You may already know that one of the most powerful ways of cutting your IT equipment’s climate impact is to use it longer. But even high-quality devices eventually break – and if they’re difficult to repair, they often end up being replaced. Our Product Finder presents verified repairability scores that help you quickly identify products that are truly built for long-term use.
Why repairability matters
As most of a device’s climate footprint comes from manufacturing, every extra year of use makes a real difference – cutting emissions, reducing e-waste and conserving critical raw materials. This makes repairability a crucial aspect of sustainable IT. If devices can’t be opened, serviced, or fitted with new parts, their useful life may end unnecessarily soon, even when issues are minor. A reliable way to assess repairability is essential – and the repairability index included in TCO Certified delivers exactly that.
How it works
The repairability index in TCO Certified provides overall transparency and insight into the product’s potential for long-term use. It applies to notebooks, tablets, and smartphones. Devices are rated from A (most repairable) to E (least repairable), and the score for each product model is visible in Product Finder, making repairability easy to compare across models.
Each score is the result of an independent evaluation of six practical, repair-related parameters:
- Possibility of disassembly – how easy is it to remove parts without damaging the product?
- Fastening of parts – are fasteners removable and reusable, or are parts soldered or glued?
- Required tools – are specialist tools needed or can regular tools be used?
- Spare parts availability – does the IT brand offer spare parts that can replace faulty ones?
- Repair manuals – are instructions available, and what do the instructions cover?
- Software updates – does the IT brand offer software updates, and for how long?
By combining these parameters, the score reflects both the practical repair process and the surrounding infrastructure. For example, a device might be easy to open, but without access to spare parts, repair becomes impossible. Batteries and displays weigh heavily in the scoring; how easy they are to access and replace – and with what tools – has a major impact.
Stefan Carlberg, criteria developer for TCO Certified, points out that the six parameters allow for different brands to choose where they want to excel. “Some may focus on making critical components easy to access; others focus on warranty or spare parts. It creates a level playing field for repairability and supports the shift toward circularity.”
Helps purchasers avoid greenwashing
The repairability index in TCO Certified reflects the indexes used in France and the EU, but it adds an essential feature: independent verification. As our sustainable procurement expert Barton Finn explains, the French and EU versions allow IT brands to self-declare and calculate their own repairability scores. “That’s not ideal, because there’s always a risk of bias,” he says. “Without independent verification, you have to trust the brand’s own assessment.” With TCO Certified, repairability information is verified by an accredited, independent verifier, ensuring that the information about repairability features is accurate. This process helps purchasers avoid greenwashing, compare product models credibly and identify the most repairable product models on the market.
Credible repairability information
Initial feedback has been positive, particularly in France, where public procurement must include the repairability index in IT procurement. The EU is moving in a similar direction. By presenting repairability scores for notebooks, tablets and smartphones in Product Finder, TCO Certified helps purchasers drive the IT industry in a responsible direction and meet regulatory requirements in a practical and credible way. “Product Finder helps purchasers get hold of repairability information that can be trusted,” says Viktor Wennström, who worked on the digital implementation.
Action is what counts
A repairability score is only the first step. For it to have a real impact, devices must actually be repaired. “Choosing a product with a high repairability score is great,” Barton Finn notes, “but if you still replace instead of repair, the benefits are lost. The next step is making sure organizations build repair into their IT strategies – and hopefully, TCO Certified’s repairability score will be a useful tool in this process.”
Listen to our circularity expert, Andreas Nobell, as he explains the Repairability index for mobile devices.
