Report Faults Tech Companies for Resisting Standards on Device Reuse, Repair

“Environmental progress of electronics manufacturing is stalling,” even though U.S. standards on green electronics "pushed manufacturers toward more recycled plastics, fewer hazardous materials, smarter end-of-life management, and better energy efficiency,” said a report Thursday by Repair.org, which backs right-to-repair laws in states (see 1704100047). “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. “Standards are arduous to update, and the criteria are often too easy for manufacturers to achieve. Thus, electronics standards, more and more often, fail to function as tools of environmental leadership. Industry and purchasers rely on these standards for guidance in identifying sustainable products -- which further perpetuates the low bar.” Tech companies “have consistently opposed stronger reuse and repair criteria” in electronics products and standards, it said. Though manufacturers “often claim they design for durability, no durability criteria is included” in U.S. green electronics standards, 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 Thursday.