Many of the exclusions in New York’s bill, which include motor vehicles, power tools, farm equipment and medical devices, were added after the bill hit Gov. Kathy Hochul’s desk. | lev radin/Shutterstock
New York was the first state to turn a digital right-to-repair bill into law and industry experts say it will certainly not be the last, though they hope future bills will be stronger.
SB 1596 excludes motor vehicles, off-road vehicles, farming equipment, medical devices, HVAC systems, solar panels or solar energy storage systems, video game consoles, electrical energy storage systems or electric toothbrushes. | bobpool/Shutterstock
A bill to ensure that consumers have the right to repair most electronics and appliances is on its way to the desk of Oregon’s governor.
uBreakiFix by Asurion offers repairs for smartphones, tablets, computers, game consoles, smart speakers, drones and more. | PRNewsfoto/Asurion
Repair company uBreakiFix by Asurion opened another franchise location in Laredo, Texas, offering repairs for consumer electronics such as smartphones, tablets, computers, game consoles, smart speakers and drones. Continue Reading
Multiple groups are calling for the Federal Trade Commission to set a national right-to-repair standard. | Mark Van Scyoc/Shutterstock
Advocates for electronics repair last month delivered a petition asking the Federal Trade Commission to craft rules to prohibit manufacturers from restricting repair of their products. Continue Reading
The 7,800-square-foot Edmonton facility started operations Feb. 1. | Suttirat Wiriyanon/Shutterstock
Canadian ITAD company Quantum Lifecycle Partners opened a sixth ITAD facility, which will provide lifecycle management to the Alberta area. Continue Reading
MOLG’s robotic disassembly equipment adds automation to Sims Lifecycle Services’ data center decommissioning segment. | Photo courtesy MOLG
Looking to automate its demanufacturing process, Sims Lifecycle Services has installed robotic disassembly equipment at its data center decommissioning operations. Continue Reading
The Federal Trade Commission received more than 1,000 comments supporting or opposing a recent petition calling for federal right-to-repair rules. | Yekatseryna Netuk/Shutterstock
Whether they were small repair business owners, industry associations or passionate individuals, hundreds of commenters on a recent right-to-repair petition to the Federal Trade Commission broadly agreed that consumers ought to have more options for fixing their devices and using them longer. Continue Reading
Google endorsed a right-to-repair bill in Oregon and also published a white paper on what it believed a strong policy includes. | Lebid Volodymyr/Shutterstock
Google is the latest OEM to get behind right-to-repair electronics legislation. The company announced Jan. 11 that it endorsed an Oregon bill it called a “compelling model.” Continue Reading
Walter Alcorn, vice president of environmental affairs and industry sustainability at the Consumer Technology Association, (center) speaks with Craig Boswell, co-founder and president of HOBI International (left) and Paul Walker, senior director at Samsung Electronics America, during the Role of Reuse as Tech Evolves session. | Big Wave Productions/E-Scrap News
Device repair and reuse is a hot topic, and OEM representatives recently talked about how manufacturers are supporting – and can better support – that aspect of the industry. Continue Reading
Alchemy adds its Miami location to an already impressive footprint in Asia, Europe and the U.S. | Xolodan/Shutterstock
Mobile device reverse logistics and remarketing firm Alchemy has opened a refurbishment facility in Miami. Continue Reading