The prevalence of unfixable stuff is a problem for both consumers and the planet. Electronic waste is the fastest growing waste stream in the world, and the U.S. EPA reports that it is now the fastest growing part of our domestic municipal waste stream. Americans spend nearly $1,500 on new electronics per household, per year – and could save a combined $40 billion if they were able to repair instead of replace products and extended lifespans by 50 percent.
In order to help consumers pick more repairable products, and incentivize manufacturers to support repair, France has required manufacturers to publish a repair score, from 0 to 10, with their products since January 2021. The information disclosed in these scores, especially when you look into the detailed breakdown of how the score was achieved, gives insight into what the repair challenges will be.
Sample French repair score labels
In order to grade manufacturers on their support for repair and Right to Repair, U.S. PIRG Education Fund, with assistance from iFixit.com, has accumulated French repair scores across 187 devices from ten prominent manufacturers. Because repairing products is dependent on your ability to get access to necessary repair materials, our grade also reflects companies’ record of lobbying against Right to Repair, or membership in associations which are prominent Right to Repair opponents.
Consumers who seek to purchase easily repairable products – especially those from companies who do not fight to prevent Right to Repair – can use these grades as a starting point for making those evaluations.
Additionally, an analysis of what aspects of repair score higher or lower by manufacturer, such as parts pricing or repair documentation, can help consumers understand what repair challenges might be, and also help manufacturers best address their repair shortcomings.