Mobile Phones, Furniture & Co. – EU: goods must be more durable and repairable

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Clothing, mobile phones, backpacks, furniture: according to the European Commission, products in the EU should be easier to repair and more durable. Consumers must benefit from this and the environment must be protected, according to the plans presented on Wednesday. “We want sustainable products to become the norm on the European market,” said Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans.

Specifically, the EU Commission should be able to set minimum standards for durability, energy consumption or repair requirements for almost all goods in the EU’s internal market. Exceptions are only provided for food, feed and pharmaceuticals. This should also contribute to making the EU climate neutral by 2050.

electronic
When it comes to electronics, consumers should take advantage of replaceable batteries, easier repairs and longer guaranteed software updates. “A smartphone should not lose its functionality just because the battery is getting weaker,” says Timmermans. Instead of updates weakening smartphones and encouraging consumers to buy a new phone, updates should strengthen phones. Specifications for recycling proportions and requirements are also conceivable.

With regard to the budget, existing rules could be tightened up. Transparency requirements for energy consumption already apply to many appliances such as washing machines, refrigerators or lamps – the so-called ecodesign rules. How efficient the product is must be indicated on a scale from A to G. Now additional requirements can be imposed on the service life of the products. If a dishwasher is broken, the broken part should be easy to replace. There are also strict requirements for stoves, air conditioners and other heating and cooling equipment.

dress
Clothing must become more sustainable, recyclable and sustainable. “Every second a truckload of textile ends up in the landfill or incinerator,” says Timmermans. Mandatory minimum values ​​for the proportion of recycled materials are planned. Clothing should also last longer, for example by making it easier to repair. Measures are also on the agenda to prevent the release of environmentally harmful microplastics.

Products must remain “affordable”.
The Commission says that, on the face of it, increased production costs due to the requirements can be passed on to customers. In the long run, however, money is saved because less energy is used and goods last longer. The Directive also states that there should be no “material negative impact on the affordability of the products concerned to consumers”.

Wash less green
In addition, vague product claims such as “green” and “environmentally friendly” should be banned if they are not proven. Consumers must be informed if the shelf life of a product is limited, for example because the software of a device limits its functionality at a certain point in time. Nor may a statement be made about the environmental friendliness of a product if it actually only affects a certain part of it. Customers should also be informed about how and if devices can be repaired and how long they are guaranteed to last.

What to tackle first: A preliminary assessment by the committee found that textiles, furniture, mattresses, tires, paint, lubricants and iron, steel and aluminum all have a lot of room for improvement. According to EU Environment Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius, the first specifications for textiles could be drawn up by 2023 or 2024. “Almost all physical goods” should be covered by the new rules. Only a few sectors, such as food, animal feed and pharmaceuticals, are exempt.

energy savings
In addition to waste, a lot of energy must also be saved. According to the Brussels authorities, almost as much less energy could be needed by 2030 as the EU currently gains from Russian gas imports. Existing environmental regulations have already resulted in regulated products using ten percent less energy.

The European Parliament and EU countries are now dealing with the proposals. It is therefore possible that there are still changes.

Source: Krone

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