UK draft legislation enshrines the right to repair in law – but don't expect your mobile to suddenly be any easier to fix
- Reference: 1615390811
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2021/03/10/uk_right_to_repair_law/
- Source link:
Under the new regime, manufacturers of (mostly) white goods will be forced to open up their supply chains to consumers and independent repair shops, giving them access to spare parts.
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The legislation also includes measures that compel manufacturers to offer maintenance information to consumers, allowing them to read the manual and actually fix their machines without having to reverse-engineer them.
The measures are intended to address planned obsolescence. The government said it expects white goods to last for up to a decade, rather than the average of seven years [2]described by the Whitegoods Trade Association .
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Calls for 'right to repair' electronics laws grow louder across Europe [4]READ MORE
Unfortunately, the legislation as written does not encompass other hard-to-repair tech products, such as laptops and smartphones, where manufacturers routinely lock up access to spare parts and schematics.
The independent repair sector has [5]repeatedly complained about difficulties accessing replacement components for broken kit, forcing them to rely on a limited supply of parts harvested from donor machines. This has, in turn, raised the cost of performing repairs, and forced consumers to replace defective products that would otherwise be easily fixed.
The planned changes have been preceded by a new energy-rating regime identical to the one introduced EU-wide on March 1. The UK’s adoption of this rating standard was agreed in 2018 and 2019, while the UK was still a member of the bloc.
While the previous standard included A+, A++, and A+++ tiers, white goods are now graded on an A-G scale. Requirements, meanwhile, are tougher, with manufacturers forced to meet steep energy consumption targets to clinch a coveted A grade. The only divergence between Brussels and Blighty is skin-deep, with the EU flag replaced by the Union Jack — because Brexit.”
UK government claimed the measures will reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill and the UK's carbon emissions by 1.7 mega-tonnes by 2050. Consumers are expected, it added, to save on average £75 on their energy bills each year.
[6]Brit MPs to Apple CEO: Please stop ignoring our questions about repairability and the environment
[7]UN warns of global e-waste wave as amount of gadgets dumped jumps 21% in 5 years
[8]UK government may force online retailers to pick up e-waste from consumers
Commenting, Philip Dunne MP, chair of the Environmental Audit Committee, said this planned legislation was a step in the right direction, although he criticised the lack of ambition, particularly when it comes to the recycling and repair of personal electronic devices.
"Earlier this month, the Environmental Audit Committee recommended that the government extend any right-to-repair regime to [9]encompass a wider swath of products . Although the government expressed a vague level of enthusiasm, this has not translated into concrete legislation proposals," Dunne said.
"There should be no contest: consumers should have every right to fix items they own. Making spare parts available is the first step in creating a circular economy where we use, reuse and recycle products. We must stop using and disposing quite so much: we must take action if we are to protect the environment for generations to come."
Kwasi Kwarteng, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, said: "Our plans to tighten product standards will ensure more of our electrical goods can be fixed rather than thrown on the scrap heap, putting more money back in the pockets of consumers whilst protecting the environment.
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"Going forward, our upcoming energy efficiency framework will push electrical products to use even less energy and material resources, saving people money on their bills and reducing carbon emissions as we work to reach net zero by 2050." ®
Get our [11]Tech Resources
[1] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YEj7LKuCAiiLFRMKxKdJ@QAAABM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[2] https://www.whitegoodstradeassociation.org/for-public-mainmenu-43/how-long-should-it-last-
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33YEj7LKuCAiiLFRMKxKdJ@QAAABM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://www.theregister.com/2020/11/26/parliaments_environmental_audit_committee_calls/
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2020/10/30/apple_iphone_12_camera_modules_cannot_be_swapped/
[6] http://www.theregister.com/2020/09/15/brit_mps_letter_to_apple_ewaste/
[7] http://www.theregister.com/2020/07/02/united_nations_warns_of_global_ewaste_wave/
[8] http://www.theregister.com/2021/03/01/the_government_may_force_online/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2021/03/01/the_government_may_force_online/
[10] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YEj7LKuCAiiLFRMKxKdJ@QAAABM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[11] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Energy savings of up to £75 a year
How does repairing white goods achieve that?
My fridge-freezer is now something like 20+ years old and uses about £50 a year more electricity than a modern equivalent. My energy bills (and bank balance) would go down if I had to replace it...
I could understand it if they are talking about the energy costs related to replacement, but that doesn't seen to be the case.
Re: Energy savings of up to £75 a year
I think the point is to make goods last long enough to reach the point you're at, at £50/yr cost difference you'll still need 10 years to break even on a new £500 fridge.
Repairability at reasonable standards and costs
Repairability is a good snd necessary thing but the legislation needs to encompass not only the difficulty of repair but also the cost snd the way in which spares are sold.
An example, I have a 2kW angle grinder with maybe s hundred hours of use on it. I began to cut some floor tiles when the back end of the machine began to make unpleasant noises, I stripped it down and found the rear bearing had disintegrated, it had no bearing number on the shields which was suspect in itself, although it looked like a common size. On looking online the bearing shows in the parts list as only being available as a part of the rotor assembly at a price of €85 odd. Fortunately I can use a puller to remove it and then mic it up for the dimensions.
I know this stuff but many others who could otherwise repair items may not.
Re: Repairability at reasonable standards and costs
Had a approx 9 yr old washing machine and the drum bearings failed. Clattered and rattled, and you could lift the drum up and down by a couple of inches. Looked online, bearings were available, but at around £60 (I'm sure the same size bearing from an industrial distributor would be a couple of quid max). However, I had no micrometer, etc., to take the thing apart, measure up and try and get one to fit. Also, looked for online guides as to how to replace bearing. About 3-4 hours work involving dismantling pretty much the entire machine and splitting the outer drum into two ( needing a new gasket to put back together). Given the relative urgency of the situation and repair I dumped the machine and bought one from a different manufacturer. I expected the machine to have lasted 15-20 years, and that a bearing should be no more than a few quid and changeable in an hour or so without needing to dismantle the whole machine.
Its good that things are progressing in right to repair laws but its very short sighted on behalf of the law makers. Why should say Samsung's smart fridge or washing machine divisions have to make parts available to repair their stuff. Yet the rest of Samsung making and TV, Phones and laptops sectors get away with still making them hard to repair?
3 years is "up to a decade"
I hope that it is better worded than that. Should be "minimum" of a decade.