Greater support for reuse and repair

Chapter 9.2.1 Strategic approaches

Use the Circular Economy Strategy process to create systems and policies which support re-use and repair activity.

International

UK Govt

Scottish Govt

Local Authorities

Emissions reduction

Behaviour change

The following would support re-use and repair services in Scotland:

create a system of re-use and repair credits for social enterprises based on the carbon savings they are making
circular design practices that promote ease of repair and discourage planned obsolescence
access to parts at a reasonable cost
access to repair information and how-to guides
access to independent repair systems
promotion of safe self-repair
fiscal incentives for repair services and refurbished parts (including VAT).

Some of this could be done by the Scottish Government or local authorities, some of it only by the UK Government. The recent introduction of a Repairability Index in France is an excellent example of how consumers can be educated on repair and producers encouraged to make their products more repairable.

A circular Scotland would move beyond recycling by encouraging circular behaviours such as reuse and repair to become mainstream activities. Compared to the levels of investment in recycling over the past 20 years, an even greater level of investment is now needed in reuse and repair services and infrastructure.

The Scottish Government should provide funding for reuse charities and social enterprises which is linked to the environmental benefits of their reuse and repair activities. Reuse and repair combats climate change through carbon savings. Like feed-in tariffs for green energy generation, reuse and repair credits should be paid to social enterprises for the carbon savings associated with the material diverted through reuse and repair activities (for example, a fixed financial value for every CO2e per tonne of material diverted). This money will help the receiving organisations to scale up and grow their activities.

There are social benefits to reuse and repair. Reuse creates far more green and local jobs than recycling, incineration, or landfill activities. Reuse organisations are also helping to combat the current cost of living crisis through offering affordable goods to those who need them.

There needs to be stronger direct financial support for innovative models such as repair cafés, sharing libraries, bike reuse services and community fridges, as well as continuing Scottish Government funding for the Share and Repair Network. These projects provide easy and tangible access for the public to engage in circular economy behaviours. However, they require initial support in the form of grant funding, as well as ongoing operational support.

SCCS members called for a statutory right to repair consumer goods as has recently been introduced in the EU but this was not included in the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024.

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