Have you heard about french AGEC law ?

The AGEC law: if you haven’t heard of this French law to reduce waste, you should. Because it’s awesome.

Adopted in February 2020, the Anti-Waste Law for a Circular Economy, commonly known as the AGEC Law, has seen new measures implemented since January 1, 2022.

This law addresses current ecological and societal challenges as well as a desire for transparency and more responsible consumption on the part of various consumers.

Whether in the fight against food waste, the phase-out of single-use plastics, or the push for better waste sorting, this law aims to change the production and consumption model to align with a circular economy.

The linear system we currently know—extract, produce, consume, discard—is becoming obsolete to move towards a virtuous cycle: eco-design, collection, repair, reuse, recycling, eco-design. The loop is closed.

So what has changed since January 1, 2022, with this AGEC Law? Who is affected, and what is the impact on the digital sector?

What is the AGEC Law?

Definition of the Anti-Waste Law

The Anti-Waste Law for a Circular Economy was implemented to accelerate the production model to reduce waste and address current challenges regarding resources, biodiversity, and climate.

It is structured around 5 main axes, all aiming to embrace a circular economy approach:

• phasing out disposable and single-use plastics;
• better informing consumers about their purchases;
• combating waste and promoting solidarity-based reuse;
• combating planned obsolescence;
• producing better by using fewer resources.

These measures affect almost all sectors of activity because they translate into actions in our daily lives. For example, we are now accustomed to not being given plastic bags when we go grocery shopping.

In 2022, the AGEC Law aims to meet our expectations as citizens for the accountability of various actors regarding ecological issues without neglecting health, purchasing power, and economic and industrial development.

This law consists of 130 articles, which are set by decrees between 2021 and 2025, hence the new provisions for this year 2022. These measures provide for:

• new obligations;
• new prohibitions;
• new tools.

Origin of the AGEC Law

Considered since October 2017 but voted on in February 2020, this AGEC Law is the result of consultation among many stakeholders: local authorities, businesses, and NGOs.

All political groups in Parliament unanimously adopted this law to address current and future environmental challenges and the demands of various consumers. Today, things are changing; more and more people are turning to local, healthier products or second-hand or refurbished items.

What has changed since January 1, 2022?

So concretely, what has changed in 2022 and which sectors are affected? It is not about making an exhaustive list of all the modifications made in our daily lives since 2022 but rather to highlight the most significant ones.

These measures mainly concern:

• the prohibition of the destruction of unsold non-food products;
• better consumer information with strengthened information on sorting gestures and environmental characteristics (recyclability and compostability);
• better combating of single-use plastics with the prohibition of plastic packaging for certain fruits and vegetables or the requirement for restaurants to serve water even outside of meals;
• holding certain sectors accountable for their waste.

But the anti-waste law, how does it translate into the digital sector?

The AGEC Law for the Digital Sector

Measures aiming for better consumer information or more efficient waste management also affect the digital domain, and fortunately so.

Better informing the consumer

First and foremost, this better consumer information translates into various measures:

• a reparability index displayed at the time of purchase;
• displaying information on the amount of data consumed and greenhouse gas emissions due to the activity of a digital product (phone, computer, tablet…);
• information on the software compatibility of updates by mentioning the duration during which the device can support them without too many malfunctions.

This reparability index assigns a score out of 10 based on several criteria:

• the product’s dismantlability;
• the availability of advice for use and maintenance;
• the availability and prices of spare parts.

Combating planned obsolescence

This allows the consumer to make an informed choice about whether or not the product they are about to buy can be easily repaired.

One of the major problems today is waste management, especially when it comes to electronic waste or devices composed of numerous and sometimes soldered small parts. Recycling is sometimes not the best solution and can sometimes be complicated. Hence the desire with this AGEC Law to seek repair instead of disposal and to better sort the waste from certain sectors.

Second-hand parts for repairs

With the anti-waste law, the manufacturer has 15 days to make available to the seller or repairer the parts necessary to repair their digital product. There is a real desire to extend the life of various components to be part of a circular economy to minimize the rebound effects of digital. Additionally, the manufacturer is obligated to offer second-hand spare parts.

Using 3D printing

To try to reduce resource exploitation, the AGEC Law promotes the use of 3D printing to repair objects. If a part is no longer available on the market but the item is still usable, the manufacturer can offer an alternative made with a three-dimensional printer, provided they respect the intellectual property of the holder. They can also provide professional sellers who wish it with a manufacturing plan to build the part themselves.

Repair funds

The AGEC Law emphasizes repair by creating repair funds. These are Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) sectors that must implement this by providing funding to repair funds.

In practice, this reduces the repair costs of a device if it is taken to a certified repairer.

In addition to being more environmentally friendly, this financial savings encourages consumers to consider purchasing new products.

Extension of the legal conformity warranty

Since January 1, 2022, the AGEC Law extends the legal conformity warranty by 6 months if the digital device has been repaired for a problem within this framework. Previously, the period during which the user could request the repair or replacement of their device due to a breakdown or malfunction caused by a conformity defect was 2 years.

With this new measure, the warranty is extended to 2 years and 6 months if there is a repair made within 2 years by the manufacturer or a repairer.

Holding the sector accountable for its waste

Manufacturing and end-of-life are the two stages that pollute the most during the life of a digital device. The anti-waste law seeks to limit the impact of both ends, especially in the digital realm, through various measures concerning eco-design and waste management.

Extended polluter-pays principle

As mentioned above, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) becomes the norm for certain sectors that will have to manage their waste differently.

The person who manufactures a product must be able to manage and finance its end-of-life.

Previously, producers had 2 choices:

• implement an individual collection system to treat waste;
• create an eco-organization.

With the AGEC Law, they must let eco-organizations manage their waste in exchange for financial compensation.

Eco-design to be reviewed every 5 years

Sectors subject to this EPR, including the digital sector, will have to implement five-year action plans for eco-designing their products.

The goal is to create devices that contain more recycled materials, are more recyclable, and raise awareness about environmental issues regarding resources.

Implementation of a bonus-malus system

With the AGEC Law, financial eco-contributions in the form of bonus-malus will be paid by producers to reward the least polluting actors.

To analyze this in a product, they rely on:

• the incorporation of recycled materials;
• durability;
• reparability;
• the use of renewable resources;
• opportunities for reuse and recycling;

Conclusion

Until 2025, new measures will be taken to increasingly move towards circular production rather than linear, and this also concerns the digital sector.

Be aware, not all measures related to the AGEC Law are strictly enforced. That is why it is important to take impactful actions every day, whether at home or in the office.

Do you want to turn to refurbished digital tools to reduce your footprint? Send us a message; we will be happy to assist you.

Team WeeeDoIT & Emma

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