As New York’s landmark Right to Repair bill awaits the governor's signature, the New York State Climate Action Council’s official plan calls for Right to Repair action
New York State, in setting ambitious goals for reducing pollution associated with climate change, required the state to form a Climate Action Council and issue a detailed plan to hit targets, before January 1, 2023. The final plan was released on Monday, Dec. 19, and makes the following recommendation:
Right to Repair: The State should enact legislation to support “Right to Repair” and other legislation that requires manufacturers of products sold in New York to provide information to consumers and third-party technicians about how to repair damaged products. (p. 326)
Previous PIRG research has highlighted the importance of repair to cutting the pollution associated with manufacturing new electronics. Because of how energy intensive the manufacturing process is, we found that if Americans held on to our phones one year longer on average, the emissions reductions would be equivalent to taking 636,000 cars off the road.
The recommendation comes as Right to Repair legislation, passed overwhelmingly by the Legislature in June, is sitting on the governor’s desk. Recent reporting indicates that industry opponents to the measure have mounted an extensive campaign to limit or scuttle the bill.
Gov. Kathy Hochul requested the bill last Thursday, which means that she has until midnight Dec. 28 to sign or veto the bill. In a letter delivered by NYPIRG, leading environmental organizations called for the governor to sign the bill as recommended by the climate plan. PIRG and other supporters are organizing members to email or call the governor at 518-474-8390 to sign the original legislation passed by the Legislature.
It's harder than it should be to fix our stuff. Manufacturers of every electronic product from toasters to tractors create barriers that stymie repair from owners or independent repair businesses. It's fueling a rise in electronic waste, the loss of independent repair businesses -- and ultimately more cost and more waste for consumers.
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