First Report - Electronic Waste and the Circular Economy
Select Committee
Environmental Audit Committee
HC 220
26 November 2020
Government response
Third Special Report - Electronic Waste and the Circular Economy: Government Response to the Committee’s First Report · published 26 Feb 2021
Recommendations & Conclusions
7 results
14
Recommendation
Accepted in Part
The UK Government must confirm that it intends to follow the approach taken by other...
Recommendation
The UK Government must confirm that it intends to follow the approach taken by other countries to ban the practice of intentionally shortening the lifespan of products through planned obsolescence. (Paragraph 85) Conclusion
Government Response Summary
The government agrees there is no place for planned obsolescence and has existing and forthcoming policy measures, including recent consultation on Ecodesign Regulations, to increase product lifetimes and tackle premature obsolescence. They will also explore eco-modulation in WEEE regulations, but do not explicitly confirm they will follow the approach of other countries to ban the practice.
16
Recommendation
Accepted in Part
To overcome this issue, we recommend that the Government require producers to label their electrical...
Recommendation
To overcome this issue, we recommend that the Government require producers to label their electrical and electronic products outlining the product’s expected lifetime, including how long a device will receive software security upgrades. To enhance the label to be more …
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Government Response Summary
The government has consulted on draft Ecodesign Regulations covering consumer information and is committed to supporting greater durability and repairability. They also plan to explore and consult on applying eco-modulation to the WEEE system, but do not commit to mandating specific lifetime or software upgrade labelling or a durable accreditation scheme.
18
Recommendation
Accepted in Part
We support this proposal and urge the Government to bring this forward with the aim...
Recommendation
We support this proposal and urge the Government to bring this forward with the aim of removing electronics with unduly short lives from the market. The expected lifetime label must be linked to the minimum lifespan guarantee. Particular attention must …
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Government Response Summary
The government shares the committee's desire to end planned obsolescence and promote product longevity. They refer to existing Ecodesign Regulations which address durability and repairability, and commit to exploring the application of eco-modulation in the WEEE system, which they will consult on as part of the WEEE Regulations review.
19
Recommendation
Accepted in Part
The UK has a long history of engineering, and the public wants to be able...
Recommendation
The UK has a long history of engineering, and the public wants to be able repair their products. When products are designed, durability and repairability should be key considerations. The Government must enshrine the right to repair in law, enforcing …
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Government Response Summary
The government has consulted on draft Ecodesign Regulations which include requirements for information on repairs and sourcing, and is committed to supporting greater durability and repairability. They also plan to explore and consult on applying eco-modulation to the WEEE system to incentivize better ecodesign, but do not explicitly commit to enshrining the 'right to repair' in law with all specified enforcements.
20
Recommendation
Accepted in Part
The Government must enshrine the right to repair in law, enforcing access to (1) repair...
Recommendation
The Government must enshrine the right to repair in law, enforcing access to (1) repair manuals; (2) access to affordable spare parts for products; and (3) ability to repair products without repairers needing access to physical or software tools specifically …
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Government Response Summary
The government has consulted on draft Ecodesign Regulations which include requirements for information on repairs and sourcing, and is committed to supporting greater durability and repairability. They also plan to explore and consult on applying eco-modulation to the WEEE system, but do not explicitly commit to enshrining the 'right to repair' in law with all specified enforcements.
22
Recommendation
Accepted in Part
The Government should mandate that products be labelled with a repairability score, based on the...
Recommendation
The Government should mandate that products be labelled with a repairability score, based on the products design, the availability and cost of spare parts, access and ease of use of repair manuals. This will incentivise companies to go beyond the …
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Government Response Summary
The government has consulted on draft Ecodesign Regulations, which include requirements for repair information. They are committed to supporting greater durability and repairability, and will explore and consult on applying eco-modulation to the WEEE system to incentivize better ecodesign, but do not explicitly commit to mandating repairability scores or specific rewards.
33
Recommendation
Accepted in Part
Clear targets for E-waste treatment facilities that are based on capturing value, including critical raw...
Recommendation
Clear targets for E-waste treatment facilities that are based on capturing value, including critical raw materials, and their environmental impact must be set. (Paragraph 133) Recommendation 21
Government Response Summary
The government states existing WEEE Regulations stipulate recycling rates and does not have explicit plans for further critical raw material targets. However, it will explore introducing product passports and waste tracking to enhance the recycling and extraction of high-value materials.