Right to repair petition close to finish line

On the Breakfast show this week, our CEO Jon Duffy told presenter Jenny-May Clarkson that our petition and the Right to Repair Amendment Bill, brought by Greens leader Marama Davidson, were the circuit breakers needed to stop unrepairable appliances going to landfill.

“This is about a move to a circular economy. I mean it’s quite sobering to think that as individuals, averaged out across the population, we throw away 20 kilos of e-waste every year,” Duffy told Clarkson.

Our petition calls for mandatory repairability labels on products. We envision these labels being like energy star ratings stickers – they would show a score that tells you how easy a product is to repair.

We also support Davidson’s bill, which would stop manufacturers from being able to make repairs too expensive or dragging the chain on repairs.

Clarkson questioned how New Zealand could get overseas manufacturers to comply. Duffy responded explaining that we weren’t alone in putting pressure on – European countries were leading the way, especially France – and we needed to play our role.

“There are powerful lobbies out there that have vested interest in making sure the status quo continues and that they continue to profit from continued growth and people buying more and more appliances,” Duffy said.

“I think the weight of opinion is probably this is the right time to be doing something.”

If you want to put pressure on the government to stop unrepairable products costing you and the planet, sign our petition and help us reach our goal of 20,000.