Manufacturing
Manufacturing news
Policy and products that push manufacturing towards reversibility — repairable, modular, remanufacturable design that keeps matter cycling at full value. The ten most recent stories are below — browse the full archive by year.
Articles
Right to repair and product passports take effect across the EU
From this July, the EU Right to Repair Directive becomes applicable and the Digital Product Passport registry goes live — making reparability and disassembly data a legal default.
ManufacturingCaterpillar reports 8,000 reman offerings and 150 million pounds taken back
Caterpillar's 2025 sustainability report highlights Cat Reman's 8,000-plus remanufactured offerings and 150 million pounds of end-of-life material returned in 2025.
ManufacturingFairphone refreshes its modular, user-repairable Fairbuds XL headphones
The updated over-ear headphones keep a screwdriver-replaceable battery, drivers, ear cups and headband while upgrading audio and recycled-material content.
ManufacturingIndustry prepares for the EU digital battery passport, due February 2027
From 18 February 2027, every EV and large industrial battery sold in the EU must carry a QR-linked digital passport covering its full lifecycle.
ManufacturingA strong adhesive that debonds in water points to take-apart products
A coordination-polymer adhesive bonds metal at about 10 MPa yet releases after an hour in room-temperature water, enabling clean disassembly without heat or solvents.
ManufacturingRenault's circular arm completes Europe's first full EV powertrain remanufacture
The Future Is Neutral remanufactured a complete electric powertrain — motor and power electronics — at around 30% below the price of new.
ManufacturingFairphone 6 ships with a perfect repairability score
A modular smartphone earning 10/10 from iFixit, with a user-replaceable battery, a 5-year warranty and 8 years of software support.
ManufacturingWashington becomes the latest US state to pass a right-to-repair law
Washington's Right to Repair Act, signed on 19 May 2025, requires access to parts, tools and documentation and bans parts pairing from January 2026.
ManufacturingCircularity Gap Report 2025 finds the world economy just 6.9% circular
Only 6.9% of materials entering the global economy now come from secondary sources — down from 7.2% and falling, despite more recycling.
ManufacturingEU adopts the 2025–2030 Ecodesign working plan
The first working plan under the ESPR targets six priority product groups, a horizontal repairability rule, and Digital Product Passports.