sunita somvanshi
EU Product Repair Crisis
A staggering 96% of consumer products lack repair rights, with data from 208,491 repair attempts revealing critical gaps in EU's sustainability promises.
How will EU Directive 2024/1799's repair-first mandate reshape consumer rights when it takes full effect in 2026?
Vacuum cleaners top the repair shop visits, yet ironically remain excluded from the EU's right-to-repair directive, with power cords causing 20% of failures.
Photo Source- slworking2 (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
Professional repairers get exclusive access to spare parts for just 5 years post-market withdrawal - while most vacuum cleaners serve households far longer.
Missing spare parts (25%), expensive components (18%), and sealed designs (16%) create a perfect storm blocking successful repairs.
What's behind the 53% repair success rate at community repair events, despite mounting obstacles with video cameras, flat screens, and printers?
Open Repair Alliance demands manufacturers extend device support beyond the current 7-10 year window, citing inadequate consumer protection.
Photo Source- jarmoluk
EU Commission's recycling-focused approach faces criticism as repair advocates push for stronger waste prevention measures.
Photo Source- Dominique Archambault (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Repair sector emerges as a job creator requiring minimal capital investment, while recycling struggles with high energy costs and material waste - but which path will Europe choose?
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