The EU has adopted new rules that will make it easier to repair household appliances in a bid to reduce waste.
The measures will require manufacturers of products such as refrigerators, washing machines, dishwashers and televisions to make spare parts available and to ensure they can be easily replaced.
That should stop countless products ending up on the scrapheap for want of a simple repair.
“The new repair requirements will help improve the lifetime of everyday appliances that currently fail too quickly,” said Monique Goyens, director-general of BEUC, an umbrella group for consumer organisations from 32 European countries.
“It is crucial we bin the current ‘throwaway’ trend, which depletes natural resources and empties consumers’ pockets.”
From March 2021, manufacturers will have to ensure that spare parts are available for at least seven years after a product has been sold, that they can deliver the parts within 15 working days and that the parts can be replaced safely using commonly available tools.
If British manufacturers want to continue exporting to the EU after Brexit, they will have to comply with the rules too.
The so-called “right to repair” rules, together with new energy efficiency requirements, are known as eco-design measures.
“Whether it is by fostering repairability or improving water consumption, intelligent eco-design makes us use our resources more efficiently, bringing clear economic and environmental benefits,” said Jyrki Katainen, vice-president for jobs, growth, investment and competitiveness at the European Commission.
These measures can save European households on average €150 (£134) per year and contribute to energy savings equal to annual energy consumption of Denmark by 2030, he added.
