December 2024 / January 2025
ertonline.co.uk
Regulation and collaboration “It’s clear that this is a time of change, and we must embrace the opportunity to shape the industry for the better,” said Justin Madders, Minister for Employing Rights, Competition and Markets, Department for Business and Trade, addressing attendees at the conference. Reflecting on recent developments, Mr Madders MP highlighted the evolving role of regulation: “Over the past decade and a half, we’ve seen regulation transform from being labelled ‘red tape’ into a critical framework for ensuring safety, consumer confidence, and innovation. It’s about clarity and fairness – ensuring businesses thrive while people are protected.”
A key example of this change is the
government’s recent introduction of the Federal Regulation and Technology Bill. “It equips us to respond to the technological revolution of the next 20 years,” Mr Madders explained. “It ensures we’re ready not just for today’s challenges but for future opportunities, particularly in emerging areas like online marketplaces.” Addressing pressing safety concerns, Mr Madders spoke about the government’s Buy Safe campaign, launched to tackle the risks posed by unsafe online products. “This campaign offers consumers clear advice on what to look for and how to ensure products are safe. We’re collaborating across government departments and globally to ensure swift action,” he added.
Mr Madders celebrated the partnership between government and industry: “Conferences like this exemplify what collaboration can achieve – raising standards, protecting lives, and enabling businesses to innovate.”
The reuse opportunity Talking about the race to net zero and the importance of repair cafés, product reuse and consumer safety in the circular economy, Graeme Milne, Chief Executive Of REPIC, posed the question ‘how does changing for the future fit into a technology-driven world?’ “REPIC’s latest consumer research found that
there were around £32 million worth of electricals in UK homes not in use,” said Mr Milne, “so clearly there is a huge reuse opportunity here. And while the Right to Repair legislation was introduced to assist the combat against e-waste, the main issue associated with electrical reuse is around the quality and safety of products.
“We do not want Frankenstein products on our shelves,” Mr Milne went on. “Some reuse products are tested and upgraded to equal quality of new items, effectively being remanufactured, while others are simply PAT Tested – which represents a reputational legal risk not only to the repairer but also to the original brand.” Mr Milne said the regulations and standards in place today include full functionality and quality testing, plus tracking and traceability procedures. There are several processes in place in the UK already and being followed by companies such as Currys and The Appliance Recycling Group, both of which operate large scale commercial reuse centres with an element of original producer involvement. For example, Currys now harvests around 2,000 parts from e-waste for reuse each week; on a smaller scale, reuse centres and repair cafés offer highly skilled, experienced technicians with appropriate training. However, Mr Milne believes that others are less qualified which can lead to safety issues.
He added: “Clearly it would be beneficial to formalise a level of confidence and safety in facilities like these, but in such a diverse sector that’s difficult. There exists a need to address demand for reassurance from customers and other stakeholders that appliances and electronics are suitable for reuse, are efficiently tested and therefore safe and functionally fit for purpose.”
Product safety law Claire Temple is a Partner at Cooley (UK) LLP, specialising in regulatory risk, compliance, and litigation for products and consumers. Her presentation focused around the
Graeme Milne & Claire Temple
effect of Brexit on UK and European Union (EU) law when it comes to product safety. “Despite Brexit, EU law very much retains its place as the key lead character on the UK product safety law stage,” Ms Temple began. “Why? It’s unlikely that an electrical product would be solely manufactured for Great Britain; it might also be destined for the EU or maybe Northern Ireland, so it needs to comply with EU laws, including new laws as they come into play.” Ms Temple said that as one of the most prolific law makers in this area, the fact is that EU law will inevitably influence at least some elements of UK policy… “That isn’t to say that UK law couldn’t be similarly influential,” she added. Ms Temple pointed out the importance of certain laws and regulations, including the new General Product Safety Regulation – with its new requirements for online sales, new obligations for online marketplaces, and mandatory accident reporting. Also the new Product Liability Directive reinforces the relationship between product safety and liability rules.
“The most significant development by far is the new PRM Bill,” she went on. “It is an enabling act that means it grants government the power to create broad high level law and detailed regulations and legislation.”
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