What is the ‘right to repair’ legislation introduced across the country?
The right to repair the legislation has been introduced into all 50 countries, marking a great victory for consumer rights. These laws ensure that consumers can access replacement parts, manuals, data and even specialized tools for maintaining their equipment.
unworthy – of valuable value
Human pin he promised to be the next big thing in the technology wearing, but the device failed to attract users, becoming a poster baby for contributing to the global e -waste problem.
The pins were created from the beginning of human artificial intelligence to dress and could deal with a virtual assistant.
Thousands of $ 700 devices have now been outdated after Human closed his business in February and sold his assets to HP personal computers manufacturer for $ 116 million after receiving few disappointing orders and reviews for the product. The pins went off the line on February 28th.
Experts said PIN, like other improved clothing, is difficult to recycle due to large amounts of glue used on the equipment, underlining how products and it threatened to worsen the world’s electronic waste problem.
“These products are created based on the wishes and affordability of consumers,” said Berrin Tansel, professor of civil and environmental engineering at International University in Florida.
Making them easier to recycle would require that the cost of the material recovery process faced by the manufacturer, making them more expensive, Tansel told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Only 22.3% of the 62 billion kg of worldwide were recycled in 2022, according to the latest data available by the Global Monitor of the United Nations.
Meanwhile, the use of technology is expected to increase alone. The International Data Corporation, a global analytical company, expects over 600 million coated devices to be manufactured by 2028, by 2023.
“Electronics (wearing) and it are addictive for consumers. They improve our skills beyond what is possible of course,” Tansel said.
“Tools are desired to be smaller and lighter. This makes the recovery of materials for recycling purposes practically impossible. Even when recovery is possible for some metals from cast products, it is not economically possible.”
Garbage
Electronic recyclars prioritize undamaged ingredients, such as screens, speakers and interior chips, which can be reused and sold.
After that, a device will be divided for rare soil metals.
Human is encouraging users to recycle pins through any local electronic waste program.
“In Human, we are committed to sustainability, ensuring that even our packaging and equipment can be recycled responsibly,” she said on her website.
But Shahram Mokhtari, a technician from the IFIX repair company, said that the heavy use of human glue makes recycling more expensive and dangerous to the environment.
This additional work shortens the limits of recyclars, making the dismantling a nonprofit, with only part of the resources and work involved in making equipment in the first place that is likely to recover in the recycling process, Mokhtari said.
“This was terrible for the environment even before it is interrupted. Batteries that are difficult to remove and impossible to reach will always result in unnecessary waste and pollution,” Mokhtari told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by email.
“This is now an absorbed cost to consumers and the planet that will never be fully recovered,” he said.
When contacted by the Thomson Reuters Foundation about its PIN recycling plans, Human provided a link to recycling tips on its website, but refused to comment further. HP did not immediately respond to a comment request.
Another, the most popular, worn is Ray-Bans of Meta-Syzets improved with microphones, speakers and an assistant.
The technology giant has sold over 2 million units since 2023, according to Essilorluxottica, which produces glasses.
When contacted by the Thomson Reuters Foundation for a comment on his plans for glasses recycling, Meta referred to a blog post telling users to use local authorities or waste disposal services.
But Ifix published a video in December 2023 showing that replacement of the battery is difficult and removal ingredients can only be made by destroying plastic.
“If you open these glasses up, don’t expect them to come back together,” the video said. “Cold glasses, but ultimately nothing more than electronic waste driven by vanity.”
When asked how it would ensure that future products could be effectively recycled, Meta refused to comment.
Long -lived laws
The legislation should be introduced to insist on easily replaced batteries on intelligent phones, laptops and dresses led by him, said Elizabeth Chamberlain, the director of IFIX’s durability.
The European Union Battery Directive 2023 is intended to ensure that the batteries have a low carbon trail, use minimum harmful substances, use less raw materials and to be collected, reused and recycled to a high degree.
However, the recycling capacity of the EU and Britain is only about one tenth of what is required to meet the recycling objectives by 2030, according to a 2024 report by T&E, a clean group of transport and advocacy. The US does not have an equivalent national law.
Chamberlain said laws should ask companies to discover the latest life plans at the point of sale.
“In an ideal world, all products will be automatically open source and parts models will become available when the manufacturer’s support is completed,” she said.
Tansel said that over time the materials used in small electronics will become more expensive, which may result in programs from companies to buy old products for parts, but this is unlikely in the short term.
“Awareness of the potential impacts of waste and the importance of environmental quality (water, land, air) in people’s well -being is not at a level yet for the implementation of effective policies for the design and development of these products,” she said.
Reporting by Adam Smith, @adamndsmith, editing by Nicolaci Da Costa Thomson Reuters Foundation is Thomson Reuters’s charitable wing. Visit https://www.context.news