Great Britain: the so-called right to reform

The new regulations aim to make washing machines and refrigerators cheaper to use and easier to repair.

The law aims to help reduce the amount of e-waste produced annually in the UK by 1.5 million tons.

“The stricter standards that come into force today will ensure that more electronic devices can now be repaired rather than thrown away when they stop working.

As a result, more money will end up in consumers’ pockets and the economy will be greener,” Trevelyan explained.

A representative of the consumer group who? Adam French indicated that the group will press in the future to expand the list of equipment that will require its manufacturers to produce spare parts.

The regulation also aims to prevent the production of household appliances from the so-called planned aging of the product.

It is a phenomenon that began in the 1930s and was described, among others, in 1960 in the book “The Waste Makers” by American journalist Vance Packard.

Packard has documented the mechanisms that North American companies use toward consumers to get them to buy more and more often.

One of them is the poor quality of some parts, as a result of which the device quickly breaks down.

Two-thirds of consumers surveyed believe that electronic equipment and household goods fail immediately after the warranty period has expired. As much as 69 percent. Of the respondents say that manufacturers deliberately reduce the operating time of their products. These are the conclusions of the Stena Recycling report which has been prepared on the basis of a survey of electrical and electronic equipment users’ opinions.

Computers, smartphones, televisions, and refrigerators are the fastest growing part of waste in the entire European Union. According to various estimates, the level of electrical waste production may reach 12 to 15 million tons next year.

The latest report by Stena Recycling shows that up to 89 percent. Respondents will be pleased to use the electronic equipment for a longer period, if it is still functional. As much as 40 percent. Of the respondents they say that repairing faulty equipment is not profitable and every second they admit that they prefer to buy a new one immediately after a breakdown.