Electronic waste has become one of the most controversial issues of recent years. Users who buy a new phone almost every year continue to keep their old devices as e-waste. This situation causes both economic and environmental problems. Austria took the first step in this regard and started repair assistance for technological devices.

Austria provides repair assistance for technological devices

With the new decision to be officially put into effect by the Austrian government this year, citizens will be encouraged to take repair programs. Devices such as old electrical appliances, tablets, computers and phones are requested to be repaired.

Austria, which said it would cover half of the expenses, announced that it would provide payment assistance of up to 200 euros in this context. In Vienna, programs such as clothing, furniture and bicycle repair are also carried out, with the aim of citizens contributing to recycling.

Repair payment assistance was actually being implemented on a pilot basis in some regions. Technical services enrolled in the repair program say they have seen a significant increase in business since the assistance was launched. Repair shops in Vienna reported that revenue doubled with the incentives.

Under the scheme in Austria, customers pay for repairs in advance. Then, half of the repair cost is refunded for applications made with the invoice. In this way, repairing technological devices becomes more budget-friendly compared to replacing them with new ones.

A report that appeared a while ago showed that 240 million devices will become “unusable” with the end of Windows 10 support. This only reveals the extent of e-waste that will be created with Windows 10.