“Throwaway culture”, where things are made to be used once and then destroyed, may be coming to an end in Europe, as the BBC reports that technologies must be made in such a way that the potential for repair exists and thus are, theoretically, “renewable”.
New rules could spell the death of a “throwaway” culture in which products are bought, used briefly, then binned.
The regulations will apply to a range of everyday items such as mobile phones, textiles, electronics, batteries, construction and packaging.
They will ensure products are designed and manufactured so they last – and so they’re repairable if they go wrong.
It should mean that your phone lasts longer and proves easier to fix.
That may be especially true if the display or the battery needs changing.
It’s part of a worldwide movement called the Right to Repair, which has spawned citizens’ repair workshops in several UK cities. (source)
This would be interesting if it was to take off, especially if it was paired with environmentalist-type policies, and at a time when American society is moving leftwards, and given the effects of the virus, there are multiple ways such a trend could develop.
Will the world adopt a more sustainable model? Or will it continue in the current mode of consumerism as it is practiced?
It is to be seen.
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