Retiring Your IT Leftovers
Electronic waste is a growing concern all over the world. With an increase of 21% in just five years, the amount of global waste generated reached an all time high of 53.6 million metric tons in 2019, and it will only continue to grow. Each year an influx of new technology is released, adding to the amount of e-waste generated every year. However, a rising movement may be a huge contributing factor in reducing e-waste. During the last few years the Right to Repair Movement has gained more traction within the tech community, with a goal of protecting the repair rights of customers across the globe.
Tech giants like Apple have traditionally made it difficult for third-party repair shops to repair their products. From disabling certain features when outside parts are used, to glueing interior parts of the device together, repairing electronics has become a nightmare for customers. No matter how careful we are, something inevitably goes wrong. A spilled water bottle, a power cord yanked too yard, a battery giving out, a shattered screen, etc., the list goes on. However, after spending an excessive amount of money on a quality device, customers are often forced to spend as much, or more, when they take the device back to the manufacturer for repair, and sometimes end up purchasing a new device altogether. For larger issues, replacing the device may be inevitable, but when it comes to small, superficial repairs, consumers do not want to spend another $1,000 just to have the manufacturers repair the device with authentic parts. When consumers are prevented from repairing their own devices, and forced to purchase brand new ones, more e-waste is created in addition to the annual generation.
One major issue third parties have with repairing certain devices, is the restrictive repair policies. Some companies will not release blueprints for how the device was manufactured, preventing third parties from the knowledge of how to repair the device. Other companies claim their tools and materials are the only ones that work with their devices, but refuse to provide any third parties with such materials. The Right to Repair movement aims to compromise with these companies on repair policies that would provide third parties with the necessary knowledge and/or tools to repair devices. By allowing consumers to repair their own devices, or to employ third parties for repair, the customers would be able to continue using the device until the end of its life cycle instead of purchasing a new one every time an accident occured. This would reduce the amount of e-waste generated each year.
Electronic waste is collected by ITAD facilities like HOBI International Inc., and disposed of in an eco-friendly manner. HOBI recycles the devices that have reached the end of their life cycle, and offers repair and refurbishment options for all mobile devices and tablets not yet ready for retirement.
For more information about our ITAD services call 877-814-2620, or contact HOBI at sales@hobi.com.
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