Two German states - Bavaria and Thuringia - are offering residents 200 euros for choosing to have their broken devices repaired instead of replaced. While Thuringia started the trend, Bavaria’s excitement to replicate the scheme leaves hopes that more federal states could soon do the same.
Thuringia announced the new plans to tackle e-waste in June 2021 and saw great success with more than 7.000 residents applying for the grant of 100 euros. After witnessing Thuringia’s success, the state of Bavaria has unveiled plans for a similar scheme, but this time offering 200 euros per person, per year, as a repair bonus.
According to Ludwig Hartmann, the head of the Green party in the state parliament of Bavaria, proposals have already been submitted to the federal government, alongside a request for two million euros to fund the project. It is hoped that if both states continue to see good results from the scheme, then other states will follow their example. Some of the devices that come under the scheme include mobile phones, coffee machines and laptops.
The proposals come amidst growing concern about the future of electronic waste in Germany, and the release of harmful chemicals used in electrical goods into the environment when they are placed in landfill. In 2019 alone, 53.6 million tons of electronic waste was disposed of, much of which contained highly toxic substances such as mercury and lead.
The European Union (EU) has started to make the issue a priority for member states to tackle. Recent EU discussions have centred around the creation of a repairability index, which politicians in Germany have also shown an interest in. Each of these new policies is a step towards greater sustainability and away from a throw-away society.