Europeans create 35 million tonnes of waste each year by throwing away broken appliances. France and Belgium have repair rates of 18% and 15%, respectively. Of roughly 28 million household breakdowns a year, only 5 million result in a technician fixing the device.
Some 77% of citizens would rather repair products than replace them. Yet only 5% of washing machines and 33% of vacuum cleaners are priced at a point where professional repair makes economic sense. Most fall into a “borderline” or “unviable” zone, where a new machine is cheaper than the spare parts.
“Access to repair is not the main bottleneck. The price is,” said Alex Bunodiere, a…
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