EUREFAS FEEDBACK on Waste Framework Directive Revision
Brussels, July 29th 2022
The current initiative is a true opportunity to address major bottlenecks our sector is facing by
growing access to used products to either refurbish, if in enough good shape, or “salvage” for
spare parts. The point here would be to grow European supply for products and spare parts
to be refurbished by market players such as our members, hence boosting the extension of
the lifespan of products to the maximum, creating obvious environmental benefits.
With this objective in mind, we strongly recommend the Commission to work both on improving
waste collection, and making sure recycling comes at the very end of a waste treatment
process.
How ?
- Prioritize reuse
- Extend the polluter pays principle to targeted responsibilities on the extension of
products life - Streamline the EPR system by uniformizing it across the EU
EUREFAS position paper on Ecodesign for Sustainable Products
Brussels, June 22nd 2022
EUREFAS – the European Refurbishment Association welcomes the proposal of Ecodesign for Sustainable Products setting up ambitious principles of durability, reusability and reparability at the design and manufacturing stages, in order to implement the green transition. New sustainable products are however not the sole solution in this view : Second-hand and refurbished products have appeared as a remedy to limit the need for new products. EUREFAS welcomes the fact that this emerging market and its new economic operators such as refurbishers are now acknowledged.
However, EUREFAS would like to raise some concerns about how refurbishment is addressed in the regulation and how a digital product passport can benefit the sector.
Click here to read the full position paper
EUREFAS position paper on Empowering consumers for the green transition initiative
Brussels, May 29th 2022
Eurefas – the European refurbishment association – welcomes this initiative which ensures consumers will have more reliable information on product’s reparability, durability and the way it is promoted. (…)
Indeed, having more reliable information on how a product can be reused is beneficial for consumers as they will be able to resell it more easily.
However, we feel the proposal does not appropriately address the specificities of the second-hand market and some provisions could be strengthened in order to be more precise and binding. We outline below key recommendations to ensure that the initiative delivers on its promises.
Right to repair : Our position paper on the EU initiative “Sustainable consumption of goods : promoting repair and reuse”
Brussels, May 5th 2022
As such, we fully support the EU “Sustainable consumption of goods” initiative because it promotes repair and reuse. As the European economy is still mainly linear and more efforts are needed to make a more circular consumption the preferred default option for consumers, we recommend the Commission to go further than “voluntary commitments” (option 1 in the consultation). In order to achieve a real paradigm shift, the support of the Commission needs to be decisive and should :
- Ensure a level playing field with manufacturers
- Foster strong and high-quality networks of independent repairers close to end-users.
- Make it easier for consumers to get their products repaired and encourage them to be true players in the circular economy transition.
In practical terms, these three main lines of action have to apply during the product’s lifespan : at the time of purchase, within the legal warranty period, and above all beyond it. Eurefas strongly believes in creating a dedicated right to repair, not exclusively related to the revision of the Sales of Good Directive, which is too much focused on the legal warranty period.
Click here to read the full position paper
Refurbishment to support the Green Deal and the Circular Economy Action Plan. For a greener and fair EU refurbishment market
Barcelona, March 2nd 2022
Eurefas – The European Refurbishment association
Gathering the environment-focused players in high tech and electronics refurbishment throughout Europe, EUREFAS aims at strengthening collaboration between European professional stakeholders, sharing their expertise with public authorities and administration, promoting environmentally virtuous and socially benefic products by raising consumers’ awareness.
As such, we thus fully support the Circular Economy Action plan (CEAP) objectives : making sustainable products the norm in the EU market – empowering consumers by providing them more information on environmental characteristics and to encourage sustainable choices, to take action in the high tech sector for a longer products’ lifespan and improving waste treatment.
How can the CEAP actually support this sector ?
- Providing a common and harmonized definition of refurbishment.
- Helping and supporting refurbishment processes by encouraging collection schemes and respecting waste treatment hierarchy
- Securing a level playing field with manufacturers / Enjoining manufacturers to play a fair game
- Giving customers a Right to repair and nudging them into making truly sustainable choices
Apple announces a Self Service Repair program Here’s what EU refurbishers have to say about it...
Brussels, November 30th 2021
The European Refurbishment Association – EUREFAS – welcomes Apple’s latest announcement giving access to spare parts and repair schemes for customers among their “Self Service Repair” program. This announcement sends a general message for more responsible habits toward reparation, encouraged by the first stakeholder in the consumption chain – manufacturers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).. As 77% of Europeans are more likely to repair their products instead of buying new ones1, reparation and re-employment schemes must be encouraged and facilitated by OEMs at the very beginning. Among the upcoming legislations, it also shows that even the biggest manufacturers such as Apple have heard this message and that those efforts were possible.
But progress is still to be made and this announcement raises three questions among European Union (EU) refurbishers:
1. On a spare part’s full and real availability with affordable prices
2. We should avoid any practices aimed to protect spare parts monopoly
3. Including refurbishers in the reparation scheme