法国推行的‘可维修指数’:从自愿到即将强制,能否扭转电子垃圾困局?
The mounting global crisis of electronic waste—a projected 74 million tonnes by 2030—has long seemed immune to gentle policy nudges. Planned obsolescence, sealed batteries and proprietary screws keep consumers locked in a cycle of premature replacement, and voluntary design guidelines have yielded meagre results. In response, French lawmakers took a more muscular approach: since January 2021, all new smartphones, laptops, washing machines, lawnmowers and televisions sold in the country must display a conspicuous repairability score out of ten. This seemingly modest label is intended to reshape purchasing habits, force manufacturers to compete on longevity, and embed a right-to-repair ethos into the very act of buying.
The index rates devices across five criteria: the availability of technical documentation, the ease of disassembly, the speed and cost of spare-parts supply, and the scope of software updates and resets. Each product’s score is calculated by its own manufacturer—a concession to practical rollout that immediately drew fire from consumer groups. Early data, while incomplete, suggest that the public display of a stark digit has begun to bite. One prominent smartphone brand, which initially scored a mediocre 6.2, quietly redesigned its battery housing and adhesive strips, lifting the number to 7.8 within eighteen months. A line of dishwashers from a European manufacturer saw a similar climb, partly because retailers began nudging suppliers for better ratings in order to avoid shelf-side embarrassment.
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