Calling for more repair and less waste

I have supported a new Repair and Reuse Declaration calling for measures to make repair more affordable and expand the UK’s right to repair regulations to cover all consumer products.

The UK is the second highest producer of electrical waste per person. The declaration, which is supported by just under 400 groups and cross party MPs, calls for support from the UK government to move away from our throwaway economy by making it easier for people to repair products and pass them onto others for a second life. 

A YouGov poll commissioned in 2023 found that only 28% of Brits were able to successfully fix, or have fixed, their last electrical item that broke. The poll showed strong support for the government to act on repair, with 85% support for the UK’s Right to Repair regulations to be expanded to all appliances and devices, and all policies recommended in the Repair and Reuse Declaration seeing at least 79% support. 47% of those polled didn’t try to, or were unable to repair their last broken electrical item. The top reasons were that repair was too expensive (38%), and that it was quicker to replace it (33%).

Incorporating repair and reuse practices into our everyday lives creates huge environmental and economic benefits by cutting down on waste, reducing the climate and resource impact of buying new products, and saving people money by getting the most out of the items they already have. 

Constituents have written to me expressing their concern over the amount of electrical waste produced and the impact this has on the environment. I've supported this declaration because the environmental impact is extremely worrying, and if we are able to prevent that through support to repair our electronics, it would help not only our environment, but also help people save money.

The Dairsie Repair Café is a great example of how repair centares can save families money, support the local community and avoid landfill waste. I hope that the Government supports a move away from our throwaway economy and enables us to move towards a circular economy instead.