In a bid to better regulate the resource efficiency of products, the Ecodesign and Energy Label community are now focusing on domestic appliances.
The European Commission has put together draft proposals to revise the energy and resource efficiency of domestic fridges and freezers, dishwashers and washing machines.
Assuming the lifetime extension of fridges will be at the expense of future energy savings, the proposals are significantly less ambitious for fridges and freezers compared to the other appliances.
For washing machines and dishwashers on the other hand, the Commission has put together ambitious draft requirements, that would help make repair much easier. Manufacturers would have to provide spare parts necessary for the repair of the appliance for at least seven years. They would also have to give unrestricted access to repair and maintenance documentation to independent operators. Measures to facilitate the recycling, notably by identifying hazardous substances present in these products, are also foreseen.
These measures will be discussed next week by stakeholders and Coolproducts will express its strong support.
