Repair.org Faults Tech Companies for Resisting Standards on Device Reuse, Repair
U.S. standards on green electronics "pushed manufacturers toward more recycled plastics, fewer hazardous materials, smarter end-of-life management, and better energy efficiency,” but “environmental progress of electronics manufacturing is stalling,” said a report Thursday by Repair.org, which backs right-to-repair laws in…
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states (see 1704090001). “For it to improve again, standards would need to include inspiring, challenging criteria that research has demonstrated to reduce electronics' environmental footprint -- such as design for repair, reuse, and disassembly.” Green standards “have become increasingly ineffectual, as electronics manufacturers now constitute a large voting bloc” on most U.S. standards groups, it said. Tech companies “consistently opposed stronger reuse and repair criteria,” it said. “Green standards have systemically failed to incorporate strong policies that would enable repair, reuse, and product life extension for electronics.” CTA declined comment.