EU Prepares "Right to Repair" Legislation to Fight Short Product Lifespans

[LASER_oneXM]

....some quotes from the article:

To combat electronic waste and abusive practices like manufacturers legally preventing users from repairing their devices, the EU is preparing legislation that would legalize a customer's "right to repair," and would force vendors to design products for longer life and easier maintenance.

This legislation is in its earlier stages of public discussion, but it already has the backing of several EU Members of Parliament, along with support from organizations like Greenpeace, who have long protested against some of today's business practices.

Planned obsolescence has led to huge amounts of e-waste
One of these is known as "planned obsolescence," which is a term used to describe products that were intentionally designed to break down shortly after their warranty expires, so customers are forced to buy new ones.
Greenpeace says this practice, used for decades, has resulted in the accumulation of huge amounts of electronic waste that cannot be managed in environmentally safe conditions.
Through its new legislation, the EU plans to impose new rules for manufacturers wanting to sell devices in Europe, such as better product design practices that put a focus on longevity and repair-friendly products.

EU wants products to have replaceable parts (again)
Besides granting the legal right to any EU citizen to repair his product anywhere he likes without risking to lose his warranty, the European Parliament also wants companies to design products with "repairability" in mind.
By "repair-friendly" the EU refers to products can be easily broken down into parts and replaced when needed.

Similar laws exist in some US states
Many of these shady practices are well known to both EU and US users. While there's been little movement on the EU market until know, the EU seems on a fast track to adopt a right-to-repair law before the US.

Currently, in the US only eleven states have similar laws, and they have been adopted after years of public discussions, and only for certain markets, and not for all types of products.

 

[Andytay70]

I agree but, manufacturers will whine like a baby because it will hit their profit margins.
I read somewhere where Microsofts new surface pro was un-repairable because they glued the casing together.
Nice one M$

 

[Aleeyen]

Companies have put it in the mind of customers that every new generation of a product is better than the last one, but thats not true. If anything happens to a product which some owns it should always be repairable, it saves a lot of resources. More over we should decrease the use of disposable products, all these can go on to save our environment which inturn will save us. A little change in habbit can create a better world.

 

[orthonovum]

Companies have put it in the mind of customers that every new generation of a product is better than the last one, but thats not true. If anything happens to a product which some owns it should always be repairable, it saves a lot of resources. More over we should decrease the use of disposable products, all these can go on to save our environment which inturn will save us. A little change in habbit can create a better world.

Agree 100% it is a tactic used all the time now, of course company inc. can add that extra feature in there or double the speed/ram but then what would they have to milk us with next year? It is sad that the right to repair is even a discussion, it should be just a no brainer common sense thing

 

[Deleted member 178]

Forcing phones vendors to make removable batteries mandatory will be a first good step .

 

[orthonovum]

Forcing phones vendors to make removable batteries mandatory will be a first good step .

I haven't had to remove a battery in about 3 years. I think the last time I had a phone lock up I learned that holding the power button and then holding the phone's light sensor up to a light for a few seconds reset it.

That being said... replacing a battery due to age is super important and the fact that they took that away from us forces upgrades so the genius who first came up with the idea of soldered in batteries really changed the landscape of portable tech forever (not for the better for us consumers).

 

[nsm0220]

....some quotes from the article:

I like that idea, if it passes its time for the USA to do the same.

 

[bribon77]

good news!!

 

[Weebarra]

I agree 100% with this directive from the EU, gone are the days when a product (not just tech related) lasted for years and were made with quality components and if one of those components failed you could get it replaced. I used to work for a large white goods company and they were required by law to manufacture spare parts for roughly 10 years after production ceased. I hate our throw away society where it's cheaper to buy a new product than it is to buy consumables (the example being my printer ) or have a repar done.

 

[antreas]

EU rock they care for people, US suck this day they just don't care for people and internet users.