We throw away nearly 7,000 cell phones every day, and the problem is only getting worse.
Madison, WI — This week WISPIRG is kicking off their grassroots campaign fighting for the Right to Repair in Wisconsin. As the last state in the country to introduce Right to Repair legislation, Wisconsinites want change. WISPIRG canvassers will go door-to-door across Madison this summer to educate the public, collect petitions, and mobilize support for state legislation that would ensure consumers can fix their own devices.
“When we buy a phone, a dishwasher, or a tractor, we should be able to fix it when it breaks,” said WISPIRG Campaign Director Alex Yankovsky. “Instead, manufacturers make repairs hard or impossible—locking us out of our own devices and forcing us to pay for expensive upgrades or replacements.”
A Right to Repair bill would require manufacturers to provide access to the parts, tools, and manuals needed to fix modern electronics. Without those, broken devices are more likely to end up in landfills. Wisconsinites throw away nearly 7,000 cell phones every day, and the problem is only getting worse.
“When we can’t repair our stuff, it doesn’t just cost us money—it fuels a cycle of overproduction and waste that harms our environment and our health,” said Yankovsky. “The solution is simple: Let us fix our stuff.”
New legislation (AB 147 / SB 148) was introduced this year in both chambers of the state legislature, focusing on farm equipment. But WISPIRG’s campaign aims to broaden that effort to include all the consumer electronics that Wisconsinites rely on every day—from laptops to kitchen appliances.
“Our campaign is about fairness, common sense and wellbeing,” said Yankovsky. “Whether you’re a farmer, a student, or a senior citizen, you should have the freedom to fix the things you own.”
