A Brief History of the Right to Repair Concept
Imagine being able to fix anything you own, from your smartphone to your washing machine, without needing to toss it out when it breaks. That’s the idea behind the right to repair—a movement that started back in the early days of consumerism. As products became more complex, companies started making it harder for people to repair their own stuff. By the 1980s and 1990s, with the rise of digital technology, things got even more complicated, making repairs seem almost impossible for the average person.
In Canada, like many other places, this led to a throwaway culture. Instead of fixing things, we started to just replace them, creating mountains of electronic waste and other discarded items. This isn’t just bad for the environment—it’s also economically wasteful.
How Corporations and Government Changed the Repair Game
Big companies played a major role in this shift. They began designing products that are hard to take apart and fix, often keeping repair manuals and spare parts out of reach. This practice, known as planned obsolescence, ensures that consumers keep buying new products, but it’s terrible for the environment and our wallets.
Governments have been slow to react to these changes. While some rules have been put in place to reduce electronic waste, they haven’t always tackled the core issue: the lack of repairability. Thankfully, there’s been a growing push in recent years to introduce right-to-repair laws, which would make it easier for everyone to fix their own stuff. Recently, the Government of Canada launched a consultation on the right to repair to better meet Canadian consumers’ needs. You can find more information about this initiative here.
Why the Right to Repair Matters for a Sustainable Economy
The right to repair is a game-changer for a sustainable economy. When we can repair our belongings, we keep them in use longer, reduce waste, and cut down on the demand for new resources. This fits perfectly with the idea of a circular economy, where we aim to keep products and materials in use for as long as possible.
A sustainable economy balances economic growth with environmental care and social well-being. The right to repair helps achieve this balance by making the most of our resources, reducing pollution, and supporting local economies. When we can fix things ourselves, we save money and create less waste.
The Benefits and Logic of Repair
For everyone in our community, from the youngest to the oldest, the benefits of repairing over throwing away are huge:
- Protecting the Environment: Fixing things means less trash in landfills. Electronics, for example, contain harmful materials that can pollute our soil and water. By repairing these items, we help protect our environment.
- Saving Money: Repairs often cost less than buying new products. This is especially important for families on a budget. Fixing things can help us stretch our dollars further.
- Creating Jobs: Repairing things creates local jobs. Our community can benefit from independent repair shops and skilled technicians. These jobs support our local economy and help people develop valuable skills.
- Conserving Resources: Repairing extends the life of products, reducing the need for new resources. This is crucial because our planet’s resources are limited and extracting them can harm the environment. By fixing things, we help conserve these resources.
Embracing a Circular Economy
A circular economy is different from the traditional “take, make, dispose” model. Instead, it aims to keep products and materials in use for as long as possible, get the most value from them while they’re in use, and then recover and regenerate them at the end of their life.
The right to repair is essential for a circular economy. It ensures that products can be maintained and fixed easily, keeping them out of landfills. To move towards a circular economy, we need to embrace several key principles:
- Designing for Longevity: Products should be made to last and be easy to fix. This means using standard parts and making repair manuals available.
- Promoting Reuse and Refurbishment: Before recycling, we should focus on reusing and refurbishing products. This keeps items in circulation longer and reduces the need for new ones.
- Supporting Local Repair Initiatives: We should support local repair shops and events like Repair Cafés, where people can learn to fix their own items with the help of skilled volunteers. These initiatives build a culture of repair and sustainability.
- Backing Legislative Support: Governments should pass and enforce right-to-repair laws. These laws would require manufacturers to provide the tools, parts, and information needed for repairs. This legal support is crucial to overcoming corporate resistance and ensuring everyone can fix their own products.
Up-cycling and Developing New Resources
Beyond repair, we can also up-cycle and develop new resources from our final waste. For example, at Sustainable Life, we take resources from the waste stream and re-process them into new, usable products. Plastic can be shredded and used in 3D printing, glass can be crushed and used in local construction, and cardboard can become bedding and mulch. By creating raw materials from waste, we reduce the need for new resources and support a truly circular economy.
Join Us at the Next Repair Cafe!
The right to repair is about more than just fixing broken items; it’s about changing the way we think about our belongings and our environment. It’s about empowering ourselves and our community to take control of our consumption and waste. Let’s inspire each other, especially the younger members of our community, to embrace a sustainable future.
Mark your calendars! Sustainable Life’s next Repair Cafe will be held on September 08, 2024, from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the Griffith’s Community Centre. Everyone is welcome. Bring your broken items, learn how to fix them, and be a part of our journey towards a sustainable, self-sufficient community. See you there!
Additionally, we are proud to be registered and listed on the Repair Cafe’s global map, connecting us with a worldwide network of repair enthusiasts and sustainability advocates.