From 2025, an index will indicate how well newly sold smartphones and tablets can be repaired. Manufacturers would have to indicate on a scale from A to E how well their devices can be repaired, said the Federal Ministry of Economics and the Federal Ministry for the Environment. The background is an agreement between the European Commission and the EU countries. Among other things, the number of disassembly steps and the availability of spare parts and long software updates are relevant for the classification.
Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens) described the agreement as a reliable aid in making a purchase decision. In addition, it gives manufacturers an incentive to design products innovatively and sustainably. “In the future, repairing instead of throwing away should become the new normal,” said Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (Greens). The decision is an important step for a mass market where the one-way principle still dominates.
