With a growing number of campaigns looking to minimise the electrical and electronic waste produced in the UK each year, this project aims to not only monitor the environmental impact of electrical waste but also to help consumers ensure that it is possible to fix broken of damaged consumer products.
Most products come to market without a “viable route to repair,” explained Prof Mark Miodownik of University College London, who is leading the project.
‘Right to repair’ legislation was passed in the UK last year and leading companies such as Microsoft and Apple have already announced plans to allow consumers to repair their own technology.
However, some manufacturers have argued that a ‘right to repair’ could see people injured as they attempt repairs, and that it could make it harder for companies to protect their intellectual property. Others have said that they will wait for customer demand to produce products with a lower environmental impact.
The citizen science project will explore whether the public really cares about the issue and by collecting partial postcode data will also determine whether repair ‘hotspots’ exist in the UK.
