Repair is a climate issue

Less repair means more consumption, but we can change that. Also: Federal Automotive Repair law faces serious setback in Congress.

Planting trees, solar panels, and electric cars are likely what we think of when we hear the word “sustainability.” But it might surprise you to hear that a 10-year old laptop, or a 7-year old phone is another example of something sustainable.

So what does an old phone have to do with sustainability? A lot, actually. Research from IDTechEx estimates that the electronics manufacturing industry accounts for around 4% of global carbon emissions. And that’s just the cost of producing electronics. When we decide to ditch our electronics, the e-waste we generate poisons our water, soil, air and damages public health in the process. That means holding onto electronics for longer would reduce pollution, energy use, and carbon emissions.

Photo by GegenWind Photo on Unsplash

Consumer-Blaming Doesn’t Work

Unfortunately, a large portion of these devices are still functional when we get rid of them. But this presents a huge opportunity to fix more devices that could have their lives extended by years with a few part replacements.

And while it’s easy to place blame at the feet of consumers who should simply hold out a little longer for that next device or become a repair hobbyist, it’s important to understand how difficult the current system makes it for people to have long-lasting technology.

The accessibility and ease of being able to repair devices is the starting point—which is where the right to repair movement has focused the majority of it’s efforts. Having access to parts and information on how to repair a battery or a screen means that you can pay a much smaller price to make your laptop or phone functional again.

That said, even if all the hardware in your phone works, software constraints are another key roadblock to long-lasting tech. Perfectly functional models of electronics can eventually stop receiving software supports over time, making them less functional and more susceptible to cybersecurity threats. If long-lasting devices are less secure and functional because of their software, it doesn’t matter much that their parts work. If an older phone or laptop or smart device lacks software supports, people won’t want to hold onto them for as long.

Solutions At Every Level

For a manufacturer, making old devices highly functional takes work. It means having repair services, available parts, well-designed products made to be repaired, and having to continually upkeep software to ensure devices are secure and functional. It’s much easier (and profitable) to do none of these things and nudge customers to buy a new device.

We are missing a lack of incentives for companies to keep supporting long-lasting tech. And we need an incentive to reduce the environmental damages created by our collective overconsumption of electronics.

To address this, there are solutions already happening at the personal, community, and governmental levels.

On the personal and community levels, people want to fix their things—but are often faced with poorly designed devices, lack of information, and fears over voiding warranties. This is especially true for working people who can’t afford to upgrade year after year. But there are online communities online and IRL making repair more normal. Repair Cafés, Repair Libraries, Libraries of Things, Fixit Clinics and more are all working to make our world more repairable. By offering the resources, trainings, and information for fixing things (electronics or otherwise), these organizations and spaces are normalizing the habit of repair.

For policy, there are many proposals and laws including requirements on software supports, right to repair laws, bans on parts-pairing, and more. These solutions aim to reduce the friction and frustration that people feel when trying to repair their stuff and make repair the norm instead of the exception. By changing the incentives in place for companies, policymakers aim to make repair and software supports mandatory.

The benefits of a more repairable future are clear. Less waste and pollution. Better health and more money in people’s pockets. But to address the climate impacts of our electronics, work is needed at every level. Keeping your devices for longer will help, but we need changes at scale.

Other News

Auto right-to-repair bill receives major loss in Congress

HR 906, or the REPAIR Act, which would require manufacturers “to provide to a vehicle's owner certain direct, real-time, in-vehicle data generated by the operation of the vehicle that is related to diagnostics, repair, service, wear, and calibration or recalibration of parts and systems of the vehicle” has faced a serious setback in Congress. The bill was not considered for a critical vote this week, dashing some hope for the bill to continue on the path to a floor vote and eventually becoming federal law. To date, no federal legislation on any category of products from cars to farm equipment has been passed.

Cory Doctorow’s New Good Internet

Cory Doctorow, a science fiction author and technology activist, gave a speech at this year’s DEF CON discussing the issue of enshittification where companies grow their wealth by creating high-quality offerings to attract users, then degrade those offerings as to maximize their profit and oftentimes consolidate markets by purchasing companies competing with them. In this speech he gave a vision for a new good internet where competition, regulation, and interoperability where products and services work with one another.

Also: The Secure Resilient Future Foundation (SRFF) held a panel at DEC CON on the need for a new good internet—of things.

U.S. Government wants to ban connected cars and parts from China and Russia