New York EPR Bill Introduced & Other EPR Legislative Updates
In 2012, Massachusetts passed the Motor Vehicle Owners Right to Repair Act, thus beginning the Right to Repair movement, which has recently gained traction with mobile device users. We have all experienced the frustration of making the trip to fix an expensive piece of electronics, only to spend just as much, or more than we originally paid for the device. Manufacturers’ strict repair policies, which prevent customers from going to third parties for repair, leave customers with only one, often overpriced, option. The Right to Repair movement aims to push electronics manufacturers to expand their repair policies to allow consumers to seek repair outside the manufacturers. The movement has continued to grow over the years, and recently, a large manufacturer has made the decision to increase consumer repair options.
Microsoft, one of the world’s largest and most well known tech giants responded to resolution As You Sow, presented by shareholders, which encouraged the company to respond to the growing movement by agreeing to change their repair options, and providing consumers with more repair options by the end of 2022. This resolution with Microsoft is the first known shareholder resolution in relation to the Right to Repair movement. Others have been filed with Apple and Deere & Co. but no results have come of the efforts as of yet. According to As You Sow, Microsoft has agreed to several terms including expanding the availability of certain parts and repair documentation beyond Microsoft’s Authorized Service Provider network, and initiating new mechanisms to enable and facilitate local repair options for consumers. Microsoft has also agreed to complete a third-party study evaluating the environment and social impacts associated with increasing consumer access to repair and determine new mechanisms to increase access to repair.
Often, when customers are forced to turn explicitly to manufacturers for repair, it results in the purchase of a new device altogether. Increasing repair options for customers allows them to exhaust all options for repair before spending money on a brand new device, which leads to more customers keeping their old devices longer. This reduces the amount of raw materials needed for manufacturing new products, as well as the resources it takes to mine new precious metals. Potential downstream landfill pollution is also mitigated when consumers are able to repair their devices rather than retire them. When old electronics are retired, they are sent to ITAD centers for recycling.
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