Throwaway madness

35 million tons of waste: EU right to repair is coming

European consumers should be able to have certain defective products repaired more easily in future.

(Bild: ©Family Business - stock.adobe.com)

A right to repair for consumers is to be introduced at EU level. Negotiators from the EU Parliament and the EU member states agreed on Friday night that manufacturers of certain products such as fridges, vacuum cleaners and cell phones will have to repair them on request in future.

For the first time, a legal right to repair will be introduced for so-called white goods - mainly household appliances - and typical everyday products such as smartphones, said the EU Parliament's chief negotiator, René Repasi (SPD). In future, it will be easier and cheaper to have products repaired instead of buying them new.

35 tons of waste 
"We can no longer afford to live in a throwaway society," said Repasi. European consumers produce 35 million tons of waste every year because products are not repaired and replaced with new ones.

We can no longer afford to live in a throwaway society.

René Repasi (SPD). Verhandlungsführer des EU-Parlaments

But there are also exceptions
However, the new regulations do not apply to all products. According to the information provided, some goods such as headphones and furniture are exempt. A precise legal text is usually published a few weeks after the negotiators have reached an agreement. Parliament and the EU member states still have to approve the compromise. In most cases, this is a mere formality.

Fewer greenhouse gas emissions
The rules are also intended to protect the environment. When presenting the proposal, the Commission argued that fewer discarded products would mean both less waste and fewer resources used in production. This would also result in fewer greenhouse gas emissions. Based on its proposal, the Commission estimated that over 15 years, 18.5 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions and 1.8 million tons of resources would be saved and 3 million tons of waste would be reduced.

(Bild: dpa-Zentralbild/Patrick Pleul)

"Repair will be easier and more affordable"
The Chair of the EU Parliament's Internal Market Committee, Anna Cavazzini, described the outcome of the negotiations as a breakthrough for consumer protection. "Repairs will become easier and more affordable by guaranteeing access to spare parts at a reasonable price and to repair instructions from manufacturers, even for small repair stores around the corner and tinkerers in their garages," said the Green politician.

The agreement is based on a proposal submitted by the EU Commission almost a year ago. According to the EU Parliament, it has been advocating a right to repair for more than ten years. In April 2022, the Parliament increased the pressure and voted by a large majority in favor of designing products in such a way that they last longer, can be repaired safely and their parts are easily accessible and removable.