Durabilityofelectricalequipmentandfromaconsumerperspective

The fight against planned obsolescence has just reached a new milestone. An anti-waste bill. This version of the bill includes additional sections which were not present in the version the government introduced: a sustainability index for electrical and electronic equipment. 

 

Transparency of product information 

Transparency of information given to consumers and the ability to make savings are important elements in sustainable product policy. The future objective is to get consumers involved in the circular economy:  

According to the European Commission, consumers will be guaranteed to receive reliable and relevant information on products at points of sale with regard to: 

• Product operating life
• Availability of repair services, spare parts 
• Repair manuals 

Measures against premature obsolescence 

The European Commission also plans to strengthen consumer protection against premature obsolescence with more stringent sustainability requirements on logos and labels. 

The Commission wishes to highlight the following: easier access to reuse, greater availability of spare parts and access to repair services in the case of electronic equipment, among other points. 

The Commission will also propose that companies submit their environmental statements using the product and organisational environmental footprint methods. It will test the inclusion of these methods into the European Union Ecolabel and will more systematically include durability and recycling in the criteria of the European Union Ecolabel. 

“The purchasing power of public bodies represents 14% of the EU's GDP and can be a powerful driver of demand for sustainable products.” The Commission will therefore raise public sector awareness by introducing minimum requirements for green government procurement: advice, training and best practices will be circulated to encourage sustainability in government procurement. This will also facilitate dialogue between the various purchasers involved in the implementation of green government procurement. 

 

 Are you a public sector purchaser? Prepare for the Commission’s new restrictions now by choosing remanufactured consumables. 

 

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Based on the text of the Circular Economy Action Plan – European Commission’s Green Deal