If cell phones were used for one year longer on average, the United States would save 7.8 million tons of raw materials per year. Not only does repair prevent waste, but it prevents natural resource exploitation. Repair diverts usable devices away from landfills, and back into use.
Repair lets us replace batteries, add memory and upgrade processing, all of which can prolong the lifespan of our electronics. The best way to slow the rise of e-waste is to keep our electronics in use as long as possible. Together, the annual consumption of laptops in the United States alone emits 150.6 billion lbs of carbon dioxide equivalent - or the same amount of emissions generated from 17 coal plants in a year. For example, a single laptop emits about 550 lbs. The production of electronics is also a key contributor to climate change. The EPA estimates that only 35 percent of e-waste is recycled in the United States, with the rest going to landfills and incinerators. Electronics recycling has failed to ameliorate the rise of e-waste or its environmental impact. When landfilled or incinerated, e-waste can cause lead, mercury, cadmium, and chemicals in plastics such as flame retardants to threaten our health. E-waste contains harmful toxins and is made up of 20 percent plastic. At this rate, e-waste is rising three times faster than the human population.Į-waste is also dangerous. That’s equal to 162 Empire State Buildings’ worth of electronics discarded annually. The United Nations estimated that 59 million tons of electronic waste (e-waste) was generated in 2019, and that only 17 percent of it was recycled (pg. We support Right to Repair legislation as a critical policy mechanism.Įlectronic waste is the fastest growing waste stream in the world. Our open letter from Zero Waste advocates:Īs professionals, activists, and public officials working on reducing the waste stream, we recognize repair as a key strategy in the United States. Sign on behalf of your organization to show support for the Right to Repair, or sign on as an individual who cares about the toll our electronics are taking on the planet. We are working to give Right to Repair efforts a boost by amplifying the voices of groups working on reducing our consumption patterns to zero waste, and other environmental advocates.
It’s time we have the right to fix the stuff we’ve bought. By requiring manufacturers to provide access to repair parts and tools on reasonable terms, Right to Repair can help us use our devices for longer. Right to Repair legislation can fix that. By blocking access to replacement parts, specialty tools, schematics and diagnostic software, manufacturers of electronics are contributing to a throw-away culture.
Doing so helps them sell more new products. But many companies actively restrict independent repair.
Repairing and reusing electronics is the best way to keep them out of landfills - and to maximize the energy and resources that went into making them in the first place. Our discarded electronics often end up in landfills, where they leach harmful toxins from their circuit boards and plastics. We mine the earth for rare minerals, burn fossil fuels and consume hundreds of pounds of water to make our electronics - then throw the devices away a few short years later. We have a broken relationship with stuff.