Leading recyclers and manufacturers have urged ministers to bring the UK in line with the EU on electronics lifecycle requirements.
Organisations including Suez, the Chartered Institute of Wastes Management and Circular Leadership for Electronics and Recycling signed a joint letter to environment secretary Steve Reed over the issue.
Currys, Hotpoint, Indesit and Beko also put their names to the plea for legislation matching the EU’s right-to-repair rules.
Adopted last year, these regulations mean manufacturers in the union are required to repair products within “reasonable” price and time boundaries even when guarantees have expired.
Consumers must also be provided with access to spare parts, tools and information on how to keep their products in working order.
Organised and signed by the Restart Project, the letter to Reed said: “We encourage removing barriers to repair by harmonising UK regulation in line with EU Right to Repair laws.
“We recommend reducing costs for households and businesses through government-led incentives such as repair incentives and zero rating VAT on repairs.
“Up to 13 million reusable items could be kept in use each year by introducing targets to promote reuse of devices rather than recycling.”
A spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: “This government is committed to moving towards a circular economy in which we keep our electricals in use for longer, accelerate the path to net zero, and increase investment in critical infrastructure and green jobs.
“We welcome and share industry’s vision of longer-lived electricals and as part of our Circular Economy Strategy there will be a roadmap to increase the reuse and recycling of electrical equipment.”
