Recommendation 15

HM Government · verbatim extract Acknowledged

We thank the committee for their recommendations around driving better ecodesign and consumer information for electrical products. We recognise the importance of these measures given our overarching ambition to transition to a more circular economy in which we maximise the value of our resources for longer. Ecodesign is an essential part of this ambition and can help to minimise the impacts of products on the natural environment across their lifecycle. The government also shares the Committee’s desire to ensure that electronic and electrical equipment is designed to last and we agree that there is no place on the market for planned obsolescence of any sort. We have a range of policy measures in place and forthcoming which aim to increase product lifetimes and renew consumer confidence in the reliability and longevity of their purchases, thereby directly tackling premature obsolescence. BEIS has recently consulted on draft Ecodesign Regulations that, for the first time, include requirements that product manufacturers make available to repairers certain spare parts and information; and to improve the ease of disassembly in order to assist better material recovery at the end of a product’s life. Subject to the outcome of the consultation, these requirements will enter into force in Great Britain in 2021 (they will apply in Northern Ireland automatically under the Northern Ireland Protocol). The new requirements apply to certain white goods, such as household refrigerators and washing-machines, as well as televisions. Government will explore whether requirements to improve reparability and material efficiency could be considered for a wider range of products, for example covering modular design for repairs and upgrades. BEIS and Defra have jointly commissioned research which will underpin a prioritisation of product groups and horizontal measures, addressing both the resource and energy efficiency of electrical products to inform the development of future Ecodesign policy, and the Government has committed to launch a world class energy related products policy framework in 2021. We will push for products to use less energy, resources, and materials, saving carbon and helping households and businesses to reduce their energy bills with minimum effort.