‘Right to Repair’ Legislation – The New Rules Explained

In light of the latest news that the Right to Repair legislation is coming into effect this summer in the UK, we wanted to share our opinion on the subject and shed a bit of light on what these rules mean for businesses.

Why were these rules put in place?

A shocking 1.5 million tonnes of electrical waste is disposed of in the UK each year which has a huge impact on the environment. By reducing the number of items we dispose of such as laptops, mobile phones, kitchen appliances and TV’s, we can cut down our carbon emissions and reduce the need for the production of new materials.

Many consumers have complained that electrical items simply do not last long enough and the throw-away culture is now having a worrying effect on the environment and our pockets too.

It’s time that the government stepped in to stop planned obsolescence.

What do these rules mean?

The Right to Repair rules mean manufacturers will have a legal obligation to make sure the items they produce can easily be repaired, spare parts are made available, and items are more energy efficient. This will increase the lifetime of electrical goods by up to 10 years, making them cheaper to run and, in turn, decrease the amount of e-waste that goes to landfill.

An exciting step forward

Here at S2S, we believe these rules are a huge step in the right direction when it comes to reducing E-waste. As a business that is committed to lowering our own carbon footprint and encouraging our customers to do the same, these new rules will have a positive influence on corporate clients making the most of their existing assets by repairing them and increasing the lifespan of such items.

‘The repair and reuse of consumer electricals had to be addressed and I’m glad these rules have been put in place. It simply isn’t economical to repair certain electrical goods at the moment which certainly impacts the ever-growing WEEE waste stream. The Right to Repair would actually help resolve some wider issues in addition to reducing environmental impact. For example, prolonging the useful life of electrical goods by cost-effectively repairing them means that second hand products are available at affordable prices and people wouldn’t need to buy new all the time.’ -Chris Hare, Marketing and Business Development Director

‘Reducing planned obsolescence, increasing availability of parts to repair and improving the energy efficiency of Electrical Products is great to see. We look forward to promoting re-use in line with this.’ -Alan Dukinfield, Commercial Director

We’re committed to providing services and resources to help customers dispose of their unused IT assets safely and responsibly whilst protecting their business reputation. Why not download our FREE eBook about reducing the Carbon Footprint of your business…