Electronics and appliances in 2026. fresh law will change the marketplace and business models

The coming months can be a real breakthrough for consumer electronics and household appliances. In 2026, EU associate States will implement government on repair, ecodesign regulation and sustainability reporting. The fresh regulations are intended to make the service of products a standard, and the business models of manufacturers will meet the rules of circular economy.

According to UN data, Europe has a very serious problem with electro-waste. Not only does it produce the most of them in the planet (up to 17.6 kg per capita in 2024!), it is inactive the amount of e-waste that increases as much as 5 times faster than the recycling capacity. The solution is simply a package of EU regulations, which includes the Directive on the Right to Repair (R2R), The Ecodesign Regulation for Sustainable Products (ESPR) and the Sustainable improvement Reporting Directive (CSRD).

Among them is the right to repair, which will come into force in August 2026. Under their power, manufacturers will be required to plan the equipment in a way that facilitates servicing and to guarantee repairability at clearly defined prices and deadlines. I will besides gotta supply spare parts to the marketplace and the essential method documentation besides after the sale has been completed.

The R2R Directive can be called a supplement to the ESPR Regulation implemented for respective years. It assumes, among others, the creation of uniform principles of ecodesign, thanks to which e.g. electronics and appliances are to be more durable and easier to repair. In 2026 the first provisions of the ESPR will enter into force, including a ban on the demolition of unsold products. The EU Digital Product Passports system, which will collect key information on devices and their environmental impact, is besides to be launched. The ESPR will besides service as the basis for an index of repairability, based on a ten-degree scale of marking, indicating how easy a product can be serviced.

A akin function in the fresh regulation strategy is played by the CSRD Directive, which extends reporting obligations for companies operating in the EU market. Electronics and home appliances companies will gotta show how their activities affect the environment, society and the supply chain. In 2026, the reporting work will include further groups of companies, which will require greater transparency, as well as adapting business models to increasingly stringent ESG standards.

For business and people

New regulations, although at first glance they rise clear concerns, can in fact become an impulse to make and respond to the increasing expectations of electronic users.

According to McKinsey data, parts shortages can increase production costs by up to 10 – 20 percent. By recovering or renewing electronic components, material costs can be reduced by 5-15 percent. This clearly shows that investing in repair and re-use of components is simply a viable chance to stabilise costs – This is Mariusz Ryło, CEO of FIXIT SA.Our first study, conducted with SW investigation – The Future of Repair Report. Towards Circular Electronics 2025 – proved in turn that the thought of universal repair is well suited to changing consumer attitudes. Almost 80% of respondents draw attention to the anticipation of repair even before buying the device. 36% would like electronics to work longer and 38% would stress the affirmative environmental impact of repairs – adds Mariusz Rylo.

New marketplace leaders. Who's gonna win the repairs?

Thus, there is simply a large deal of evidence that, erstwhile fresh regulations come into force, the most advantage in the electronics and household appliances marketplace will be gained by those companies that treat the service as an integral part of the product. The key to success in 2026 and in later years will besides be changing business models – moving distant from the one-off sales strategy for building long-term after-sales relationships and designing devices with a multi-life cycle. The acquisition and analysis of service data will besides become increasingly important. Thanks to them, manufacturers will be able to identify faults more quickly, improve the plan of equipment and reduce client service costs.

The electronics marketplace is moving towards where repairability and transparency of after-sales processes will become a prerequisite for competition. What we consider present as regulatory requirements will become a natural component of product plan and service in the coming years. Companies that learn to make closed material circuits and actively support users throughout the lifecycle of the device by implementing the PaaS (Product-as-a-Service) approach, or by strengthening customers' digital experience, will be marketplace leaders – both in terms of cost and sustainable trust – summarizes Mariusz Ryło.

Photo, source. FIXIT