Release: Right to Repair bill introduced in Alaska Senate

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ANCHORAGE, Alaska — State Sen. Forrest Dunbar introduced a new bill- SB 112, the Digital Right to Repair Act, that would require manufacturers of digital products to give consumers and independent repair providers access to parts and service materials. The legislation is similar to bills with broad bipartisan support that have been introduced in other states.

“Right to Repair is common sense. It’s good for us and good for the environment,” said Alaska Environment State Director Dyani Chapman.

“Alaskans deserve to have full ownership over their digital devices. Hamstringing Alaskans into utilizing one repair service or forcing them to spend more of their hard-earned money on new equipment puts a restraint on consumer freedom and business opportunities within our state,” said Sen. Dunbar. “Many Alaskans prefer fixing their own cars, tractors, phones, or any other product they own that contains digital equipment, and they should maintain the right to do so.”

Alaskans don’t have access to all the information, tools and materials they need to fix their stuff. That wastes Alaskan consumers’ time and money and creates a lot of toxic e-waste. Americans dispose of an average of 416,000 cell phones per day and only 15-20% of e-waste gets recycled. The rest contaminates our water, soil, and air. This danger is especially acute in rural Alaska, where many landfills are unlined and the operators burn trash to keep the landfills from overflowing. 

 “We should be able to make full use of our expensive electronics by being allowed to fix them when they break. Dealer repairs can be inaccessible either because their monopoly prices are prohibitively expensive or because in Alaska, it’s not uncommon to live hundreds or thousands of miles from a dealer. Having more options to fix our stuff will save us money, increase our self-sufficiency, and help keep our air, water and soil clean” said Chapman. 

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