years old and visually still in good condition, we assume that the design has changed slightly during that time which renders the new cartridges unusable.

A new set of the same taps is £85 plus a hefty plumber's fee to fit.  So, we've now ordered a cheaper set of taps and a set of matching cartridges, (ready for when they fail in another five years time), however that is still considerably more expensive than replacing a rubber washer, not to mention the wastage involved.

Is it any wonder that our planet is in such a state when we live in this 'throw-away' world?  So much for progress!