Why a Government standard is bad for Communities

We’ve recently seen an organisation question our call for a higher safety standard in the Reuse of Electrical Appliances.  They clearly believe that the Current PAS141 and PAS142 standards for Reuse, which Local Authorities, Government and some Recyclers use, is safe enough for consumers to trust on reused electrical appliances.

This image above is an example of where Large Appliances end up, when you take them to Civic Amenity Sites and Household Waste Recycling Centres.  It’s great that jobs are created on these locations, but if we’re going to reduce poverty and help the environment, wouldn’t it make sense if they stayed in the local area and created jobs in your own community.

This image typifies those who are in debt and poverty and cannot find jobs, and in some cases can’t afford to by a new appliance and end up in debt.  We researched this and have also been asked by many charities if we could obtain some used appliances.  Sadly it’s very difficult because they have left the community and gone to large factories that rely on your old appliances, or gone to landfill.

When you are eventually offered to buy them reused, the price is high so here’s some of the contributing factors, and why some people continue to throw them away and buy a new one.

• The PAS 141/142 Certification Costs have to be added.
• Cost of Transportation has to be added
• The cost of the labour at the site has to be added
• The cost of Repair has to be added
• The cost of Marketing has to be added
• The cost of Delivery has to be added
• The cost to the Environment with energy demands, more pollution and CO2

It’s in the Manufacturers Interest to sell new, so they’ll support the systems of collection, where as we feel they should be supporting our model to associate their brand as one supporting the Community.  They don’t want tested recycled components (where we can help), but in EEESafe we do.  It’s good for the Planet, Debt Reduction, Jobs, Social Justice and Skills through our Training and local Competent Person in the Community. This works towards safe recycling components locally, which will mean more safety in homes, more local reparation and more local jobs.  Our model delivers Training as well, so we can fill the huge skills gap, and develop Local Community Repairers working with those already registered.

Fixing them locally and being safely installed to detect potential electrical issues in your home, is much safer than an item being tested in a far away place, totally unaware of potential problems when it reaches your home.

Repairing Locally means Local Jobs.

Is your Local Authority and Councillors supporting local jobs, then please ask them to support our Standard and our LocalitEEE Model – otherwise it’s just Rhetoric.

If you are keen to prevent another Grenfell, help your local economy grow and bring our Micro-Grants to your Community, please get in touch.