The scarcity of resources and the low availability of obtaining consumer goods has meant that the art of repair throughout history was an outstanding virtue. I clearly remember a conversation at the end of a work day at sea and we approached the naval workshops because the radio station had stopped working:
-Why don’t we just change the radio station?
-Anyone does that, the wisdom is in fixing it and making it work again.
However, in the last 50 years, an excessive linear economy has been imposed, under a false motto of progress based on “extract-produce-consume-dispose”. Thus, global waste generation is expected to increase significantly, going from 185 kg per capita per year in 2010 to 350 kg per capita per year in 2050, with a belief in the unlimited nature of resources associated with an unwavering faith in the scientific development for its correct management.
Faced with this trend, there are more and more initiatives focused on implementing a circular economy that promotes the use of resources and places new value on repair.
Without going any further, on April 23, 2024, the European Parliament approved by a clear majority new measures to strengthen consumers’ right to repair, with a view to the adoption of a community directive establishing common standards for promote this practice.
The multiple “Rs” of the circular economy
Since the publication of the Meadows Report on the limits to growth, commissioned by the Club of Rome in 1972, awareness of the need to achieve sustainable development of society, combining resources and consumer goods, has gradually matured.
Gumersindo FeijooCC BY-SA
This axiom has materialized in various strategies, such as the promotion of the circular economy or multi-R system, that is, it has evolved from the classic 3R concept (reduce, reuse and recycle) of the recycling economy to a consequential approach of a strategy prioritizing different “Rs”: rethink, redesign, reuse, repair, reduce, recover and recycle.
Gumersindo FeijooCC BY-SA
Repair’s main mission is to extend the life cycle of use of consumer goods and fight against planned obsolescence, that is, to establish the end of the useful life of a product from the moment of its manufacture.
Ecolabels that facilitate repair
One of the tools to facilitate the achievement of a circular economy are ecolabels. These seek to inform the consumer through a logo or seal that guarantees or certifies the achievement of good environmental practices based on compliance with a series of environmental parameters or indicators that vary depending on each eco-label.
Read more: Responsible consumption: basic guide to interpret ecolabels
In 2019, the French Government approved a law that regulates the obligation to show clear information to consumers about the repairability of electrical and electronic devices. The goal was to encourage citizens to choose more repairable products and manufacturers to improve the repairability of their products.
Since January 2021 it is now available. This ecolabel can be obtained in five product categories (for example, laptops, televisions or washing machines). The ecolabel establishes a range between 0-10 from the least repairable to the most repairable.
Ministère de la Transition Ecologique et de la Cohésion des Territoires, CC BY-SA
The repairability index established in France mainly evaluates these criteria:
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Disassembly and availability of spare parts.
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Price of spare parts.
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Specific aspects of the product. In the case of mobile phones, laptops and televisions, aspects of software.
Another interesting initiative is the Eco Repair Score indicator to increase the useful life of vehicles and their components considering the evaluation of the life cycle in the repair of damage caused by an accident. This is a very important element considering that the European vehicle fleet exceeds 400 million vehicles.
Promotion of the right to repair
The new measures included in the proposal recently approved by the European Parliament make it possible to make repairs easier and cheaper than buying new products.
On the one hand, the warranty is extended, so that once the legal warranty expires, the manufacturer will continue to require the repair of common household products such as washing machines, vacuum cleaners or telephones. In addition, the warranty on repaired goods may be extended for another year.
The repair market is also revitalized, so manufacturers will have to make spare parts and tools available to consumers at a reasonable price.
Finally, States must carry out various actions such as offering repair courses, carrying out information campaigns or supporting community repair spaces. All this aimed at promoting the culture of repair.
The planet’s resources are limited and, therefore, we must optimize their use and achieve circularity. Repairing must have a high priority, as it will guarantee us extending the life cycle of consumer goods, being a key piece to achieving a sustainable circular economy.
