France have recently introduced circular economy regulation to enforce manufacturers to display a repairability index on their products which will help consumers understand when purchasing, if the products are repairable, difficult to repair or not repairable at all.

The Repairability Index regulation came into force in France on January 1, 2021. It aims to achieve a 60 % repair rate of electrical and electronic products within 5 years.

It is currently piloting 5 categories of products: front-loading washing machines (excluding washer-dryers), televisions, smartphones, laptops and electric lawnmowers (wired, battery-powered and robotic). In time it will be extended to other categories of electrical and electronic products.

And this regulation is only the start, it will more than likely be adopted at EU level and the French see it as a first step towards a ‘sustainability index’.

The Institut du Commerce have produced some helpful guidance for manufacturers, retailers and consumers and have kindly translated them into English to be used by ECR Community members.  You can download an infographic and synopsis of the regulation on their website (CLICK HERE)

If you have any further queries you can get in touch Emilie or Xavier in the Institut du Commerce.