What is the Right to Repair?

For example, farm equipment is increasingly driven by software. The sensors and control systems that feed this software with data have been integrated into most of the functions of modern combine harvesters, tractors and other farm equipment. In cases where a mechanical issue engages safety or emissions control systems, or some part of those systems fail, the immobilizer is activated. This sends the machine into “limp mode,” which disables most of the equipment’s functionality and only allows the machine to “limp” out of the way of other work until it is repaired and the error codes are cleared. Without the software tools needed to diagnose problems, install replacement parts and authorize repairs, the engagement or failure of any sensor or control system forces a farmer to either haul their machine into the nearest dealership or wait for a field technician to arrive to complete the repair. Somewhat often, once the software diagnoses the problem, the fix is easy and totally within the ability of the farmer.

Many older, post-warranty products are unfixable even with small problems, thanks to how companies manage their products. This often leads products with small issues to become trash, and forces people to purchase new devices. For example, companies post what had been printed manuals, service documentation and schematic diagrams on a website, and then restrict access to that information. It is also common to limit access to defect fixes only to those customers under warranty, and refuse to provide access to owners of older models.

In Alaska, many people don’t have ready access to authorized dealers of their consumer electronics. To fix a smartphone or computer, they have to ship their device away (oftentimes to Seattle), and go without while waiting.

Since manufacturers have monopolized the repair market on their devices, they can charge exorbitant rates for service. Replacing batteries or a broken charging port can cost nearly as much as a new device.

We generate too much waste, and eWaste is a growing concern. Take phones for example: The EPA Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response estimated that, in 2009, Americans threw away 141 million phones, approximately 350,000 per day.

Overall, electronic waste or e-waste is difficult to recycle, and this is particularly true of mobile phones. That same EPA estimate puts the percentage of discarded phones that are recycled at 8 percent, as opposed to desktop computers, of which 38 percent are recycled. Because cell phones contain toxic metals, that waste can pose dangers to public health if it is buried in a landfill or incinerated. It’s estimated that 40% of the heavy metals in U.S. landfills come from discarded electronics, according to EPEAT, a green electronic rating system.

According to Greenstar of Interior Alaska, an electronic recycler based out of Fairbanks, the landfills in Alaska’s rural communities are all unlined and 73% of those communities practice landfill burning in order to reduce the volume of trash.

When repair is difficult or unavailable, it also means more new products are produced. The extraction of raw materials and manufacturing processes can destroy ecosystems, pollute our air and water, and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.

Access to the internet is essential to participate in our society, but some low-income Alaskans don’t have access to devices necessary to connect to the internet. Creating a stronger secondary market for electronics by removing barriers to repair would help get technology in the hands of people who need it. This became especially apparent during distance learning when families and school districts struggled to get appropriate devices in each household, let alone to each student.