The Parliament has revealed its desire to update eco-design rules to help “make products easier to recycle and repair”, thereby increasing sustainability.
As the Parliament revealed, “80 percent of environmental pollution and 90 percent of manufacturing costs are the result of decisions taken at the design stage.” Now the organisation wants to update its eco-design rules in order to address this issue and bolster sustainability.
Via a 1:19-minute video the Parliament explained that EU consumers purchase a new mobile phone every 2 years, which, while being of great advantage to the manufacturers of these phones, is “horrible for the environment”.
To address the fact that most old phones are being thrown away as trash, the Parliament has come up with an Ecodesign Working Plan, which “aims to change that.”
According to Frédérique Ries, “A better design is needed to ensure that rare metals are recyclable and that the battery can be removed and replaced.”
The European Parliament wishes, through its new Working Plan, to “make design methods and materials sustainable” which includes making products “that last longer, and are easier to repair.” The point of this is not just to benefit the planet, but also to generate “real added value” and help save on energy bills.
The Parliament explained that it is “drumming up political support” for manufacturers of products that “allow parts to be easily and affordably dismantled and replaced.”
