ANP
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 06:51
VAT on repairs of electrical appliances must be abolished by a new cabinet. Techniek Nederland advocates this. The umbrella organization wants to make it more attractive for people to have their TVs and dishwasher repaired instead of throwing them away and buying a new one.
The trade organization supports the Council for the Environment and Infrastructure in this call. He also had the same advice in November. Now 21 percent VAT still applies.
Economy circular
There is a disposable trend in clothing, furniture and consumer electronics. More and more products are being purchased, and they are also being thrown away more quickly. Between 2005 and 2022, the amount of consumer electronics increased by almost 50 percent. These are not only telephones and toasters, but also solar panels, for example.
At the moment it is easier and cheaper for consumers to buy a new phone if it is broken. Repairs are often expensive, and often not even cheaper.
According to Techniek Nederland, there should be a professional repair market. A group of recognized repairers must then receive spare parts from all electronics chains and manufacturers. Retail chains should also offer more second-hand items.
Right to Repair
In the European Union, the legal right to repair will apply from next year. With that law, Right to Repair, devices should be easier to repair.
The council’s research shows that current production is aimed at selling as much as possible products that have a shorter lifespan and therefore will need to be replaced in the foreseeable future.
The report Away from the Throwaway Society of the Council for the Environment and Infrastructure pointed out in November that non-sustainable products are often cheaper because the negative effects on the environment are not included in the price. That discourages consumers from purchasing them.
The number of electrical appliances is still increasing. In 2014, 314 million kilos of equipment was sold, in 2022 this would be 836 million kilos. The largest increase is due to solar panels. They increased from 10.6 to 319 million kilos.
2024-01-19 05:51:24
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