Right to repair: we are not always obliged to buy new products

The right to repair seems like a generic concept, but in reality, if it were truly implemented, it would allow European consumers to save something like 12 billion euros a year. This is the amount spent on spare parts due to aobsolescence Too fast and therefore suspicious. Each of us is a victim of this perverse mechanism, and when we try to repair an electronic or electrical device, we always hear the same thing: "You'd better buy a new one."

Environmental damage

Aside from the economic damage, thePlanned obsolescence And the general tendency for appliances to last less and less also creates environmental damage. The premature disposal of these products causes 261 million tons of CO2 emissions and generates 35 million tons of waste each year. This waste is not always disposed of correctly.

European law

The law on the right to repair, approved in April 2024 by the European Parliament, includes several important innovations. The first applies "to any tangible movable property”, including those incorporating a service or digital content. Second, manufacturers, suppliers, and retailers are required to provide all the necessary repair instructions for any defective items. Third, spare parts must be available. Fourth, if the consumer chooses to repair rather than replace, they will be entitled to an additional year of warranty. The repaired product must be returned within one month of the repair, and consumers can find the nearest repair locations on an online platform.

Non-original spare parts

The new right to repair also includes the option to replace broken parts with non-original spare parts. Manufacturers cannot oppose this consumer decision, just as they cannot prohibit the use of spare parts from other brands or created in 3D.

When it comes into effect

Unfortunately, the real weakness of the new European law on the right to repair concerns the timing of its entry into force. Each EU member state will have two years to implement the rules approved in Brussels into national law. While waiting for a national law, it could begin to to speed up the process taking inspiration from the way in which the French have already introduced the "right to repair". In France all electrical and electronic appliances must be supplied with a label indicating the respective repairability index. That is, the potential of the object to be repaired and not replaced. In Sweden, many are foreseen incentives to repair and not waste. And throughout Europe the so-called Repair Café.

Availability of spare parts

The index is assigned based on five criteria, which then influence the price (the more repairable a product is, the more its starting value increases).

• La appliance documentation It must be comprehensive, including the point of sale where assistance can be obtained. The documents must also include a lengthy warranty, which currently extends to five years in the Netherlands, compared to the European average of two years.
• Second criterion: accessibility for disassemblyA washing machine, like a computer, must be easily dismantled for repair.
• POI accessibility to spare parts, one of the weakest links in the repair chain.
• And the guarantee that spare parts, in addition to always being available, also have non-speculative prices.
• Finally, the specificity of therepairability index referring to each object: sticking with our example, a computer, at least initially, is easier to repair than a washing machine.

It goes without saying that the "right to repair" is fully integrated into the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN 2030 Agenda: it is, in fact, an essential part of the circular economy.

Read also:

• Restart Parties are coming to Italy: small, free repair parties where anyone can participate.
• Nothing gets thrown away, everything gets repaired. This is how Restarters land in Italy (photo)
• A second-hand shopping center? It exists and works great. So much so that it's a model worth exporting.

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