Get the knowledge: The benefits of better product design

Some companies have purposefully made it so that customers cannot have items repaired outside of their approved (and usually expensive) networks. iFixit, a popular online community for DIY product repairs, has found that some items are designed so that repair is all-but impossible. This has given rise to the ‘right to repair’ movement, which believes that end users, consumers, and businesses should be able to repair devices they own, without any legal or technical restrictions.

Right to repair rules around the world

A steep rise in the cost of living, coupled with a growing awareness of climate issues, means that right to repair has taken a prominent position in the consumer psyche in recent years, and governments have responded.

In the EU and UK, right to repair legislation came into force in 2021 that requires manufacturers of electrical goods such as fridges and televisions to make their products repairable for at least 10 years after first coming to market. Manufacturers or importers are also now obliged to make a range of essential parts such as motors, pumps, shock absorbers and springs available to professional repairers for up to 10 years after the last unit of a specific model has been placed on the EU market. 

However, campaigners in both the EU and UK have criticised their respective pieces of legislation for not going far enough, as the spare parts and repairability criteria are only directed at professional repairers, not at the people who own products. There is no guarantee that spare parts and repairs will be affordable, so repair is not yet the easiest, default option. Additionally, gadgets such as laptops, tablets and smartphones are not yet covered by the rules in either region, although the European Commission is reconsidering this.

In Australia, the Productivity Commission publicly released its Right to Repair report in December 2021, which the government is yet to respond to. In India, the government has recently introduced its ‘Right To Repair’ plan, aimed at strengthening consumer rights and optimising the repair process for electronic gadgets and cars within the country.

In the US, meanwhile, President Joe Biden passed an executive order in 2021 directing the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to issue rules requiring companies to allow DIY repairs. In July, the FTC unanimously adopted a policy statement supporting the right to repair that promises enhanced enforcement efforts which could open the way to new regulations. According the Repair Association, more than 25 US states are also considering their own right to repair legislation. However, Biden’s legislation doesn’t extend to cars – something that is set to become a key issue as new vehicles are manufactured with more electronic components and integrated software.

France leads the way

One notable outlier to the EU’s basic legislation – and a country which could blaze a trail for the rest of the world – is France. In 2019, the French government adopted a law regulating the mandatory display of clear information for consumers on the repairability of electrical and electronic equipment. Since January 2021, labelling has appeared on five categories – smartphones, laptops, televisions, washing machines and lawnmowers – giving a clear repairability score out of 10 based on criteria such as the availability and price of spare parts, and ease of disassembly.