EU: make products last!
To the European Commission, EU Member States, and local and regional authorities
Petition
We call on you to:
- Set strong EU rules that ensure products are designed to last longer and can be easily repaired
- Make repairs affordable and accessible for everyone
- Support cities and regions in scaling repair, reuse, and local circular systems
- Reduce waste by prioritising reuse and long product lifetimes
Europe can move from a throwaway system to one that works for people, communities, and the planet.
Why is this important?
Your phone breaks. You buy another. Companies profit, you pay.
It’s not your fault. It’s by design.
Think about it. A screen that cracks easily. A washing machine that fails just after the warranty. Across Europe, products are made to be replaced - not to last. [1]
And the result? Bins overflowing. Drawers filled with dead devices. Cities struggling with the waste.
But right now, EU leaders are deciding on a new law that could finally change this. [2]
Done right, it means products that last. Fixable devices that don't force you to buy again. Done wrong, we’ll be stuck in the same cycle: break, replace, pay - while greedy companies profit.
Cities and regions are ready to make this work - to support repairs, make products last and reduce waste. But without strong EU rules, we stay stuck in the same cycle - break, replace, pay. [3]
That’s where you come in.
If enough people speak up now, EU leaders are far more likely to stand up to corporate pressure - and back a law that works for us.
If you’re tired of paying again and again for products designed to fail, sign now to stop this cycle!
References:
[1] https://uxplanet.org/planned-obsolescence-dark-truth-of-the-smartphone-industry-c9131c5ff7c4 ; https://www.unibocconi.it/en/news/disposable-smartphones-trick-planned-obsolescence ; https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/oct/01/appliances-were-once-built-to-last-now-theyre-built-to-break-how-do-we-fix-it
[2] The Circular Economy Act - https://environment.ec.europa.eu/strategy/circular-economy_en ; https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/eu-circular-economy-act
[3] https://errin.eu/news/unlocking-circularity-europes-cities-and-regions-release-ccri-recommendations-circular-economy