If you’ve been hanging out in a high-tech or household appliance store recently, you’ve bound to see this badge on some of the devices on sale. Since January 1, 2021, in accordance with the anti-waste law for a circular economy (AGEC), the repairability index is indeed visible on the sheet, in stores or on the Internet, for five categories of products: laptops, televisions, washing machines. – washing porthole, mowers and smartphones. From this Friday, November 4, we will find this rating system on four other families: top washing machines (which open from the top), dishwashers, vacuum cleaners (wired, non-wired and robots) and high pressure cleaners.
This mark out of ten, associated with a color code (which oscillates between red and green) and attributed on the basis of several criteria (removability of the device, availability and price of spare parts, etc.) indicates to what extent the television or the washing machine that we are considering buying are repairable. The objective is obviously to encourage consumers to choose appliances that are durable, but also to encourage manufacturers to market more durable products.
7 French people out of 10 convinced of its reliability
“It is difficult to know if this index alone influences the act of purchase. Many other criteria (price, energy consumption, etc.) come into play. But it is watched: seven out of ten French people believe that it is reliable information, ”says Camille Beurdeley, general delegate of Gifam, the Group of brands of household appliances.
For those who want to have access to this rating system more easily, a platform dedicated to the device, Monindicedereparabilite.fr, has just been launched by household appliance manufacturers. “We realized that the information was scattered. You had to go to the store or to the distributors’ website to access it. We wanted to create a platform that centralizes and identifies all the products subject to this obligation,” explains Camille Beurdeley.
Towards a sustainability index by 2024
On the site, you must select a type of device, enter a brand (as well as the precise reference if you have it), and you will be able to consult the complete detail of the note, criterion by criterion. “We have partner brands, which allows us to update the different characteristics very quickly if necessary. But the objective is to be able to collect as much data as possible from other manufacturers in order to give consumers complete information which is obviously intended to be impartial, she says. Moreover, on the site, there is no classification, the highlighting of products is done arbitrarily. »
It should be noted that by 2024 the repairability index will evolve towards a durability index, with a section on the “reliability” of the devices, including additional parameters.