In recent weeks, an initiative aimed at promoting the sustainable consumption of goods, promoting their repair and reuse, has been published by the European Commission and officially submitted to public consultation, through a proposal to amend the directive on the sale of goods and a possible new legislative proposal on the right to reparation.
What is a public consultation?
The aim of a public consultation is to gather feedback from EU Member States, stakeholders and citizens on the scope and content of the guidelines, but also to point out further elements that should be considered, before the proposals become implementation.
The public consultation on the Sustainable Consumption of Goods, in particular, is open to contributions from all: individual citizens and businesses in the EU, including those playing a role in sustainable consumption, such as product manufacturers, repairs, waste management service providers and companies active in the regeneration and second-hand markets. Finally, it is specified how the contributions of the academic world, NGOs and authorities of the Member States are appreciated.
The purpose of the consultation, which will end on 5 April 2022, is to collect feedback on the extent of the problem of the insufficient duration of use of products, as well as on the possible options available and their likely impact on the logic of the market.
The life cycle of products
Given the limited life of some products, attempts are being made to encourage consumers to use consumer goods for a longer period by resorting to repairing defective goods and purchasing more second-hand and refurbished goods, as the costs of repairs often exceed those of a new product.
Responsible consumption can in fact be increased by choosing sustainable products and prolonging their use, for example by opting for repairs rather than replacements or by purchasing second-hand goods.
The sustainable consumption of goods will therefore lead to a proposal on the right to repair, and a virtuous circle of other initiatives, such as circular electronics and consumer empowerment in the green deal, as well as product-specific eco-design regulations.
To achieve these objectives, the extension of the warranty period (currently set at 2 years), the priority to repair over replacement, if the repair is less or equally expensive than a replacement, the obligation for manufacturers or the sellers to repair the goods, the possibility for the seller to replace the defective products with refurbished goods, rather than with new ones.
The benefits for consumers
Consumers will therefore have more information available to make eco-friendly choices when purchasing goods, ensuring that the products are used for their entire potential life cycle, without turning into waste ahead of time. Adoption by the Commission is expected in the third quarter of 2022. To have your say and get more information on the initiative, click on this link.
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