The government will launch a reparability index of electronic products to combat the obsolescence program



[ad_1]


French law defines program obsolescence as the set of techniques by which a market maker aims to deliberately reduce the lifespan of a product in order to increase its replacement rate. With the explosion of use of electronic and electrical products, there has been a considerable increase in electronic waste. However, these more than others have a very high ecological footprint because of the large quantities of water resources, metals, and energy mobilized by the design, manufacture, transport, use and recycling of electrical components and objects.

For this reason, the French government has decided that it is time to equip electronic and electrical products with a reparability index, calculated according to ten criteria. This index will come into effect on June 1, 2020 and will be used to combat the obsolescence program.

Is it really necessary to change the phone every two years? 88% of French people change phones even though they are still functioning. It is precisely this economic model that the government intends to substitute by introducing this index, one of the flagship measures in the framework of the plan of action to promote the circular economy and presented by the Minister of the Ecological and Solidarity Transition on April 23.

While More and more countries are interested in the recycling of waste (waste electrical and electronic equipment), it will first of all consider extending the service life of products. An elongation that saves the consumption of raw resources and the emission of greenhouse gases.

For example, the simple fact of using a smartphone for four years instead of two saves 37 kg of greenhouse gas, says the minister.

In Germany, among the champions of circular economy, the country is saving between 60 and 137 Millions of euros per year through the extension of the life of consumer goods, according to figures published by the Ademe (Agency for the environment and energy management).

An index similar to that diFixit

Lindice intends to introduce the government will be mandatory, will give rise to a score out of ten and will be posted mandatory. A working group has begun to think about it and will have to present its conclusions "by the end of the year" so that the index can come into effect on January 1, 2020, explained Tuesday the secretary of state, Brune Poiron

It is not a matter of adding a nonsensical norm, but of providing the consumer with useful and pragmatic information, the minister added. If it does not work, we will pbad to the sanctions and the restrictive measures, the secretary of state warned.

In France, a law was voted in July 2015 punishing the obsolescence program, from now on a dlit. It is punishable by a fine of 300,000 euros and up to two years in prison.

Despite the government's expectations for this index, some remain skeptical about its effectiveness and think even that its introduction is useless image of the economist Alexandre Delaigue.

A labeling on the repairability says nothing about the cost of this repair, the availability of staff, the time it takes, he explains the website Figaro.

If people change products before they stop working, it's because they want new and high-performing things, or they're being pushed by new government regulations, adds Delaigue.

On the side of Hop (Halte l'obsolescence program) we applaud this measure, but the badociation believes that we should go further towards full transparency on the reliability of the products.

This is not the first time that Hop intervenes on the subject of obsolescence program. In September 2017, the badociation filed a complaint against X for obsolescence program and deception. The manufacturers cited in the complaint were: Canon, Epson, Brother and HP. Companies have been accused of programming the life of the ink cartridges to force consumers to buy back, by activating the blocking of prints because the ink cartridges would be empty while there is still ink. Subsequently, the prosecutor's office of Nanterre opened a preliminary investigation for obsolescence program and deception on laptitude employment against the manufacturer Epson printers.

Source: AFP

And you?

] Do you think this index of repair will encourage people to repair their electronic devices?
Or the consumerist trend will continue to dominate?

See also:

Program Obsolescence : a complaint lodged with the Public Prosecutor by the HOP Association
Preliminary investigation targeting Apple for obsolescence program in France could rate the firm up to 5% of its annual turnover

[ad_2]
Source link