Right to Repair now!

September 2022 is a crucial month for the right to repair in Brussels - with draft plans on regulating smartphones open for public feedback, our own conference “EU Right to Repair still loading” and repair activists from around the world attending Fixfest 2022.

Join our protest to keep the pressure high and attract visibility to the right to repair movement. We want to send a clear message to EU policy-makers: EU citizens are fed-up of waiting for the right to repair their devices.

On Friday 30 Sept 22 from 16h00 to 17h00 we will gather on the Place René Cliquet, Bruxelles, 1050 BE. This is a busy commercial street that features several flagship shops of the throwaway economy. Before the event, from 14h00 to 15h30 participants will have the opportunity to join a cardboard workshop to create some impactful signs together (for joinin details, sign up for updates).

Please sign up below if you would like to stay up to date and join us!

We are also looking for #repairstories to read during the protest in Brussels to show the reality of repair. When was the last time you repaired something? Please share with us your story! We are looking forward to receiving your funny, inspiring, outraged or horror #repair story! You can write them to cristina@therestartproject.org or share them on social media by using #repairstories & tagging the campaign’s account (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram)

Objectives and messages

We will attract visibility to the absurdity of the current overconsumption of throw-away electronics, whose environmental consequences cannot even begin to be absorbed by recycling. We want to reiterate why we need the right to repair. Our planet is on fire and we cannot afford to waste any more time!

Furthermore, we want to send a message to EU policy-makers on the need for real ambition in upcoming legislation - starting with the plan for sustainable design of smartphones & tablets and regulations with the potential of making all batteries in our devices user-replaceable.

A strong level of ambition within the plan for smartphones and tablets is crucial as it will set the tone for regulations on other product categories and represent the first opportunity to discuss a repair score index at EU level. As an example, spare part prices were not considered as criterion within the EU repair score index and this is not acceptable, as price is an essential factor in consumers’ decisions on whether or not to repair their devices!

In addition, in the context of the ongoing EU Battery Regulation trilogues, we want to keep pushing for user-removability and replaceability of batteries. Easily removable and replaceable batteries in the EU would enable us to save resources, reduce emissions and save consumers money in the current cost of living crisis!

Please sign-up if you would like to stay up to date and join us!