According to the European Commission, the premature disposal of consumer goods produces 261 million tonnes of CO₂-equivalent emissions and generates 35 million tonnes of waste in the EU each year.
Consumers also lose about €12 billion yearly by replacing goods rather than repairing them.
In this context, re-thinking traditional business models, re-discovering the centrality of human value in the pursuit of innovation and competitiveness, re-viewing behaviours, all toward a circular economy model, is more urgent than ever.
This why the REPper project aims to strengthen the repair economy through supporting SMEs in the repair sector, increasing repair skills, and pursuing the transition to more sustainable consumer choices by overcoming the existing barriers.
10 partners from 8 countries – Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal Slovenia and Spain – have launched the REPper project to act on 3 levels:
Supply, with the creation of a transnational network of pilot services for repair SME.
Training, through setting up a REPper Factory for upskilling and reskilling repair supervisors, trainers and trainee.
Demand, by developing a new repair culture through awareness and participatory actions and applying behavioural approaches to nudge users towards circular reflexes and perspectives.
