The products we use every day are getting harder and harder to fix. Electronic waste is one of the fastest growing waste streams in the world, with phone and laptop manufacturers making their products harder to fix. The UK is the second highest producer of e-waste per capita on Earth, producing 24 kg per person per year. Also the numbers of household appliances failing and breaking within five years of their purchase is rising abruptly. There are ever-increasing barriers to repair and now companies are using software in devices to prevent the things we own from being fixed.
For the last 10 years, The Restart Project has mobilised communities across Europe around “repair parties”. People are invited to bring their broken household appliances and work with technical experts to fix them. Throughout, the make, the model, nature of the fault and potential fix have been documented. This project is an example of citizen science, where non-professionals get involved in scientific and technical projects to create new knowledge or data.
What is the “Right to Repair”?
The Right to Repair is a global movement to make sure everyone has the right to fix the products they own. It aims to change regulations on how these things are made in the first place, to make them easy and affordable to repair, as well as to expand our rights after purchase.
Citizen-generated data about the environmental impact of technology
By collecting and sharing data from community repair initiatives globally on common barriers to repair, the Restart Project helps generate good-quality novel data and in large quantities. The data can also be used to cross check and improve existing datasets. The Restart Project has built an online platform for everyone to store this data and analyse the impact of repairs. They’ve also worked with allies to create an open standard for recording repairs and made data tools available to communities around the world. These crucial insights have helped shape the new Right to Repair laws in Europe, and the project has played an important role in changing policy around technology regulations.
Beyond the data: “repair parties” lead to behaviour change
The Restart Project has been supporting the repair and reuse of technology through forums, online coordination and in-person events, with dedicated programs for digital inclusion and addressing under-represented groups. A key outcome is encouraging people to use their electronics for longer, becoming the main conduit for changes in behaviour. This growing and global community has gone on to revitalise old technology and generate insights into the impact that reuse and repair has on the environment.
The potential impact of citizen science data
As the Restart Project has demonstrated, everyday ‘citizen scientists’ can generate crucial insights to inform current policy debates. Citizen science can also trigger positive behaviour change and build social networks that can lead to action, such as around environmental issues. Our policy brief on how to use citizen science data in local decision making is full of examples and practical recommendations for cities that want to get started. From vaginal health, to safer, less smelly cities, citizen science mobilises people en masse to tackle social issues and improve our lives.
Do you have an idea for a high-impact citizen science project?
This work is part of the IMPETUS project funded by Horizon Europe and UKRI. IMPETUS is a European-wide accelerator programme for new and emerging citizen science initiatives. The open call for new projects is live until mid-March 2024. This year we’ll be supporting initiatives that focus on one of three themes: “Sustainable lifestyles”, “Justice and equity” and “Citizen science with and for the community”.
www.nesta.org.uk
https://www.nesta.org.uk/project-updates/citizen-science-is-shaping-european-technology-policy-around-home-appliance-repair/
