Spotted: In March 2023, the European Commission adopted a proposal that sets out the rights consumers have to ask sellers to repair damaged goods. Advocates call the measures the ‘right to repair’, and so far, many products included in the directive are repairable up to 10 years after purchase. After many years of products being designed for almost instant obsolescence, consumers are pushing brands to improve the robustness of items and make it possible for items to be repaired. 

As well as seeking increased accessibility of repairable parts, consumers want more durable goods. With the plethora of products now available online, it can be difficult to ascertain a reliable estimate of the life cycle of a product. Helping to remove that obstacle for consumers is Longtime label, a tool developed by France-based Ethikis. The label indicates repairable designs that are made to last. 

Shoppers can shop more confidently, with the knowledge that should something break, the design is fixable. To earn the Longtime label for a product, companies complete an application and an audit of their processes, assisted by the Longtime team. For organisations seeking a more informal assessment, Longtime offers the Durability-Self-Diagnosis tool, which helps businesses gain an understanding of their product’s strengths, alongside areas needing improvement.  

Longtime provides an ever-growing list of items on its website that have earned the certification, and consumers are encouraged to nominate products and brands that they believe meet the requirements.  

Reducing waste is an essential part of the world’s fight against climate change and Springwise is spotting innovations in every industry that are creating new ways of producing less, or are re-using items that have been discarded. A new platform helps producers track and collect post-consumer products, and a novel type of rubber panel uses recycled tyres to cool buildings.

Written By: Keely Khoury