The U.S. government decided not to have recently fired workers return federally issued electronics, instead noting they will be "remotely sanitized," despite the potentially sensitive information the laptops, tablets and phones may contain.
A right-to-repair electronics bill and a bill that would again delay the state's extended producer responsibility program for solar panels are both sitting on the Washington governor's desk after passing the state legislature earlier this month.
Two big names in the electronics repair and refurbishment space are partnering up to influence consumer and manufacturer behavior and create a world where circularity is the default.
In this year's "Failing the Fix" scorecard, the U.S. Public Interest Research Group said cell phones overall are getting more repairable, while laptops have stagnated.
Apple's latest operating system update will expand a feature unpopular with reuse and repair advocates to not just cover the phone as a whole but also individual parts.
In response to a Federal Communications Commission request for comment on its new phone carrier unlocking rule, e-scrap industry members urged the agency to address a different kind of software locks that prevent reuse.
As more companies look to address e-scrap recovery, some are moving away from gentle dismantling and instead aiming for speed – and Apple is now one of them.
Repair company uBreakiFix by Asurion opened another franchise location in Laredo, Texas, offering repairs for consumer electronics such as smartphones, tablets, computers, game consoles, smart speakers and drones.