Repair: Material savings and environmental benefits often go hand in hand

This article is part of a series of articles on the topic of the circular economy, including an earlier article on the scope of this concept as well as a second one on the topic of rental.

From a resource perspective, repair is always a good thing. Indeed, it avoids the manufacture of new products, leading to a decrease in demand for virgin materials. But what about from a climate perspective?

Under what conditions can restoration lead to a climate benefit?

Many repair services are popping up, making it possible to extend the lifespan of malfunctioning appliances. Take a washing machine, for example. After 5 years of use, let’s say it breaks down. You decide to call a repair technician to diagnose the problem and carry out the repair a few days later. The technician is located 10 km from your home and makes two round trips using their company vehicle (one round trip for the diagnosis, one round trip for the repair). The faulty part turns out to be the washing machine’s pump; the technician replaces it and gives you advice on how to maintain your appliance. In this case, does this repair offer a climate benefit compared to buying a new product?

Here are the shows to consider:

For a new purchase:

• The manufacturing dates of the original unit and the replacement unit.
• Emissions associated with the use of the original device and the replacement device.
• Transportation emissions associated with the purchase.
• Emissions from end-of-life equipment.

For repairs:

• Production runs of the original unit and replacement parts.
• Emissions associated with the use of the device before and after the malfunction.
• Transportation emissions associated with the repair.
• Emissions from the end-of-life disposal of the device and its replacement parts.

Repairing washing machines helps reduce emissions from manufacturing and end-of-life disposal, which account for the majority of their carbon footprint.

In the case described, the remediation is carried out on a local scale and offers dual benefits, both in terms of climate and resources.

On the other hand, outside of a regional context, the transportation associated with repair can lead to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions compared to purchasing a new product. The “threshold” distance depends on the size of the item being repaired; the lower its manufacturing emissions, the shorter this distance will be.

For example, in the case of a washing machine, the distance between the product and the repair technician must be less than 200 km (if the washing machine is in Lyon, it can be repaired within a circle extending from Dijon to Avignon at most) for this to be beneficial in terms of greenhouse gas emissions[1]. Since repair services are mostly local, this does not seem to be a major constraint; however, when it comes to refurbishment processes, this may raise questions. In fact, shipping a bulky product collected and/or resold in Europe to be refurbished in Asia can, in some cases, generate transportation emissions that exceed the manufacturing emissions of the item when purchased new. Therefore, the implementation of a repair or refurbishment system must be consistent in terms of transportation to ensure a climate benefit.

Repair of energy-intensive products:

The energy efficiency of a new product is sometimes better than that of the product being repaired. For example, a new machine is slightly more energy-efficient (due to being a more recent model), but since the share of emissions associated with its use is low, the order of magnitude remains the same. In cases where the new product consumes lower-carbon energy or is much newer, the carbon savings associated with the new product’s energy consumption enable such decarbonization of its use, whereas repairing it no longer makes sense from a climate perspective.

Let’s take the example of a gas boiler: Repairing it doesn’t make sense from a climate perspective because the majority of emissions come from its use; installing a new heat pump that is three times more efficient and uses low-carbon energy yields far greater benefits than the savings from repairing it in terms of emissions associated with manufacturing.

How can we promote the adoption of repair in a local context?

Several needs are emerging:

• First, the spare parts. To ensure widespread repairs, replacement parts must be available quickly and easily. Today, European regulations on eco-design, as well as the Consumer Code, establish requirements regarding the availability of replacement parts for a list of products[2]. These must be available for a specified period after the model is discontinued. For example, washing machine manufacturers must ensure the availability of replacement parts for up to 10 years after the model is discontinued. In this case, the supplier must be able to provide the replacement part within 5 to 15 days of the breakdown. There are no regulations governing the standardization of these parts.
• Next, the cost of the repair. According to ADEME, 80% of French people consider price to be the primary factor in their decision-making. To have an item repaired, they would be willing to pay up to 30% of the price of a new product[3]. That is why the French government has introduced the “Repair Bonus” program. For example, for a washing machine, this bonus reduces the total repair cost by €50. On the one hand, strengthening these public initiatives is necessary to encourage consumers to support the growth of the repair sector. On the other hand, private companies must design products that are easier to repair and offer affordable repair services.
• Finally, setting up repair services requires a skilled workforce. These skills are less common today than they once were. Developing tailored training programs is essential to growing the ecosystem. Without waiting for government action, Murfy has developed a vocational training program focused on the repair of household appliances[4].

All of these issues pose numerous challenges to the large-scale deployment of viable business models. Nevertheless, both private and public initiatives are emerging. For example, the company Veja has developed a comprehensive service centered on shoe repair and plans to open a repair school in the near future.[5].

Repairs can be performed on both household and commercial appliances. We used the example of a washing machine in everyday life because of the availability of public data, but these calculations can just as easily be performed on an industrial scale.

In many cases, repair offers the dual benefit of conserving resources and reducing carbon emissions. To promote circular systems, it is necessary to strengthen the regulatory framework in line with the European objectives of the “Circular Economy Act” bill.

Carbone 4 is working on the circular economy through a cross-functional group focused on upstream issues, leveraging its expertise Industry, and downstream with the expertise Luxury & Retail, particularly in connection with alternative distribution models.