Government

EU study sets out reparability scores for electronics and household appliances

Preliminary research identifies which household appliances and consumer electrics have the most potential to reduce waste through repair.

Appliance technician working on a front load washing machine in a laundry roomThe European Commission has published a preliminary framework for an EU-wide reparability scoring system.

Developed by the Joint Research Centre (JRC), the system is designed to address product longevity through a consumer-friendly index that rates how easy it is to repair a product.

By focusing on consumer electronics and household appliances, the system identifies priority product groups where durability and repair potential could impact environmental outcomes.

Key product categories assessed in the study included:

  • Small household appliances such as kettles, coffee machines, and toasters
  • Consumer electrics, including televisions, gaming consoles, and printers
  • Products outlined in the Ecodesign and Energy Labelling Working Plan 2022-24, such as dishwashers and washing machines

The JRC used a multi-criteria methodology to score each product group for reparability. This included factors like market penetration, consumer demand for repairs, failure frequency, and the environmental benefits of extending a product’s lifetime. It also considered the ease of disassembly, availability of spare parts, and the presence of repair manuals.

With the increasing prevalence of smart appliances and connected devices, the index also accounted for parameters like software-related durability and upgradeability.

Which products are the most reparable?

Products are given a score if their manufacturing is a relevant lifecycle stage from an environmental impact perspective, if they don’t need to be repaired too frequently, and if they are a relevant product for the consumer.

Products with a score are tested on a number of criteria, including how long the device is expected to last compared to how long it actually lasts, how durable its software is, if it can be reused or upgraded, and how complicated the product is to repair.

Product Expected vs actual lifetime Software relevance Upgrade/reuse relevance Complexity Score
Kettles Medium Low Low Low 5
Hair dryers Low Low Low Medium 5
Hair clippers, epilators and shavers Low Low Low Medium 5
Toasters Medium Low Low Medium 6
Blenders, hand mixers, grinders & juicers Medium Low Low Medium 6
Juice makers Medium Low Low Medium 6
Desktop PCs, Workstation Low Low Medium Medium 6
Local Space Heaters High Low Low Medium 6
Air conditioners Medium Low Low Medium 6
Ventilation units Medium Low Medium Low 6
Household dishwashers Low Low Medium Medium 6
Kitchen robots Low Low Medium High 7
Electric toothbrushes High Low Low Medium 7
Digital cameras High Low Low Medium 7
Network connected audio equipment Medium Medium Low Medium 7
Earbuds Medium Medium Low Medium 7
Headphone sets Medium Medium Low Medium 7
Air heating/cooling products Medium Low Medium Medium 7
Servers and data storage products Low Low High Medium 7
Welding equipment Medium Low Medium Medium 7
Professional refrigeration equipment Low Low Medium High 7
Refrigerating appliances w. a sales function Low Low Medium High 7
Household washing machines/washerdryers Medium Low Medium High 8
Refrigerating appliances (incl. household) Medium Low Medium High 8
Televisions High Medium Medium Medium 9
Monitors High Medium Medium Medium 9
3D printers Low Medium High High 9
Smartwatches, Fitness trackers Medium High Medium Medium 9
TVs/Electronic displays High Medium Medium Medium 9
Coffee machines High Medium Medium High 10
Vacuum cleaners High Medium Medium High 10
Game consoles Medium High High High 11
Imaging equipment High High Medium High 11

Table 1: Reparability scoring relevance assessment (excluding unscored items)

According to the initial score rankings, imaging equipment and game consoles score highest based on the reparability index, whereas small household alliances such as kettles and hair dryers scored the lowest.

The JRC emphasised that the success of this initiative will rely on further studies and close collaboration with stakeholders, ensuring the scoring system is both practical and effective for manufacturers, policymakers, and consumers.

The scoring initiative stems from broader EU policy objectives, including the proposed Ecodesign for Sustainable Product Regulation (ESPR), which highlights the importance of repair to reduce electronic and appliance waste.

It comes after the European Council approved the right-to-repair (R2R) directive in May 2024, which required manufacturers to repair technically repairable products.

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