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#Austrian government launches repair scheme for electronic goods
29th December 2023, 08:50 EST
"Has your washing machine broken down, or is your electric kettle, laptop or mobile phone refusing to work?
"Well if you live in #Austria, the government will pay up to €200 ($219; £173) towards getting it repaired.
"The Repair Bonus voucher scheme is aimed at trying to get people to move away from throwing away old electrical appliances - and focusing on getting things mended.
"Erik's laptop is broken, so he has come to Helferline, a computer and mobile phone repair workshop in Vienna. Because of Austria's Repair Voucher scheme, he will only have to pay 50% of the repair costs to get it fixed.
"'It's an old laptop, and I'm trying to make it go again, instead of buying a new one,' he said.
The city of Vienna also has another set-up which "helps people pay for repairs to old clothes, bicycles or furniture.
"Markus Piringer, the co-ordinator of the Repair Network in Vienna, says 'if the costs of the repair are more than 20-30% of the cost of the new product, people tend to buy new. And as the Repair Bonus lowers those costs, it's a big incentive to repair more.'"
"For many people, it's still very positive to have always the newest product and to throw away your clothing after half a year or even less. And so this is also something where we need awareness raising."