Apple AirPods are designed to die: Here’s what you should know
AirPods are nearly impossible to repair and their batteries are short-lived. Apple should design them to last.
Right to repair
We should be able to fix our stuff when it breaks.
We need easy access to the information, tools, resources and third party repair shops it takes to fix our cell phones, appliances, electronics and other equipment. That means working together to get the companies who make our stuff, to give us the right to repair our stuff. When they do, it will be better for the planet, better for our budgets, and things will work the way they are supposed to.
The Latest on Right to repair
A look back at what our unique network accomplished in 2023
Why parents, teachers and school districts are fed up with their Chromebooks
Updates
PIRG hosts webinar with MythBusters’ Adam Savage on Right to Repair
Featured Resources
‘Failing the Fix’ scorecard grades Apple, Samsung, Google, others on how fixable their devices are
Full Letter— Parents, environmentalists to Google: stop Chromebooks from expiring this summer
Green schools guide
‘Chromebook Churn’ report highlights problems of short-lived laptops in schools
The Latest
‘Failing the Fix’ scorecard grades Apple, Google, Dell, others on how fixable their devices are
Consumers often don’t know which products will last and they’ll be able to fix, or which manufacturers make fixable devices and support Right to Repair. A new scorecard by Illinois PIRG Education Fund, “Failing the Fix,” ranks the most popular cell phone and laptop makers for consumers who seek to purchase easily repairable products – especially those from companies who do not fight to prevent Right to Repair.
‘Hog-tied’ and fed up: New report shows dealership consolidation makes farmers’ lives harder
Many farm equipment manufacturers prevent farmers from accessing the software tools they need to fix their modern tractors. That forces farmers to turn to corporate-authorized dealers for many problems, which can lead to high repair bills and delays that can put their crops—and their livelihoods—at risk. While farmers have always relied on local dealerships for help, more and more those dealerships have been bought up by large chain networks, further reducing competition and exacerbating the problems farmers already face due to repair restrictions.
Why it’s hard to repair our stuff and how that could change in Illinois
My mom, a tailor and small business owner, fixes clothes so that it doesn’t need to be thrown away. This is possible because the tools for clothing repair are available to anyone and there is little that clothing manufacturers can do to prevent independent repairs. Anybody with the will has the option to repair their clothes or to hire a tailor. This is not true in industries like consumer electronics, farm equipment, and life-saving medical devices. Customers are withheld the option to repair the things they own because the equipment is intentionally designed to be impossible to repair.
You’re not crazy: your appliances were built to fail you
Why appliances aren’t built to last, and how the E.U. is changing that.
Statement: Landmark FTC report calls for action on Right to Repair
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a report today on manufacturers' use of restrictive repair tactics that have kept consumers from repairing their own products.