Apple has slapped a repairability score badge to iPhones and MacBook models listed on its official website in France, in compliance with a new law that asks companies (especially consumer electronics makers) to reveal the important score. As per rules drafted by France’s Ministere De La Transition Ecologique, the country is targeting a net repairability of 60% for all electronics and electric appliances sold in the country within the next five years. This rule is part of a broader environmental initiative that targets everything from a ban on single-use plastic and more effective recycling of e-waste to telling consumers how much their data usage and digital consumption is contributing to greenhouse gas emission.
The move aims to boost the practice of repairing products, rather than throwing them in a bin
Coming to the repairability score for Apple devices, it is shown as a green label towards the bottom right corner as you scroll down on the shop page. For example, as you can see in the image above, the iPhone 12 Pro has been awarded a repairability score of 6/10. You can find the complete list of iPhones and MacBook models for which repairability scores have been calculated and are now shown on the Apple website here.
Repairability score breakdown for iPhone 12 Mini (Tap to view full-sized image)
Interestingly, the iPhone 11 has been given a repairability score of 4.6/10, while the older iPhone X sits above it with a repairability score of 4.8/10. The MacBook Pro (13-inch, A2338) stands at 5.6/10, while the MacBook Pro (16-inch, A2141) ranked significantly higher with a repairability score of 6.3/10. Apple’s support page says that these repairability scores have been created for the standard configuration of products to align with a French law that aims to reduce e-waste.
The process of awarding a repairability score might be a tad skewed
However, the process by which repairability index is awarded to a product can’t be called 100% non-biased, as certain parameters that go into calculating the final score are rated by manufacturers themselves. As per the official manual that details the whole process of calculating repairability index, it depends on factors such as availability of detailed and easy to understand documentation, ease (of disassembly, accessibility, tools, fasteners), availability of spare parts, pricing of spare parts, and certain product-specific criterion.