World Consumer advocates call for more durable technology and household appliances

The Federation of German Consumer Organizations (vzbv) has spoken out in favor of longer-lasting technology products and household appliances. For example, if all consumers in Germany used long-life televisions, smartphones, notebooks and washing machines, they could save the equivalent of almost 3.6 billion euros a year in these four product categories alone, the vzbv announced on Thursday. The association referred to the results of a study by the Öko-Institut on its behalf.

© ODD ANDERSEN The Federation of German Consumer Organizations (vzbv) has spoken out in favor of longer-lasting technical products and household appliances. Accordingly, there is great potential for savings, especially with smartphones and notebooks.

Accordingly, there is great potential for savings, especially with smartphones and notebooks. For the smartphone, the researchers assumed a useful life of seven instead of two and a half years and calculated a possible saving over the entire life cycle of the device of 242 euros per consumer. Extrapolated to all smartphone owners, according to vzbv, this even amounts to 15.7 billion euros in seven years. The costs for energy consumption and possible repairs are therefore included in the calculations.

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The researchers put the lifespan of notebooks at ten instead of five years - with a saving of 295 euros. In their model calculation, they increased the service life of televisions from six to 13 years. Washing machines could therefore last an average of 17 years, not twelve.

The study not only found money saved for consumers, but also a significant reduction in CO2: According to vzbv, 3.9 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent could be saved in the four model categories - "that corresponds to the emissions of 1.85 million cars ".

The consumer advice centers called on the federal government to work “at national and EU level for a new product policy” and thus to facilitate “climate-friendly behavior” for consumers. "Consumers hardly have the opportunity to consciously choose long-lasting products", criticized vzbv board member Klaus Müller. If the purchase price is their only information, they often resorted to cheaper products - and ended up paying for them.

"Reliable information on the shelf life and service life of products is still missing", continued Müller. The vzbv boss asked for mandatory information and minimum criteria. As part of the so-called Green Deal of the EU "there is an opportunity for the federal government to initiate a product policy that is consumer-friendly and at the same time necessary to cope with the climate crisis." In Germany, according to the vzbv, the two-year warranty period should also be increased to the expected shelf life.

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