New study details how much Washington families can save when they repair electronics

WashPIRG

With home electronics in heavy use during the ongoing pandemic, WashPIRG released a report Tuesday detailing just how much families can save by repairing electronic products instead of replacing them. Entitled “Repair Saves Families Big,” this new analysis, which was produced in conjunction with our Right to Repair campaign, also looks at spending habits and the importance of a strong repair economy.

Specifically, an average Washington household could save $330 per year if we repaired instead of replaced our electronics at a higher rate, according to the report’s analysis. This adds up to a total savings of $968 million across the state. This number may seem staggering, but so is how much we spend on new devices. As of 2019, the average American household spent approximately $1,480 annually purchasing new electronic products.

“When you take a step back and look at how we buy, toss and replace electronics, it’s clear that something has gone wrong,” said Nathan Proctor, WashPIRG’s national Right to Repair campaign director. “Instead of buying new gadgets every time our old ones give us trouble, we should require manufacturers to give us better information, and then turn to our communities to meet our repair needs.”

Often it’s more difficult than it should be to fix our devices. WashPIRG supports Right to Repair reforms which expand access to parts and service information needed to fix gadgets. Right now, Washington lawmakers are considering HB 1212, sponsored by Rep. Mia Gregerson, which would expand access to critical repair resources. HB 1212 is scheduled for a hearing before the House Consumer Protection & Business Committee tomorrow at 8 am. 

“Right to Repair addresses the ‘access’ leg of the digital equity stool in numerous ways: rural communities will have more convenient access to repairing their electronic devices, hard to reach communities will have better access to repairing their electronic devices, and our school kids will have access to refurbished laptops and tablets for schoolwork,” said state Representative Mia Gregerson, sponsor of HB 1212. “This legislation is good for the local economy, good for the environment, and good for our consumers.”

Repair is not only good for our pocketbooks, but is also better for our planet. When we replace our electronics, we retire our old devices to landfills where they can leak such toxic heavy chemicals as lead, mercury and cadmium. With American families generating about 176 pounds of electronic waste each year, Americans are big contributors to the fastest growing waste stream in the world.

Beyond aiding the environment and saving families’ money, seeking out neighborhood repair shops also supports the local economy. Instead of looking to overseas manufacturers to carry out repairs, an increased reliance on local repair businesses can provide jobs for community members, decrease the out-of-pocket cost of repair, and increase the speed of service.

Repair is critical to keeping our electronic products functional without breaking our budgets. Unfortunately, manufacturers often elbow out independent repair by limiting access to the tools, parts and manuals we need to repair our devices, the report explains. In doing this, they limit the capacity for creating resilient communities that quickly recover from global disruptions.

“We’ve spoken to many repair shop owners who have been forced to turn away customers because they did not have the correct tools or parts,” added Proctor. “These devices could have been easily repaired if manufacturers committed to what’s best for customers, local businesses and our communities.”