More Fixing, Less Wasting
We're supporting a Washington bill that reduces e-waste, makes repairing our devices easier, and saves you money. Are you in?
Today’s gadgets are easy to break, impractical to repair and quick to be obsolete.
Many electronics companies intentionally make fixing their products difficult and expensive, so that we'll buy more Stuff. HB 1483 and SB 5423 are "Right to Repair" bills that could change this. These proposed state bills would protect Washingtonian's access to repair materials for all kinds of electronics, from laptops to refrigerators to farm equipment to wheelchairs. That means more affordable and accessible repair options as well as less toxic e-waste, now the fastest-growing waste stream in the world.
Will you contact your Washington state representatives in support? It’s common sense legislation that’s good for people and good for the planet. Now that’s a fix we can get behind.
*Your representative's district is determined by address. We won't use your address for anything else.
Our Stuff, Our Right to Repair
Stuff breaks. Wear and tear is normal, but throwing away otherwise functional devices shouldn’t be. Rather than sending broken items to the landfill or paying companies an arm and a leg to fix them, we should have the right to repair our own devices.
And yet, product manufacturers intentionally make repair difficult. Think appliances, cell phones, laptops, and more. Electronics companies monopolize access to their service know-how, tools, and parts so that consumers are reliant on them for fixes. They churn out software updates that slow older devices. Companies have perfected planned obsolescence. Have you ever tried to repair an item only to find out that an upgrade is cheaper or a better deal? All this so that we cycle through and buy more of their Stuff.
Along with accelerated consumption comes more waste. Americans dispose of 416,000 cell phones every single day. When these electronics start to break down, the toxic metals and chemicals inside them, including lead and mercury, can leach into nearby groundwater and contaminate our environment.
But we can stop this cycle by fixing things instead of throwing them away, thereby reducing landfill and electronic waste.
The Right to Repair movement is building momentum. All 50 states have introduced some form of repair legislation. 6 states have already passed repair bills, and 20 states are currently considering passing one this session. Let's get it passed in Washington!
Watch "The Story of Electronics"
