Fix It: How Right To Repair Laws And Communities Are Eliminating Waste

Forbes

01-07-2025

getty
You break it, you buy it. But what if you can't buy the parts needed to fix it in the first place?
That is the very simplified dilemma that Right to Repair laws are trying to address all over the country—making it the manufacturers job to provide the tools necessary to fix their products instead of forcing one to just throw them away and buy brand new.
The Waste Loop has more than just power tools, as seen here, and helps patrons mend clothing and other fabrics. Waste Loop
'The Right to Repair is a global movement pushing for broad and public access to the knowledge, tools, and material components necessary to repair and keep our items in use and out of the landfill,' explained Amanda Close, of Leavenworth, WA.
Close is the education and outreach manager at Waste Loop, a non-profit organization in Washington that aims to help transform waste and refuse into useable materials and also staffing a tool library. She is a proponent for these legal protections, as they would also help eliminate large-scale waste when products break.
In New York, there are currently two bills in motion for 2025, according to the state section of the Right to Repair site. Bill S04655 which would address home appliances and bill S04500 which would address powered wheelchairs. These laws, and the many like it nationwide, would force manufacturers to make certain parts, instruction manuals, and tools needed for common repairs available, as well as extend warranties. In regard to the wheelchair bill in particular, it also calls for all wheelchair repairs needed within 5 years of initial prescription to be deemed medically necessary.
People at the Waste Loop in Washington State can bring their old items and, using the tool library, repair them right on site. Waste Loop
'In Washington State our legislature just passed a Right to Repair [for] personal electronic devices and Right to Repair wheelchairs bills this year, which is an exciting step,' said Close. 'The California right to repair law, which came into effect last year, has had a big impact on Right to Repair nationally since California is the most populous state and has the largest economy.'
In addition to lobbying for legislation and donating to the cause, there has also been a cultural shift when it comes to repairing items at home, or in many cities, at a brick-and-mortar 'cafe' of sorts — not only mending the items but stitching together a community of likeminded individuals who support sustainability.
'The public can write to their state and federal elected representatives in support of current or future Right to Repair legislation,' suggested Close as to what we can do to help support the movement. 'Also, look up or start local repair cafes, fix-it fairs or similar repair events happening in the city or region to join the local repair movement. Sharing knowledge, skills, and simply adapting a repair mindset goes a long way—repair over replace!' What is a repair cafe or a tool library?
Luke Dixon, store and salvage manager and Beryl Bils, outreach and tool library manager are employees at the Waste Loop, helping the organization thrive. Waste Loop
In short, these community-driven third spaces are the way that folks have been responding to the growing need to repair their own items and can also be a place for learning new skills or finding a useful hobby like carpentry, sewing and more.
Repair cafes and tool libraries are typically non-profit organizations, like the Waste Loop, that function due to community efforts and volunteers. In New York there is only one repair cafe in the city: Repair Cafe El Barrio in Harlem.
'Repair Cafe El Barrio is part of the global repair cafe movement, which began in Amsterdam in 2009,' said founder Rocio Salceda. 'Since then, it has grown to include nearly 3,000 repair cafes around the world, and as of now, we're still the first and only one in New York City. Our mission is simple: to bring people together, reduce waste and empower our community by fixing broken items rather than throwing them away.'
Salceda, who is also a fashion designer, helps teach attendees how to sew with sewing machines she brings to the space to share. There are also other volunteers and shared tools for use in El Barrio, held in the Harlem Artspace building once a month. Attendance is free and the repair cafe is completely community-led, with the next opening on August 3 from 11am to 2pm.
Participants at the repair cafe can bring in their broken items, like this camera, and receive help and tools to fix it themselves, free of charge. Rocio Salceda
Across the boroughs from El Barrio, there is one free tool library in New York, backed by the Brooklyn Public Library system. Held out of the Greenpoint Brooklyn branch, the tool library allows you to check out power tools and other items for a week at a time, similar to a library book. The project is another way communities are coming together to support a sustainable future.
'In a place like New York, where space is tight and not everyone can afford or store a full set of tools, something like [a tool library] can be super useful,' said Salceda. 'It's all about sharing resources, which is really aligned with the spirit of the Repair Cafe—helping each other out, reducing waste, and making things more accessible.'
Should you want to get involved, per the suggestion from Close and Salceda, check out the map on Repair.org to find your local advocacy group, inquire at local libraries and community centers about repair initiatives, or, just take a second look at your damaged items before heading straight to the dumpster.
Especially during a heat wave, having a working fan (or two) can be a blessing. Rocio Salceda
'To me, Right to Repair is about having the freedom and the resources to fix the things we own—whether it's a phone, a toaster or a pair of jeans—instead of being forced to throw them away and buy new ones,' concluded Salceda. 'It's about access: access to tools, to parts and to knowledge. It's also about choice. We should be able to decide what happens to our stuff, and we should have the option to repair it ourselves or with the help of our community.' MORE FROM FORBES Forbes Predicting Influencer Baby Names Is The TikTok Trend To Follow In 2025 By Sophie Liza Cannon Forbes 2025 Music Festival Guide: The New, The Cool And The Crazy By Sophie Liza Cannon Forbes This Brooklyn Nonprofit Blooms Year Round, Providing Bouquets To Those In Need By Sophie Liza Cannon Forbes Starbucks Closed Bathroom Doors, But This New York City Activist Is Opening Others By Sophie Liza Cannon Forbes Take Your Own Eras Tour Across The Country In These Rentals For 2025 By Sophie Liza Cannon