"What you are describing already exists, and I think if done properly could be the way forward, even more thatn the poject ARA. I don't know why but the Fairphone (I can't paste a link, a quick Google search will do) has hardly been talked about, and it does exactly what you mentioned, they aim to be completely sustainable trying to reduce programmed obsolesce to even being fully transparent on the whole manufacturing process. Might be worth talking a look "