Aaron Perzanowski: Why don’t companies want you to repair your stuff?

Why don’t companies want you to repair your stuff?

Today, some companies are working hard to prevent consumers from repairing products on their own. In many cases, repair can only be done by the original manufacturer, if at all. With limited repair options available, we end up buying new and throwing more items out. So, how exactly do companies prevent repair? And what can consumers do about it? Aaron Perzanowski investigates. [Directed by Nick Hilditch, narrated by Addison Anderson].

Manufacturers increasingly design products to be difficult or impossible for consumers to repair themselves. In 2022, over 62 million tons of e-waste were created, much of it from discarded electronics whose parts could not be replaced independently. Tactics like gluing components, concealing repair information, and using unique serial numbers for parts let companies dictate when and how repairs happen. This growing trend not only fills landfills but also erodes consumers’ ability to maintain and reuse their own belongings.