Earlier this year, the European Commission adopted improved energy labels for a number of domestic and commercial appliances.
As Europe works towards revamping this well-known EU guide to better products, ECOS and the Coolproducts Campaign argue it is high time for the Energy Label to also inform consumers on the durability and repairability of products, and help meet the Circular Economy objectives.
The new postcard developed by ECOS explains how the energy label could incorporate new information to keep helping Europeans choose better products.
In short, besides the information on product energy performance, the label should also guide consumers towards products which:
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Are long lasting: by displaying information on the warranty offered, the expected duration of the product or its parts, and the time during which software updates will be available.
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Are easy to repair: by giving the product a score or informing on individual parameters such as the availability of repair instructions or spare parts.
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Have a lower environmental impact: by informing on key environmental parameters such as the water consumption, the sound level, or the toxicity of the products.
