Our friends over at US PIRG have produced a new report looking into the household economics of repair in the USA. The report mostly frames the Right to Repair as a way to boost the local economy and save people money.
They looked at average household spending on electronic and electrical devices/appliances, the lifespan of some representative products and the cost of replacing and repairing them to reach the following conclusions:
American households spend about $1,480 purchasing new electronic products per year.
Repair could reduce household spending on electronics and appliances by 22 percent, which would save an average family approximately $330 per year.
It does also include some environmental messaging by addressing the problem of e-waste.
The average American family generates about 176 pounds [≈80 kg] of electronic waste each year […] the United States generates 6.9 million tons [≈7.1 million tonnes] of electronic waste
It’s worth noting that in 2019, the US was ranked 8th in the world for the most e-waste generated per person (the UK came 2nd).
The report argues that Right to Repair measures are a key part of reducing e-waste as well as making repair a more practical option for households.
You can read a summary of the report on US PIRG’s site or download it directly (PDF, 960 KB)