Support a repair score in Europe

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Fight against e-waste with us!

We want to reduce e-waste and enable consumers to make informed choices about whether or not their electronics can be repaired. That is why we need a repair score: an easy to understand score that shows how easy it is to repair your device.

As part of the green transition legislative packages this year, we need the Commission to propose a mandatory EU-wide repair score by December 2021.

Join us in our call to tell the European Commission that manufacturers must indicate whether or not their product is easy to repair!

We all know the struggle: the electronic device we paid so much money for suddenly stops working and it is much easier to buy a new one than to repair it.

But, why is that the case?

More and more, manufacturers are designing tech devices so that they are almost impossible to repair. We’re left with very few options other than to buy something new. This is especially challenging to consumers who might not be able to afford a new device. It’s also unfair to independent repairers that would otherwise be able to repair your device. Last but not least, it damages our planet, because we are spending resources on new devices instead of fixing the ones we already own.

Why is an EU repair score important?

The repair score will tell consumers how easy a product is to repair before they make the choice to buy it. The repair score would grade products based on:

• accessible product design
• the tools needed to perform the repair
• the availability of spare parts
• the prices of spare parts

By 2030, upcoming EU legislation should provide for the EU repair score to become a durability index by adding greater traceability and information on materials. This repair score should also take into account the environmental footprint and how circular a product is (whether it will last, and whether it can be repaired, reused or recycled).

This “no data, no market” policy will:

1. save consumers millions of euros – it’s good for your pockets
2. cut millions of tonnes of CO2 emissions, reduce loss of precious resources and biodiversity, and prevent environmental degradation – it’s good for the planet
3. provide you with transparency through reliable information - helping you to make choices that work for you
4. increase consumer protection and confidence in products and markets, ultimately leading to sustainable consumption and fair competition among businesses
5. pull you towards the best products by giving you an impartial ranking.

Will my electronic device be easy to repair? Why we know a repair score works

On 1st January 2021, France became the first country in Europe to implement a reparability score on five categories of electronic devices. This tool, provided by the anti-waste law for a circular economy, will help inform French citizens about how repairable their purchases are.

Spain is also considering a similar tool. The Spanish Minister of Consumption, Alberto Garzón, has announced his willingness to develop a Spanish repair score.

Now, other countries need to join France and Spain in their efforts to provide a repair score. We say: the European Union has to lead by example.

European consumers should not struggle to understand which household objects and electronics can be easily fixed. This is our chance to fix throw-away culture.

Show your support by signing the petition!

Rosa d'Amato 🇮🇹 - Alviina Alametsä 🇫🇮 - Rasmus Andresen 🇩🇪 - Margrethe Auken 🇩🇰 - Damian Boeselager 🇩🇪 - Saskia Bricmont 🇧🇪 - Patrick Breyer 🇩🇪 - Reinhard Bütikofer 🇩🇪 - Anna Cavazzini 🇩🇪 - David Cormand 🇫🇷 - Bas Eickhout 🇳🇱 - Eleonora Evi 🇮🇹 - Sara Matthieu 🇧🇪 - Niklas Nienaß 🇩🇪 - Grace O'Sullivan 🇮🇪 - Piernicola Pedicini 🇮🇹 - Kira Peter-Hansen 🇩🇰 - Diana Riba i Giner 🇪🇸 - Manuela Ripa 🇩🇪
Members of the European Parliament for the Greens/EFA

📷 Photo by Ashkan Forouzani on Unsplash