Repair made easier in France thanks to new law

An ambitious piece of legislation aiming to boost reparability of products was voted in France on 30th January 2020. There will be several benefits for both consumers’ pockets and the environment. Let’s have a quick overview.

As of 1 January 2021, a repair score will appear on smart phones, washing machines, TVs, computers and lawn mowers. The score will range from 0 to 10 and will be based on 5 criteria, including the price of spare parts. The French Ministry of the Environment is aiming to finalise the scoring system by July 2020.

By January 2024, the repair index will morph or be complemented by a durability index, which will allow consumers to easily select longer-lasting products.

The new law also opens the door for manufacturers to integrate a ‘usage meter’, tracking what the product has been through (for example washing cycles, battery charges, etc). This will be useful information, especially for consumers who buy second-hand products, as the meter will indicate the number of times the appliance was used in the past.

Other measures support more durable products:

• Spare parts will have to be available for at least 5 years for some product categories.
• It will be possible to print 3D spare parts if they are out of production (provided there is no infringement to copyright law).
• The government will investigate the role of software in short-lived devices. This is especially welcome, since IT products can bypass the existing French law on planned obsolescence, as illustrated by the recent fine imposed to Apple for slowing down old iPhones.

The PROMPT consortium is keeping an eye on this initiative and counts on manufacturers to apply the rules in due time to give consumers access to more durable and repairable products. This will certainly help frame the new European policies on Circular Economy.