European Union Propose New Rules to Make Tablets and Phones Last Longer

The legislative arm of the European Union has proposed new rules for the reparability of tablets and mobile phones. The proposal says its manufacturers should make at least 15 components available for around five years after they have released a new phone in the European Union.

Within the timespan, consumers will be able to replace parts like displays, batteries, chargers, SIM cards, memory card trays, and back covers. The European Commission is also eyeing improvements to the durability of batteries. According to the proposal, the phone and tablet batteries should be able to endure at least 500 full charges before dropping down to 83 percent of their capacity.

Under the new regulations, the phones will need to have a label detailing information such as battery endurance, along with drop and water resistance ratings. The idea behind the proposals, is to decrease the e-waste and the environmental impacts of tablets and phones.

The proposal also suggests that making tablets and phones more recyclable and repairable will decrease the energy consumption costs that are associated with their manufacturers and us by a third. The smartphone companies have hit back against some elements of the rules by claiming that the availability of parts will increase plastic consumption.