Many consumers are already participating in reuse and repair initiatives, but resource efficiency needs to be further enhanced to ensure the circularity of Critical Raw Materials.
EU lawmakers approved new repair rules in the electronics industry aimed at supporting independent electronics repair and improving consumer access to affordable repair options. These regulations take a positive step forward by mandating reasonable prices for original electronic parts, the use of compatible and reused spare parts, and prohibiting practices that stop independent electronics repair.
Unfortunately, many gaps remain. EU lawmakers have yet to clarify what constitutes a 'reasonable' price, and manufacturers can still render repairs difficult with sneaky hardware and software practices allowed by loopholes.
Most critically, these rules only apply to a handful of electronic products. For the moment, only TVs and servers, with smartphones and tablets to follow soon. You can see which products are covered on the R2R website under 'What's my right to repair'.
The Right to Repair Europe coalition, representing over 180 organisations, is calling for broader legislation covering additional product categories beyond smartphones, tablets, and select appliances.
They demand a Universal Right to Repair. Looking ahead, the coalition urges the upcoming Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation to establish reparability requirements for a wider range of products and to ban anti-repair practices and premature obsolescence.
By implementing reuse of electronic items, they not only reduce resource use but also provide local and inclusive employment opportunities and services.
RREUSE, an international network representing social enterprises working on reuse, repair, and recycling, is at the forefront of advocating for sustainable practices in the management of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). Their key focus areas include:
This study calls attention to the need for ICT (Information and Communications Technology) products to be prioritised in ESPR (Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation) and Ecodesign by demonstrating significant material impacts in a number of broad product groupings that have...
In this report we shine a light on the true cost of planned obsolescence, and provide recommendations to increase the repairability of our everyday products and ensure they last longer.
We’re delighted to launch our new Repair and Reuse Declaration to celebrate Repair Day, with a whopping 125 (and counting) groups signed up. The Declaration is supported by more than 100 community repair groups alongside NGOs and businesses like The...
