right to repair

Canada might follow the EU and standardize chargers for electronic devices and, if we’re lucky, implement right-to-repair rules.

CTV News spotted a small detail tucked away in the 2023 federal budget released on March 28th: the Liberals plan to look at implementing a standard charging port across Canada. The goal? To save Canadians money and reduce waste.

“Every time Canadians purchase new devices, they need to buy new chargers to go along with them, which drives up costs and increases electronic waste,” the budget says.

Unfortunately, details remain scarce beyond that the government plans to work with international partners and other stakeholders.

The move comes after the EU caused a stir in the fall when it passed legislation mandating the use of USB-C on some electronic devices, including smartphones. Though the EU rules won’t come into effect until late 2024, it’s already making waves with signs pointing to Apple’s 2023 iPhone (likely the iPhone 15 Pro), including a USB-C port.

The EU regulation will eventually apply to laptops as well, though it’s not clear if Canada will consider going that far.

While consolidating smartphones and other devices to one type of charger could definitely help cut down on electronic waste (e-waste), it’s unlikely it will save Canadians money. The reality is most companies will simply pass the cost on to Canadians or stop including chargers altogether without reducing prices. (There’s an argument for not including chargers but in my experience, most Canadians aren’t fans of the idea).

Unless the government does something to prevent that reality (and I don’t see that happening), the only way this will save Canadians money is by reducing the number of chargers they need. If everything works off USB-C, then you really only need one USB-C charger instead of a handful of different cables and bricks.

Right-to-repair for Canadians?

Another part of the budget addresses right-to-repair rules. For those unfamiliar with the term, it generally refers to regulations that enable people to repair their own electronics.

This stems from the fact that the majority of electronics, including laptops and smartphones, are designed to limit repairability. For example, the use of custom screws and tools, glues and adhesives, and other techniques can make it extremely difficult or impossible to repair tech. This in turn, forces people to either purchase new technology when existing tech breaks or pay hefty fees to manufacturers to repair their tech.

“When it comes to broken appliances or devices, high repair fees and a lack of access to specific parts often mean Canadians are pushed to buy new products rather than repairing the ones they have,” the 2023 budget says.

It goes on to note that the government “will work to implement a right to repair, with the aim of introducing a targeted framework for home appliances and electronics in 2024.”

The government plans to launch public consultations on the matter in the summer and work closely with provinces and territories to advance the implementation.

Rounding out tech-related highlights from the 2023 budget includes a plan to crack down on “junk fees” like roaming charges.

You can read the budget in full here.

Umage credit: Shutterstock

Source: Federal Budget 2023 Via: CTV News

Microsoft has agreed to study the impact of making device repair easier and act on those findings by the end of 2022.

As reported by Grist (via The Verge), Microsoft’s small but important step forward in the ongoing battle for the right-to-repair started in June when an investor advocacy nonprofit called As You Sow filed a shareholder resolution urging the company to analyze the “environmental and social benefits” of improving device repairability.

Following months of negotiations, Microsoft agreed to comply as well as act on the findings. The study will look at how increasing access to parts and information needed for repair can reduce the company’s contributions to climate change and electronic waste (often called e-waste).

Grist notes that this is the first time a U.S. manufacturer agreed to change repair policies following investor pressure, but it may not be the last time. Green Century, a mutual fund focused on environmentally responsible investing, filed two similar right-to-repair resolutions with other U.S. companies, Apple and Deere & Co., the company behind the John Deere tractor.

Microsoft confirmed to The Verge that it will use the findings from the study to “guide [its] product design and plans for expanding device repair options.” Unfortunately, the public may never see the full details. Microsoft will need to publish a summary of the study by May 2022, but not the full study (the company cited concerns of trade secrets for this).

It’s also worth noting that Microsoft has lobbied against right-to-repair laws in several states, including Colorado and Washington.

All in all, this is an important step forward, but it is just a step. That Microsoft has publicly committed to investigating the impact of right-to-repair is important, but if the company doesn’t change how it makes products, then the commitment won’t mean much.

Source: Grist Via: The Verge