If you’re frustrated because it’s easier to buy a new phone, computer or appliance than it is to repair your old one, you’re not alone.
On Jan. 31, thousands of people tuned in as U.S. PIRG’s Nathan Proctor joined our allies at iFixit to host the first of many YouTube town hall videos to help viewers advocate for the Right to Repair in their states.
“We have a really broken relationship with stuff,” Nathan told VICE News. “We treat everything as disposable including these thousand-dollar computers. I think if we want to repair the world, we want to start reusing things, fixing things, and moving into a circular economy.”
Lawmakers in 18 states, including Illinois, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon and Washington, to name a few, have introduced Right to Repair legislation. U.S. PIRG and our national network are calling for passage of the bills and encouraging lawmakers in other states to introduce similar bills.
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.