Will an expensive product actually last longer than the cheaper one? And which functions are dispensable? The research project "WUP – Scientific study to increase product-related energy and resource efficiency" is examining the efficiency of electrical and electronic appliances from a new ecological perspective. Commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing together with the Wuppertal Institute is working together with project partners to analyse everyday products such as refrigerators, smartphones, washing machines and others. The aim is to find solutions so that the products consume less electricity, last longer and are easier to repair than is common today.
The Wuppertal Institute's scientists are contributing its interdisciplinary expertise across research areas to develop a toolset that will help to evaluate the environmental relevance of supplementary functions. In dialogue with users, specific information is created to enable them to make more sustainable consumption decisions.