In the late 1970s, concerned by resource use and scarcity, German industrial designer Dieter Rams developed his “ten principles for good design”. Among other things, he argued for design that is long-lasting and environmentally friendly. Half a century later, his concerns are more relevant than ever.
Repair is vitally important to making this happen, but current options are often limited or unaffordable. When a device breaks, consumers can struggle to find repair information, let alone spare parts. This means it is often easier, quicker and cheaper to buy a whole new device.
Building on the success of ecodesign laws and energy labels that drove efficiency improvements in products and homes across Europe, the 2024 European Sustainable Products Regulation sets out a framework for wider product sustainability, with repairability as one of its core principles. Similarly, the EU Batteries Regulation set requirements and conditions for how easy it is to replace batteries.
— The EU’s repair policies are changing the way tech is designed
Personally, I believe the best course of action is to make product companies a stakeholder that aims to have longer lasting products, instead of regulation around electronics. The Australian Consumer Law gives assurances that the acquired goods are of acceptable quality, which includes their duration. If a car or a phone does not last for the expected lifetime of that device, the seller is liable. In Europe, we simply require products to have a longer by-default warranty (4 years for phones instead of 2+1) and manufacturers would now care about repairability and durability of their devices. And, since we're asking, this could include Software and Security updates as well.