National Repair Day: the circular economy facing the challenges of its own growth

Will 2025 be the year of repair? Listening to the speakers presentat the launch of national repair daysdifficult to imagine a future where durability and repairability would not take a central place in our daily lives. However, as it structures itself and grows, this industry finds itself confronted with new political and economic problems.

Since its timid debut in 2021the repair bonus has gained momentum through communication campaigns carried out by the State and the various associations in the sector. In 2023, only 4% of the funds dedicated to the repair bonus had been used, compared to “around 30% in 2024“, explains Helen Micheaux, coordinator of the committee of experts at Hop. A good progression, even more notable in the sector of electrical and electronic objects which concentrated 500,000 repairs in the first 9 months of 2024. However, problems structural still persist.

Repairability in search of profitability

At the heart of the problems encountered by the repair sector is quite simply that of the economic model. “Repairers do not make a living from their jobs, they do not earn money, or even lose money.“, explains Regis Koenig, repair and sustainability director at Fnac/Darty. And the observation does not only affect manufacturers or resellers of electrical and electronic devices. Séverine Bourlier, general secretary of the French federation of Cordonnerie Multiservices, points out the fact that “the cost of the repair does not always compensate for the costs inherent in the industrial process linked to it“. In other words, repairing is expensive, even for textile artisans, affected by the bonus since the end of 2023.

If repair subscription offers like Darty Max or Boulanger Infinity have made it possible to “create profitable business models around the repair industry“, welcomes Regis Koenig, the principle cannot apply to all small local artisans. On these questions, Guillaume Balas, general delegate of the Envie federation, develops a criticism that is more political than economic, explaining that “we have an incompatibility between what we want to do on the circular economy on the one hand and our global economic model on the other.“

As the price of phones drops thanks to the optimization of industrial processes, repair loses value. The act of repair is in fact intrinsically more complex and less automatable than that of producing a telephone. “The bonus will be neutralized in a few years as the prices of new products continue to fall” even prophesies Philippe Moati, co-founder of the society and consumption observatory.

Currently, the repair tasks are somehow “subsidized“by other related activities, such as the sale of reconditioned products. This “cannibalization“reuse activities mechanically complicate their development. In response to this situation, a large number of players are rallying around the idea of ​​a VAT”circular economy“at a reduced rate, compensated by VAT”mirror” on disposable products, which would see its rate increase accordingly.

A profession “not socially valued enough”

Money doesn't solve all that said. By the admission of the Minister of Ecological Transition, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, the growth of this sector is limited by the simple fact that “we lack repairers“. Already highlighted a report from the CLCV at the beginning of 2024the territorial network of repairers offering the bonus still suffers from significant holes in the racket. A concern mainly due to concerns over training issues.

“If we develop demand without having the repairers behind it, we will find ourselves with our beaks in the water“, poses Regis Koenig, “we need to work on demand (via communication), but also on supply (via training)“, continues the manager. Burdened by a lackluster image, the “repairer profession is not valued enough socially and economically“, continues Regis Koenig. An observation shared by Guillaume Balas, general delegate of the Envie federation, who underlines that “manual professions have been denigrated for years“instead of doing it”daily heroes of the ecological transition“.

“National training on the subject was stopped in the 2010s“, regrets Guillaume Balas. And if private organizations have taken over, the reuse and repair sector”cannot only be commodified by private training“, continues the general delegate. An issue in which the agency for ecological transition (Ademe) is starting to take an interest.

France, a too discreet “pioneer”

Finally, manufacturers, associations as well as sector observers also agree that communication around the repair bonus is insufficient. Today managed by no less than 4 eco-organizations depending on the sector concerned (electronics, textiles or home), the awareness campaigns are progressing in a dispersed manner without succeeding in convincing the general public.

“Each eco-organization should put their hand in their pocket to finance joint communication campaigns“, suggests Guillaume Balas. An idea also mentioned by Helen Micheaux who proposes a “single communication channel“capable of directing the general public to the resources necessary to benefit from the good repair bonus according to their needs. A solution pushed by the European Union in its common rules aimed at promoting the repair of goods.

And if Brussels is now concerned about these questions, salvation will not necessarily come from the 27. “France is doing pioneering work on waste repair and prevention, but its voice is lacking at European level“, notes Cristina Ganapini, coordinator of the Right to Repair Europe movement. “The ecodesign rules are progressing very slowly and the directive on the right to repair only concerns too few products“, continues the manager, who regrets that the sustainability index pushed by the commission is a little too lax on the essential question of the price of spare parts.

And now ?

So what to do? There is no shortage of solutions mentioned during the inauguration of the international repair days. “Ban products that do not meet a minimum threshold on the sustainability index“, suggests Helen Micheaux. “Create an economical breath of fresh air to help move away from the throwaway society“, suggests Séverine Bourlier. Have “a state vision and establish a foundation for the circular economy“, dares Gullaume Balas. Or why not outright admit that “The model of selling more and more washing machines is wearing thin“and it’s time”create value through service“, philosopher Philippe Moati.

In the meantime, to see these changes coming, you can always at worst bring your washing machine at one of the many repair training workshops held throughout France during the weekend.