Towards More Repair of Mobile Phones in Spain

Sammanfattning: Addressing electronic waste is crucial for meeting the environmental needs of the 21st Century, as WEEE is one of the fastest growing waste streams. Spain has emerged as one of the top countries globally for per capita mobile phone consumption. For this reason, this thesis focuses on European and Spanish initiatives that am to improve the circularity of mobile phones through repair. In recent years, , consumer repairs, particularly for independent repairers, have faced many barriers created by producers. Circular Economy strategies at the EU and national levels aim to prevent waste through methods known as “slowing” and “closing” of “loops”, both of which would benefit the repair sector, and independent repairers in particular. With this background, the central research question of this thesis was derived, namely: How do the recent regulations and policies that are currently implemented, and those that are expected, influence the independent repair sector? While a variety of policies and directives were examined in the literature review, the emphasis was placed on the provisions regarding mobile phones. In addition to this desk research, the author conducted thirteen in-person interviews with independent repairers in two cities in Spain. Finally, a qualitative analysis produced a number of conclusions and policy recommendations to improve rates of repair and benefit the independent repairers sector. In conclusion, access to repair needs to be easier, faster, and more accessible. Thus, policymakers and producers need to provide more support to independent repairers to improve access to repair in this way. Further up the supply chain, legal initiatives such as the EU Ecodesign Directive can benefit repairers by regulating the design of products to be more durable and more repairable. Therefore, a diverse policy mix is necessary to address all the areas of repair through the product’s lifecycle and thus, prevent e-waste.