Repairability Scores: Supporting Circularity and Lifecycle Carbon Reduction

Designing products that are easier to repair not only extends their lifecycle but also plays a crucial role in reducing Scope 3 emissions, minimizing waste, and meeting ESG and circular economy goals. With increasing regulatory pressure under CSRD and upcoming design-focused laws like ESPR (Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation), repairability is becoming a key carbon metric.

However, most companies don’t have a standardized way to measure or model product repairability or link it to carbon impact.

To genuinely embrace circularity and cultivate comprehensive carbon intelligence, organizations must move beyond superficial sustainability efforts and actively monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) directly related to a product's repairability. Focusing on these metrics empowers businesses to design for longevity, minimize waste, and substantially reduce their embedded carbon footprint. 

The following repairability KPIs provide actionable insights:

The Repairability Index serves as a central, aggregated score that reflects the overall ease with which a product can be repaired. This index can be formulated using a variety of weighted factors, including:

• Ease of Access to Components: How easily can internal components be accessed without specialized tools or destructive disassembly? Are critical repair points clearly identifiable and readily reachable?
• Modularity of Design: Is the product designed with modular components that can be individually replaced without requiring the replacement of larger, functional assemblies?
• Fastener Types and Complexity: Are standard, readily available fasteners used? Is the number of unique fastener types minimized? Are the fastening mechanisms designed for repeated disassembly and reassembly without damage?
• Availability of Repair Information: Are clear and comprehensive repair manuals, diagrams, and troubleshooting guides readily available to both professional technicians and end-users?
• Specialized Tool Requirements: Does repair require highly specialized or proprietary tools that are not widely accessible? Minimizing the need for such tools enhances repairability.
• Material Compatibility: Are the materials used in the product compatible with common repair techniques and adhesives? Do material choices facilitate or hinder disassembly and reassembly?
• Non-Destructive Disassembly: Can the product be disassembled for repair or component replacement without causing irreparable damage to other parts?

A higher Repairability Index indicates a product that is inherently easier and more cost-effective to repair, encouraging consumers and service providers to opt for repair over replacement.

Disassembly Time is a critical KPI that directly impacts the cost and feasibility of repair. It measures the total time required by a trained technician to disassemble the product to the point where the faulty component can be accessed for repair or replacement. Key considerations for this KPI include:

• Number of Steps Involved: A design with fewer disassembly steps generally translates to shorter repair times.
• Tool Requirements per Step: Minimizing tool changes and the complexity of tool usage streamlines the disassembly process.
• Component Interconnections: Are components connected in a way that allows for quick and straightforward disconnection? Complex or integrated connections can significantly increase disassembly time.
• Ergonomics of Disassembly: Is the disassembly process ergonomically sound, minimizing strain and potential for damage during handling?

Tracking and optimizing Disassembly Time can lead to more competitive repair service offerings and encourage wider adoption of repair as a viable solution.

The availability of spare parts, necessary tools, and comprehensive repair manuals is paramount for enabling effective and timely repairs. This KPI encompasses several crucial aspects:

• Spare Parts Inventory and Lead Times: Are critical spare parts readily available in sufficient quantities, or are there long lead times that discourage repair?
• Accessibility of Tools: Are the required tools for repair standard and easily obtainable, or are they proprietary and restricted?
• Clarity and Completeness of Repair Documentation: Are repair manuals detailed, well-illustrated, and readily accessible (e.g., online)? Do they cover common failure points and provide clear troubleshooting steps?
• Availability of Firmware and Software Updates: For electronic products, are necessary firmware and software updates available to address potential issues and extend the product's lifespan?
• Third-Party Repair Ecosystem: Does the manufacturer support or hinder the development of a third-party repair ecosystem by providing access to parts, tools, and information?

Ensuring robust Component Availability is essential for building a sustainable product lifecycle where repair is a practical and accessible option for extending product life.

By diligently tracking and actively improving these Repairability KPIs, companies can transition towards a more circular economy model. This shift not only reduces the environmental burden associated with manufacturing new products and managing waste but also fosters greater customer loyalty through increased product lifespan and reduced ownership costs. Ultimately, prioritizing repairability is a strategic imperative for organizations committed to both ecological responsibility and long-term business value.

• Sustainability and product teams operate in silos
• No standard system to benchmark or compare repairability
• Carbon modeling often disconnected from design decisions

According to the European Environmental Bureau, extending the lifetime of smartphones and laptops by just one year would save 4 million tons of CO₂ annually in the EU alone.

• Reduces carbon by extending product lifespan and delaying replacement
• Enhances circularity, reducing the environmental impact of manufacturing and disposal
• Aligns with ESPR and CSRD requirements on product-level circularity data

Repairability is no longer just about customer satisfaction—it’s a key driver of lifecycle carbon reduction.

Carbmee’s Custom Properties enable companies to embed repairability data directly into their emissions models:

• Repairability Score per SKU or category
• Disassembly Time linked to labor and component data
• Component Availability as a proxy for circularity risk

These properties allow you to correlate design attributes with emissions models, helping sustainability and product teams align goals.

Carbmee’s Carbontology framework links repairability metrics with carbon emissions factors, BOMs, and lifecycle stages. This enables:

• Dynamic emissions updates when product designs improve
• Carbon modeling that reflects modularity and design changes
• Scalable circularity reporting for CSRD and product-specific disclosures

1. Define key repairability metrics per product type
2. Create Custom Properties in Carbmee for each field
3. Link repairability data to emissions models and lifecycle impacts
4. Benchmark and report on circularity improvements over time

Book a demo with Carbmee to connect repairability and carbon intelligence in one model.

Explore repairability’s impact on carbon and circularity in the Sustainability Intelligence Report 2025.

Build Products That Last and Emit Less

Repairability is a tangible and strategic way to embed circularity into your carbon model. With Carbmee, you can:

• Track repairability by SKU, product line, or region
• Connect product design to carbon impact in real time
• Report confidently on circularity and Scope 3 benefits

Build for performance. Design for repair. Reduce emissions at the source—Carbmee is ready to help.