News that the Right to Repair law is to come in this summer has been welcomed by Paul Hide, chief executive of the Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Appliances (AMDEA), which is said to represent over 80% of the UK domestic appliance industry as a whole.
The new rules, which have already been adopted by the EU, are intended to extend the lifespan of products as manufacturers will be legally obliged to make spare parts for products available to consumers, and it is hoped they will go some way to reduce the 1.5 million tonnes of electrical waste generated by the UK each year.
"The new Right to Repair requirements are fully supported by all AMDEA members," said Hide, pictured. "These regulations were agreed across the EU two years ago and were developed in consultation with appliance manufacturers. In practice most reputable manufacturers already comply with most – if not all – of these requirements, in terms of maintaining the availability of spare parts for up to 10 years.
"In relation to regulations concerning repairs, safety is the primary concern for all manufacturers. Repairs should always be carried out by qualified personnel, using manufacturer specified parts. It should always be stressed that it is a significant risk to safety for an untrained individual to attempt an appliance repair on a major domestic appliance," he added.
