Anonymous,
Have you ever bought something that breaks or doesn't work right, only to find that you can't repair it on your own? You have to bring it back to the original manufacturer, which can charge an arm and a leg because there's no competition. Even so, sometimes the manufacturer just won't fix it.
In the end, you might decide to just throw it away and buy a new one -- which means more waste in landfills, more harm to the environment, and more cost for consumers.
We deserve the right to repair the stuff we own. U.S. PIRG and our national network are campaigning in states across the country to win laws that ensure our ability to repair the tools and devices we depend on.
This Earth Day, you can help protect the planet and your wallet by helping to win the right to repair. Help U.S. PIRG meet our $25,000 Earth Day goal with a donation today.
The endless cycle of manufacturing more stuff only to throw it away the moment it breaks is an enormous drain on our environment. A 4.5-ounce cell phone that requires almost 300 pounds of mineral ore and water to produce shouldn't be casually tossed aside for a slightly newer model.1
Making and shipping a new phone involves a lot of climate pollution as well. In fact, we determined that if Americans used their phones one year longer on average, it would have the same climate impact as taking 636,000 cars off the road.2
That's why it's so ridiculous that manufacturers make it unnecessarily difficult to fix their products. They often refuse to provide access to the spare parts, service diagrams, specialized tools and repair software we need to repair our own things.
Our national network has more than four decades of experience standing up to special interests -- and winning.
Our research partners at U.S. PIRG Education Fund and Frontier Group are compiling reports about the obstacles people face trying to fix their products, and how that impacts the environment. Our network's experienced staff are using that information to build a tidal wave of public support to show lawmakers that their constituents want their right to repair. We'll work together to stand up to the opposition of industry lobbyists and make our right to repair a reality.
Our network is also running training sessions for repair shops, taking action to address repair restrictions for ventilators and other medical equipment, and more. With your support, we can keep all of this important work going strong.
Thank you,
Faye Park
President
In the midst of the coronavirus outbreak, we've taken steps for all of our staff to work remotely for safety reasons. But rest assured, we'll keep advocating for you as we work for a healthier, safer world. Learn more about how consumers can protect themselves from price-gouging. |
1. Brian Merchant, "Everything That's Inside Your iPhone," Vice, August 15, 2017.
2. Nathan Proctor, "The Fix is In," U.S. PIRG Education Fund, March 2020.
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