repair and service center r.u.s.z - social enterprises as...
TRANSCRIPT
Repair and Service Center R.U.S.Z - Social enterprises as initiators of changes in
policies
Sepp Eisenriegler CEO, Repair and Service Centre R.U.S.Z
1. Specific kind of business: WISE and part of Social Economy
2. Handling specific problems: UNU/StEP-data
3. Specific kind of networking: March through the (EU-) Institutions
4. R.U.S.Z: A specific icebreaker
5. Success factors
6. To Do´s
7. Time left? – Examples of planned obsolescence
Overview
Based on market failure
• 1998: no serious repair services
• Today: planned obsolescence
Based on policy failure
• High labour costs for services
• prices of new EEE do not speak the environmental and social truth
No profits for this kind of private enterprise
Added value for society – environmentally, socially and economically
• Saving ressources by increase of durability of EEE and ReUse of WEEE
• Longterm unemployed get professional training and unlimited work contracts
• added value of repair services stays in the region, added value of new
products go abroad
Specific kind of business:
WISE and part of Social Economy
WEEE waste stream: traditionally the fastest growing waste stream
• 2012: 49 Mio tonnes of WEEE per year worldwide
• 2017: 65,4 (estimation of UNU, Bonn) => 33% growth
The big three waste makers per capita and year (StEP initiative)
• USA: 29,8 kg
• Austria: 25,3 kg
• Germany: 23,2 kg
The big two producers per country and year (StEP initiative)
• China: 11 Mio. tons
• USA: 10 Mio. tons
Handling specific problems: UNU/Step-data
1998: founding of R.U.S.Z – local and regional levels
1999: founding of RepairNetWork Vienna – local and regional levels
1999: founding of RREUSE (R.U.S.Z founding member) – EU level
2004: founding of RepaNet Austria – Austrian (member states) level
definition of local needs for repair/ReUse and lobbying at MS level
lobbying the waste legislation at EU level (WEEE, Waste Framework directives)
harvesting the lobbying successes at MS level
ReUse platform in the Austrian Life Ministry
WFD Art. 11
WEEE Recast: accredited ReUse centers get access to the WEEE of
retailers (not yet implemented)
Specific kind of networking: March through the
institutions
R.U.S.Z spin off D.R.Z – 1st manual treatment center for WEEE in Austria
tuning of old washing machines – energy efficiency meets resource efficiency
energy counselling of low income households to prevent energy poverty
donation program to get access to old washing machines from private households
media campaign against planned obsolescence
1st professional repair cafe as a platform against planned obsolescence
CSR-Repair – sponsoring of employment of longterm unemployed
update of the R.U.S.Z based Austrian standard ONR 192102 „Ecodesign Label for
durable, repairable EEE“ – boycotted by the manufacturers
White List for durable, repairable EEE, promoted together with Austrian consumer
protection organisations, Austrian Life Ministry, Austrian Energy Agency, Austrian
Standards Institute
2014: white goods
2015: consumer electronics
R.U.S.Z – a specific icebreaker
support of local, regional, federal policy
cooperation with specific scientists (alternative economy, global warming,
labour, resouces, waste, …)
good contacts to the media
VIPs as key customers
use of social media
www.facebook.com/rusz.at
www.youtube.com/reparaturundservice
www.twitter.com/RUSZ_Reparatur
www.soundcloud.com/r-u-s-z
awards
Success Factors
lower labour costs! Increase resource costs!
EU standard for durable, repairable products
resource efficiency labelling within the energy efficiency label
resource efficiency regulations into the new Ecodesign Directive
recycling society AND leasing society
sustainable consumption: Product Service Systems plus Circular AND Sharing
Economies
taxes on throw away products (Zac Goldsmith)
regulation of sales promotion/advertising
psychological obsolescence
To Do´s
„We buy products we don´t need, with money we don´t have, to impress
people we don´t like!“
„Our big job is to hasten obsolescence“ (Harley Earl, Manager of GM 1920s)
„Sloan did his utmost to find new ways to decrease durability and increase
obsolescence.“ (Slade, S. 43)
„An article that does not wear out is a tragedy for business” (US-Advertising
magazine 1928)
„Our whole economy is based on planned obsolescence” (Leading US
designing engineer Brooks Stevens,1958)
„Maximum sales volume demands the cheapest construction for the briefest
interval the buying public will tolerate.“ (Vance Packard 1960)
PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE
Technical designing engineers: product lifecycle management programs allow to
determine the planned useful life of products.
Examples:
Light bulbs: working life halved
Plastic gear in handheld electric mixers
Embedded meters (counters) in printers
PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE
Designed to break – Purchasing for the waste dump
e.g.: throw away washing machine
Ball-bearings get ruined because of underdesigned (weak) shock absorbers
throw away washing machine <=> high end WM
Change of ball-bearings impossible <=> Change of ball-bearings easily done
PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE
Designed to break – Purchasing for the waste dump
e.g.: consumer electronics, Flat TVs
Most common default: Elkos
underdesigned (weak) capacitors get ruined because of ambient temperature
suitable capacitors would cost 1 Cent more
PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE
PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE
Sepp Eisenriegler MAS, MBA
Geschäftsführer des Reparatur- und Service-Zentrums R.U.S.Z
ZVR-Zahl 400148313, FN 360557 g
Mobile: +43 664 263 0991
www.rusz.at
www.facebook.com/rusz.at
www.youtube.com/reparaturundservice
www.twitter.com/RUSZ_Reparatur
www.soundcloud.com/r-u-s-z
„It is unethical and not at all sustainable to waste resources for
maximising profits by selling products with decreasing life spans!“