Right to repair is only part of the solution. We’ll almost certainly need an economic shift that rewards (or compels) companies who make their stuff repairable. While we’re at it, we should also try and deal with planned obsolescence, too
The problem is that always the economically cleanest approach is to add fees, which are political suicide.
Like, if you add a “disposal fee” to electronics, that creates incentive to build electronics that last long. But Ford chased Wynne out of Ontario Government using their e-waste fees.
The alternative is stupid bulky bureaucracy and regulation. Which voters say they hate, but their actions speak louder.
Carrots are politically better than sticks, but how do you offer a carrot for not doing something? Fee-and-dividend is supposed to do that, but now we’re at “axe the tax” under a fee-and-dividend model.
So maybe bureaucracy and regulation is the way to go.
Ban glue in portable electronics assembly? I’ll never forgive Apple for inventing that nonsense.
Require that any device that is E-Waste have a big ugly “this is e-waste” label on its exterior that end users are totally allowed to remove, but replacing the “this is e-waste” panel with something clean-looking must be at least as easy as replacing the battery.
Que every muppet ever that keeps saying “OMG, it’s illegal for me to remove a mattress tag” when it’s absolutely not, and they’d know that if they ever read the fucking mattress tag.
Old Casio watches managed to do it with just screws. We live in the future, I’m sure there’s a way to fasten a phone together waterproof with just rubber gaskets and mechanical fasteners instead of glue.
Ah yeah, rubber gaskets! I totally forgot about those. With today’s manufacturing capabilities it should be possible to create super-thin gaskets without affecting product design too much.
I’d like warranties in Canada extended to 2 years mandatory on everything and 5 years on major appliances.
Yes it would raise prices initially but manufacturers would have to stop using crap components and plastic gears and such so the price would be offset by lasting longer.
Right to repair is only part of the solution. We’ll almost certainly need an economic shift that rewards (or compels) companies who make their stuff repairable. While we’re at it, we should also try and deal with planned obsolescence, too
The problem is that always the economically cleanest approach is to add fees, which are political suicide.
Like, if you add a “disposal fee” to electronics, that creates incentive to build electronics that last long. But Ford chased Wynne out of Ontario Government using their e-waste fees.
The alternative is stupid bulky bureaucracy and regulation. Which voters say they hate, but their actions speak louder.
Carrots are politically better than sticks, but how do you offer a carrot for not doing something? Fee-and-dividend is supposed to do that, but now we’re at “axe the tax” under a fee-and-dividend model.
So maybe bureaucracy and regulation is the way to go.
Ban glue in portable electronics assembly? I’ll never forgive Apple for inventing that nonsense.
Require that any device that is E-Waste have a big ugly “this is e-waste” label on its exterior that end users are totally allowed to remove, but replacing the “this is e-waste” panel with something clean-looking must be at least as easy as replacing the battery.
Que every muppet ever that keeps saying “OMG, it’s illegal for me to remove a mattress tag” when it’s absolutely not, and they’d know that if they ever read the fucking mattress tag.
Something I don’t understand about the anti-glue sentiment: how do you make a device waterproof without glue or sealant?
Old Casio watches managed to do it with just screws. We live in the future, I’m sure there’s a way to fasten a phone together waterproof with just rubber gaskets and mechanical fasteners instead of glue.
Ah yeah, rubber gaskets! I totally forgot about those. With today’s manufacturing capabilities it should be possible to create super-thin gaskets without affecting product design too much.
I’d like warranties in Canada extended to 2 years mandatory on everything and 5 years on major appliances.
Yes it would raise prices initially but manufacturers would have to stop using crap components and plastic gears and such so the price would be offset by lasting longer.
Agreed with that. Two years is the norm in most of the G7, so why Canada is lagging is surprising.
Then again, where doesn’t Canada lag…?
Canada needs to follow the lead of the US and start electing young energetic women instead of sadsack old men.
Older white male here, and I fully endorse this. We just need to find one first…