Consumers to Get Repair Rights in Europe

Consumers to Get Repair Rights in  Europe

A BBC environment analyst claims new rules could spell the death of a “throwaway” culture in which products are bought, used briefly, then binned. Including printer cartridges.

Roger Harrabin says a worldwide movement called Right to Repair, wants consumers to have the right to fix their own “stuff.”

A plan is being presented by the movement to the European Commission which could impact the UK as well.

Nathan Proctor, director of the Right to Repair campaign explains, “When you can’t fix something, it means that it ends up in the waste stream before it might normally need to.” He added the world has gotten more computerized and it’s becoming more difficult for people to maintain “the things in their lives.”

This is true of the printers and cartridges consumers use in the workplace as well as at home as well as with smartphones, dishwashers and even farming equipment.

According to Harrabin, if the movement is successful in Europe, “the regulations will apply to a range of everyday items such as mobile phones, textiles, electronics, batteries, construction and packaging.” He adds such regulations will ensure products are designed and manufactured to be repairable and reusable.

Harrabin says it is the group’s “most ambitious and comprehensive” proposal ever put forward to reduce the environmental and climate impact of the things we use.

In 2018, the Right to Repair group scored a major victory: The Library of Congress and the US Copyright Office modified rules to allow consumers to hack into embedded software as needed for repair and maintenance. So they have great expectations on the passing of new regulations and rules in Europe.

Harrabin adds any new rules will challenge the “premature obsolescence” syndrome which means manufacturers make goods with deliberately with a low lifespan to force consumers into buying a newer model.

A spokesperson from the European Environment Bureau (EEB), with its headquarters in Brussels, said: “The strategy is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform the way we manufacture, use and dispose of our products in a way that benefits people and the planet.” The bureau urges Europe’s politicians to turn the plans into reality.

What is your response? Will consumers being allowed to get repair rights help the cartridge remanufacturing industry in Europe?