“Repair rather than throw away”, the ecological associations repeat the formula like a mantra. Except that when his washing machine or even his mobile phone breaks down, bringing it to a genius hacker often costs more than… buying a new one!
But how to remedy this absurdity and redirect the French to the repair shops? With a boost that will be effective from mid-December, and will thus help to restore our most common electrical and electronic devices, thanks to the repair fund.
On the polluter-pays principle
The scale for the first objects concerned is revealed this Tuesday, November 15. The objective is to “preserve the planet but also save money”, points out Nathalie Yserd, the general manager of Ecosystem, in charge of managing waste electrical and electronic equipment.
This eco-organization and Ecologic, also in charge of these types of waste, will pay 410 million euros between this year and 2027. This is not public money, but funds collected from “marketers”. “, the manufacturers who produce our fridges, washing machines, computers… on the polluter-pays principle. From next month, around thirty devices are therefore concerned, including TV screens. “As the World Cup approaches, it can be useful,” jokes the boss of Ecosystem.
The list should gradually grow in 2023, 24 and 25. Will the amount put in the pot be sufficient? “If the fund is overwhelmed, it will be good news, a sign that the French are convinced by the extension of the lifespan”, answers the general manager of the eco-organization. It is estimated that 10 million repairs are carried out each year out of warranty, with this novelty, the idea is to rise to 12 million by the end of next year.
“QualiRépar”, and it starts again!
How will the system work? When you want to repair a device that is no longer under warranty, and provided you bring it to a certified “qualiRépar” repairer, the bonus will be deducted directly from the invoice. The consumer will have absolutely nothing to advance. Then charge the repairer to recover the money from the environmental organization.
The amounts of these boosts are not huge, but that’s it. Count for example 15 euros for a vacuum cleaner or a drill to be repaired; 25 euros will be offered for a fridge or a mobile phone; 30 euros, for a television. According to the repairers contacted, changing LED lines, the most common repair, costs around 120-140 euros. The ecoorganization promises that each aid corresponds to approximately 20% of the average repair basket for each device.
“It’s interesting for a start,” says Laëtitia Vasseur, Co-founder and General Delegate of the HOP Association (Stop Planned Obsolescence), which campaigned for the creation of a fund to encourage repairs. We are very happy to see it finally implemented! The Anti-Waste Law for a Circular Economy (AGEC) which provided for the creation of this new device to avoid trash was enacted two years ago, and its implementation has been postponed several times. A repair observatory must also follow, it will give indications of prices but also the directory of repairers labeled “qualiRépar”.
Few labeled repairers
We promise 500 repairers immediately certified throughout France, including overseas. Freelancers but also members of large companies in this branch. For consumers, this label “must be a sign of confidence, it is one of the brakes identified to the development of repair”, points out Nathalie Yserd. The “qualiRépar” stamp must be validated by an independent certification body (Bureau Veritas, SGS or Afnor).
500 approved is few, very few, compared to the more than 20,000 French repairers. “Our goal is to continue to develop the network. And of course we need to recruit for these professions of the future at the heart of the ecological transition, ”says the director of the eco-organization. Its ambition is to reach 10,000 labeled by 2027.
Not easy, however, for the small sector to enter the mould, retorted among the independents. “The repository was not co-constructed, it is its original sin”, insists Joël Couret, of Fedelec, which represents repair artisans. One of the points that makes people cringe is also that for a repairer to be certified, he must systematically issue an estimate. However, the vast majority of repair companies have only one person. “So for a pro who works eight to ten hours alone, drawing up quotes takes time, which therefore costs the consumer money,” points out the Fedelec representative.