EU wants goods to be more durable and repairable

The European Commission has adopted a new plan, which focuses on the design and production for a circular economy. The Commission wants to transform the way products in the EU are made. It wants them recyclable, repairable and designed to last longer.

The so called Circular Economy Action Plan is part of Europe’s new agenda for sustainable growth. With this plan, the EU wants to ensure that the resources used for products are kept in the EU economy for as long as possible.

EU wants to change the way products are made

“Many products break down too easily, cannot be reused, repaired or recycled, or are made for single use only”, Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal, Frans Timmermans, comments. “With today’s plan we launch action to transform the way products are made and empower consumers to make sustainable choices for their own benefit and that of the environment.”

Many products break down too easily, cannot be reused, repaired or recycled.

‘A fully circular economy is required’

Timmermans adds that in order to achieve climate-neutrality by 2050, a fully circular economy is required. “But today, our economy is still mostly linear, with only 12 percent of secondary materials and resources being brought back into the economy.”

Only 12% of secondary materials and resources are being brought back into the economy.

The Circular Economy Action Plan

The Circular Economy Action Plan presents measures to:

• make sustainable products the norm in the EU
• give consumers a ‘right to repair’
• focus on sectors that use the most resources
• make electronics have longer product lifetimes
• boost the circular potential of batteries
• reduce (over)packaging
• boost the EU market for textile reuse
• substitute single-use packaging by reusable products
• ensure less waste