Brussels (Dec. 2, 2020) — The European Toner and Inkjet Remanufacturers Association (ETIRA) has joined MEPs in calling on the EU Commission to grant consumers a ‘right to repair’ by making repairs to printing hardware and consumables more systematic and cost-efficient.
The organization’s plea follows the European Parliament’s endorsement of Right to Repair, with MEPs voting in favor of boosting sustainability by promoting reuse and repairs, and by tackling practices that shorten the lifespan of products, adopting the resolution on a more sustainable single market.
Javier Martinez, president of ETIRA, said, “ETIRA welcomes the European Parliament’s endorsement of the Right to Repair. The vote marks a very positive step towards a more green and circular economy built on sustainability.
“A stronger reuse and second-hand goods market for imaging consumables can create thousands of more jobs across Europe and, to see the Parliament’s call for measures to tackle practices that shorten the lifetime of a product, while endorsing sustainable production, is fantastic.
“We stand alongside the MEPs’ endorsement and call on the European Commission to make repairs more appealing and cost-efficient, whether by extending guarantees, providing guarantees for replaced parts or giving better access for consumers when it comes to information on repair and maintenance.
“It is vital that our industry is considered as a ‘hotspot’ when it comes to implementing legislation around this important topic and, also, important to ensure that new-build cartridges are covered by the Right to Repair.”
ETIRA’s call comes just weeks after the organization issued a detailed response to the EU’s draft Voluntary Agreement for Imaging Equipment.
Javier added, “ETIRA strives for a world in which sustainable products, services and business models are the norm. Our aim is to secure greater government support for remanufacturing, reuse and recycling within the printing industry, as a key part of policies.
“Both the European Parliament’s endorsement of the Right to Repair and the draft Voluntary Agreement mark positive steps forward but more needs to be done to support our industry and reduce its environmental footprint.”
One of the main barriers to effective reuse in the imaging consumables market are firmware updates that lock out reuse products and shorten the effective life of the consumable.
Commenting on the European Parliament’s stance on this barrier, Javier, said: “We endorse the Parliament’s call for corrective updates to continue throughout the estimated lifespan of the device. Also, that corrective updates should be kept separate from evolutive updates, but both must be reversible, and updates should not dimmish the performance or responsiveness of the goods. Users must be able to quickly roll-back any update that locks out remanufactured cartridges.
“We also welcome setting up a system of mandatory labeling on consumer electronics to provide explicit information on the repairability and lifespan of products.”
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About ETIRA
ETIRA, formed in 2003, is a Belgian registered non-profit organization that represents the interests of the inkjet and toner cartridge remanufacturers and related service providers and is the recognized industry body for all topics affecting the industry. ETIRA provides many services to its members: legal and regulatory advice, public relations, environmental impacts, quality and standardization forums and member contact platforms. ETIRA also manages a remanufacturing Code of Conduct and the ticked-R collective mark assuring consumers of less expensive but 100% environment-friendly remanufactured cartridges.
