Last week, the Environment Committee put forward new proposals to make products in the EU more environmentally friendly, circular, and energy efficient throughout their lifecycle.
The report – the EU’s ecodesign framework for sustainable products – bans ‘premature obsolescence’, which means it will be illegal for manufacturers to limit the lifetime of a product through design features.
This will mean that software updates, consumables, spare parts, and accessories must be made available on products for an appropriate period of time. These products should also be easy to repair and consumers should have access to repair guidelines.
The proposal also leans into enabling customers to make better-informed choices.
Products may only be sold if accompanied by a ‘product passport’, containing accurate and up-to-date information. This passport would enable consumers and businesses to make informed choices when purchasing products, facilitate repairs and recycling, and increase transparency about the environmental impact of what they are buying.
Members of the European Parliament want consumers to be able to compare product passports through an online platform.
The Ecodesign framework also calls for a ban on the destruction of unsold products. Companies destroying unsold goods would have to report the annual number and percentage of products they discarded as well as their reasons why.
Based on this information, MEP’s want the Commission to identify products for which a destruction ban should be introduced. Additionally, the report asks for a specific ban on the destruction of unsold textiles and footwear as well as electrical and electronic equipment, one year after the entry into force of the law.
Textiles have been listed among the product groups MEPs want the Commission to prioritise in its first working plan.
The report is scheduled to be adopted during the July 2023 plenary sitting and will constitute Parliament’s negotiating position with EU governments on the final shape of the legislation.
Rapporteur, Alessandra Moretti, said: “It’s time to end the ‘take, make, dispose’ model which is so harmful to our planet, our health, and our economy. This law will ensure that new products are designed in a way that brings benefits to all, respects our planet’s boundaries, and protects the environment.
“Sustainable products will become the norm allowing consumers to save energy, make repairs easier and make smart environmental choices when they shop, saving themselves money in the long run.”
