The importance of the remanufacturing sector in IT has been highlighted by a leading trade body. DIGITALEUROPE, which represents the digital industry - including IT, telecoms and consumer electronics groups – on the continent, says that the $6.9 billion turnover business is a vital source of jobs and revenue and should be nurtured.
A white paper by the organisation (‘The contribution of the digital industry to repair, remanufacturing and refurbishment in a circular economy’) includes key recommendations for Europe’s policy chiefs and law makers. Among these are an appeal for cores not to be treated as waste products, to set feasible goals when legislating for eco-design, and to be careful when revising consumer law. Sylvie Feindt (right), DIGITALEUROPE’s director, sustainability policy, spoke at ReMaTec 2017 in Amsterdam on the digital sector’s role in the circular economy.