State fills up funding pot for repairing electrical appliances
The decision to repair electrical appliances instead of throwing them away should continue to be made easy for Thuringians. The funding pot, from which consumers can receive a state subsidy for repair costs, will be replenished, the Ministry of the Environment announced in Erfurt on Tuesday.
The state funds for the repair bonus will be increased by a further 400,000 euros this year, up from around 600,000 euros previously. This means that applications can still be submitted to the Thuringian consumer advice center for a subsidy for the repair of electrical appliances, the ministry explained. Half of the repair costs can be reimbursed up to a maximum amount of 100 euros per consumer per year.
According to the Ministry of the Environment, almost 20,000 applications for the subsidy have been approved in the past two years. Around 10,000 applications have been added so far in 2023. A further 2,800 applications are currently being processed. Applications can be submitted online along with payment receipts.
Consumers are mainly interested in the repair of cell phones, washing machines, coffee machines, dishwashers and ovens. However, sewing machines and mixers are also given a second chance with the financial aid. In some cases, the work is also carried out in repair cafés.
"We are setting an example against unnecessary electronic waste that is attracting interest far beyond Thuringia. Saxony has now followed suit - other federal states are interested," explained Environment Minister Bernhard Stengele. Thuringia is also working with the federal government and the EU to make more repairs possible, said the Green politician. In future, reparability should already play a role in product design.
What is new this year is that the Thuringian repair bonus project is being scientifically supported by the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Berlin. According to the Ministry of the Environment, the program has been in place since 2021 and is partnered with the Thuringian Consumer Advice Centre.
The Government's commitment to environmental conservation extends to encouraging repair over replacement, as evident in the funding for electrical appliance repairs. Consumers in Thuringia can benefit from this environmental initiative, as the funding pot for these repairs is being significantly increased by the Ministry of Environment.
Source: www.dpa.com
