The Sustainable Minimalists Podcast is live: Listen here.

Why Repairability Matters

2024-01-09 Mama Minimalist

In some ways, our preponderance toward tech disposability is systemic. We consumers in the US are denied the right to repair: fixing a broken smartphone, then, is costly. It’s simply more convenient to replace our broken item for the newest model.

When your device is broken you should have more options than a high-priced service or the landfill, and New York agrees. The Digital Fair Repair Act should make it easier to repair our smartphones and laptops at shops of *our* choosing. It’s good news, because the law may ultimately bring down repair prices for all of us. And if repair is affordable? Fingers crossed, tech stays out of landfills.

On today’s show: Nicholas De Leon from Consumer Reports breaks down this landmark grassroots consumer win.

Here’s a preview:

[3:45] Need-to-know details about New Yorks’ Digital Fair Repair Act

[9:00] Why aren’t dishwashers, washing machines, and other “white goods” covered?

[19:30] What if any benefits from NY’s new law will non-New Yorkers receive?

[25:00] The bigger picture: Why repair what’s designed to break?

Resources mentioned:

New York Right-to-Repair Law Promises Easier, Cheaper Electronics Repairs (via Consumer Reports)
iFixit

—

Join our (free!) community here.
Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube.
Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

Comments are closed.

Listen to the Podcast

The Sustainable Minimalists Podcast

Latest podcast:

Saying No To New

New things are everywhere—and they’re causing us to disconnect from what we value most.

In a world that constantly tells us that new is better, our relentless pursuit of material wealth is costing us money, time and happiness. Worse, when we define ourselves by what we own rather than who we are, we reduce our lives to a single, superficial dimension.

On today’s show, New York Times journalist Eric Athas offers advice for stepping away from the cycle of constant buying, saying no to shallowness, and discovering the right kind of “new” in our lives.

Here's a preview:

[8:00] We're wired to become bored the familiar, and other truths to newness

[16:00] Consumption has costs! (In fact, it robs us of our finite attention, dilutes our capacity for genuine enjoyment, and misaligns our pursuit of happiness.)

[26:00] Musings on the ways in which overconsumption leads to superficiality

[37:00] Put down the trinket! Redefining what it means to experience novelty, growth, and freshness without relying on a transaction

Resources mentioned:

Saying No to New: Why New Things Are Stealing Your Time, Money, and Happiness―And How to Take Back Your Life
This episode is sponsored by Fearless Finance. Use code SUSTAINABLE to get $50 off your first meeting.
Book Club! We're reading Beyond Decluttering: Forty Days to Simplicity Through Connection for our Wednesday, June 24 meeting at 7 pm EST. Join us!

This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting!
Join our (free!) Facebook community here.
Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists
Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

My Story

Hello there, I’m Stephanie. I live a crazy, beautiful life as a full-time wife, blogger + mother to two spirited daughters. I’m on a mission to simplify eco-friendly living so as to greater enjoy life’s sweeter moments.

Want to know more? Read my story.