{"id":92272,"date":"2026-02-17T12:48:58","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T15:48:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ces.einnews.com\/article\/893078527"},"modified":"2026-02-17T12:48:58","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T15:48:58","slug":"circularity-meets-consumer-power-in-the-tech-repair-fight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/2026\/02\/17\/circularity-meets-consumer-power-in-the-tech-repair-fight\/","title":{"rendered":"Circularity meets consumer power in the tech repair fight"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

As the circular economy movement gathers steam, right-to-repair advocates have notched a series of recent wins, including a raft of right-to-repair laws<\/a> moving forward in U.S. states.<\/p>\n

Tech device-makers have responded with designs and practices that keep materials in use longer and consumers happier. <\/p>\n

Among 25,000 new products at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, a throwaway musical lollipop and a \u201csmart\u201d fridge without handles stood out in the unofficial \u201cWorst in Show\u201d awards<\/a>. Repair watchdogs created the dubious honors to spotlight wasteful, impractical products they want the industry to stop making.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe see that businesses are moving away from treating a product\u2019s end-of-life as a liability,\u201d said Jennie Romer, North America director of policy for the Ellen MacArthur Foundation of England. \u201cInstead, they are looking at how upstream design \u2014 strategic decisions made regarding material choice, standardized components and product architecture \u2014 can preserve value through multiple lifecycles.\u201d\u2019<\/p>\n

The average American laptop lasts only four years. Adding one year to that lifespan would eliminate emissions equivalent to removing 250,000 cars from the road, according to the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG).<\/p>\n

The key is making stuff easy to fix. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere is no sustainability without repair,\u201d said Gay Gordon-Byrne, executive director of the Repair Association of New Jersey. \u201cEverything breaks, and unless you can fix it, it\u2019s a throwaway \u2014 and all of the energy that went into building it is wasted.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tech transition<\/h2>\n

The 2022 culmination of iFixIt\u2019s years-long \u201cBattle of Apple\u201d campaign marked a turning point, according to the Chattanooga-based nonprofit\u2019s founder, Kyle Wiens. \u201cThe iPhone 14 became easier to repair than earlier generations and its adhesives are easier to remove.\u201d <\/p>\n

Under regulatory and reputational pressures from pro-repair campaigners, Google, Apple, Microsoft and Logitech have made adjustments, including easily removable gadget batteries and easy-to-find manuals.<\/p>\n

Repair rules<\/h2>\n

Since 2020, seven states including California, New York, Massachusetts, Minnesota and Oregon have passed laws that force companies to publish a manual, or simplify swap out a dead battery or a broken touchscreen. Similar laws come into effect in Washington and Colorado this year, and a fresh slate of proposals is emerging in other states.<\/p>\n

Federal regulations are still lacking.<\/p>\n

Overseas, the European Union\u2019s Right to Repair Directive starts phasing in this year. Last year, the EU began requiring smartphones and laptops to show details about repairability, battery life and durability.<\/p>\n

Canada\u2019s recently amended copyright law allows people to bypass digital locks on products to make repairs.<\/p>\n

Baking repairability into design<\/h2>\n

Among the businesses treating repairability as a core factor in design is Logitech: The Swiss electronics brand partners with iFixIt to offer spare parts and repair guides for computer mice, gaming headsets and keyboards.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe goal was to institutionalize repair so that it becomes normal, repeatable and durable,\u201d said Mohamed Abokersh, circularity program manager in sustainability at Logitech. \u201cRight to repair connects directly to design because the repair experience is locked in long before a product ships.\u201d <\/p>\n

That means designing product housing that opens non-destructively with simple fasteners and access points rather than glues or proprietary screws. It also includes \u201cmodularizing\u201d parts that tend to fail or wear out, such as batteries, cables, headbands, ear cushions and ports.<\/p>\n

Such tactics build brand loyalty, according to Abokersh. \u201cWhen customers can repair their devices, they feel respected. Clear instructions, fair access to genuine parts and no artificial blockers signal that you actually support them, not just at purchase but long after.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another competitive advantage: Repair data shows companies which products and parts fail, helping to create a continuous improvement loop, according to Abokersh. <\/p>\n

\u201cTreat repair as a cross-functional program, not a sustainability side project,\u201d Abokersh said. \u201cRepair only works when product, engineering, after-sales, legal, compliance, supply chain, customer support, and sustainability move together.\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition to thoughtful design, Romer of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation praised service-based business models for creating new circularity-related advantages.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn this model, the manufacturer is financially incentivized to design for durability and easy repair, as any downtime or replacement cost comes off their bottom line,\u201d she said. \u201cThis is a strategic hedge because when you own the hardware, you own the critical minerals inside it, creating a closed-loop supply chain that is resistant to global market volatility.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lagging behind<\/h2>\n

Some electronics companies still appear to be in denial about the need to change products or practices to comply with repairability mandates, according to activists. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re definitely seeing some hostile compliance techniques, where companies are doing exactly the letter the law, but not the spirit of the law,\u201d said Nathan Proctor, senior director of the right to repair campaign for PIRG in Massachusetts. But the business risks are adding up.  <\/p>\n

In California, for example, fines escalate as non-compliance continues, from $1,000 per violation per day for first offenses up to $5,000 for a third strike. Multiply that across thousands or even millions of users.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I will just warn you, we have a track record of passing more laws,\u201d Proctor said. \u201cIf you want more laws governing your industry, go ahead and dare us to pass more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Companies can\u2019t hide from states attorneys general forever, said Gordon-Byrne. \u201cThe crystal ball says this is a very popular thing. People want to fix their stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n

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