France to launch grants for people to repair home electronic goods
Aid amount will depend on the type of appliance needing to be repaired with around 30 household items, including laptops and washing machines, deemed eligible
Up to €45 of government aid will be available for repairs for items such as laptops or other electronic appliances
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People in France will soon be able to get financial help to repair electronic gadgets and appliances as part of a new law that aims to help people repair rather than replace items.
The ‘loi Agec’ (Agec law) will take the form of a payment of €10-€45 depending on the type of appliance to repair. Officially-recognised repairers will also be signposted as part of the scheme.
The law aims to reduce waste and boost the ‘circular economy’ with a budget of €410million available for the scheme until 2027.
The initiative will begin on December 15.
Read more: France to introduce out-of-warranty repair fund for electronics
The ‘repair bonus’ given to the owner will vary depending on the item being fixed.
For example:
Nathalie Yserd, managing director of the Ecosystem group, which is responsible for the scheme, told FranceInfo: “Around 30 categories of products that are no longer under guarantee will benefit from this repair bonus.”
Repairers will also benefit from a ‘QualiRépar’ label, which will mark them out as official repairers under the scheme. So far, only 500 have been given the label, but this is set to rise to as many as 20,000. Repairers can request to be part of the scheme on the official website.
The aim is to increase the number of electric and electronic items being repaired by 20% in France, up to 12 million by 2027. Currently, around 60% of breakdowns are not repaired, of the estimated 1.5 billion eligible appliances currently in circulation.
From 2024, items such as fryers, printers, microwaves and other cooking appliances will also be included in the scheme, with more to come.
This part of the loi Agec has taken two and half years to come to fruition. It was first mentioned in the law – which has also been dubbed the ‘loi anti-gaspillage’ (anti-waste law) in 2020.
It comes after a law introduced in 2020 obliged the manufacturers of certain appliances and devices to add a sticker to their products, stating its durability and repairability.
The measure was intended to reduce waste and prevent ‘planned obsolescence’: the controversial practice of products deliberately being made to break after a certain amount of time in order to encourage consumers to buy a new one.
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