Establish a consumer right to repair enshrined in legislation

The Treasurer, Jim Chalmers

A central element needed to grow the circular economy is your right to repair your essential household and personal items – a Right to Repair supported and enforced by government laws and policy.

How many times have you had to throw something away after only a year or two because its just too hard or costly to repair?

You may have heard of ‘built in obsolescence’ – products deliberately designed to be thrown away and replaced, rather than repaired- the results of this travesty end up on our footpaths and in landfill.

Many ideas for enabling your right to repair have been tried overseas – and they’re making a big difference. In France, businesses have to state clearly how long spare parts will be available for. In Sweden, you can claim the cost of repair as a tax deduction.

Other measures can help to make it easier, more convenient and cheaper for you to repair regular household and personal items such as whitegoods, clothing, bicycles and much more.

Ensuring yout 'Right to Repair' helps to prolong the life cycle of items, keeping them out of landfill, thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions such as methane, and stimulates the circular economy.

To: The Treasurer, Jim Chalmers
From: [Your Name]

We, the undersigned call on you to:

Implement a package of measures to facilitate consumers’ rights for the repair of personal and household items, extend products life cycles, stimulate the ‘circular’ economy (repair and reuse), and reduce the amount of hard waste going to landfill.

Based on leading best practice consumer rights policies around the world, this would include:

· Introduce mandatory schemes for manufacturers of new products to provide spare parts and repair manuals for a mandated period of time, such as has been legislated in France and is being introduced across Europe and other jurisdictions

· Tax breaks for repairs of personal and household items, such as has been legislated in Sweden and other jurisdictions, as a financial incentive to repair and reuse, rather than throw away and buy new.

· Other best practice measures to boost the circular economy, lengthen product life, reduce landfill and protect the environment, such as including reusability and reparability standards in the Product Stewardship Act, as well as adding the 'right to repair' to the Productivity Commission's agenda for further examination and report back.

By introducing these measures and making it easier for Australians to repair, and have repaired, their personal items, and for businesses to provide repair, reuse and associated services, you will be achieving strong social, economic (including job creation) and environmental outcomes across the country.

Please support the Right to Repair.

Yours sincerely,
[The undersigned]