Dell, Sonos and others advance repairability efforts
Samsung recently offered a profile of the Denton family, seen here tackling e-waste by fixing old gaming systems before donating them. | Photo courtesy of Samsung
OEMs plan to redesign products to make it easier to repair and recycle, and three young people are inspired to start a non-profit group after participating in a Samsung program. At the same time, the design choices of other companies are coming into the limelight.
Overhaul for dismantling: Sonos smart speaker brand announcement a number of sustainability steps, including redesigning devices so they’re easier to repair, refurbish and recycle. The company said that in fiscal 2021, it launched a new “design for disassembly” process, which incorporates features, such as fasteners instead of adhesive, that make products easier to disassemble. The features will be incorporated into all new speakers and components starting in fiscal year 2023, according to the announcement.
Dell unveils “Concept Luna”: Along the same lines, Dell has developed a laptop that’s easier to repair and recycle. The computer company unveiled what he’s calling “Concept Luna,” a proof-of-concept laptop he developed with Intel. Dell has reduced the number of screws needed to access internal components for repair or reuse from hundreds to just four, dramatically reducing estimated repair times. It also includes a flax fiber circuit board instead of plastic laminates. The material can dissolve in water, making it easier for recycling companies to separate metals and panel components.
Reuse of the game system: Samsung written about how his “Solve for Tomorrow Teacher Academy” program inspired three young people from North Carolina to start a non-profit organization focused on refurbishing, repairing and donating used video game systems. The academy is a week-long professional development course for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) teachers. A Wilson, NC STEM teacher named Covey Denton attended the 2021-22 teacher academy, which had a session focused on e-waste. Her three children – Elijah, 15, Lydia, 13, and Bethany, 11 – took part in a virtual tour of a recycling company and were so concerned about the issue of e-waste that they started the Nonprofit ReGame with the help of a local lawyer. Replay has since collected local media coverage for his efforts.
Worst CES awards: Meanwhile, repair advocates have recently handed over a number of awards that recipients are not likely to brag about. The directory The “Worst of CES” awards examine electronic innovations that the repair community considers to be the “least private, least secure, least repairable and least durable gadgets”. at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Lacking repairability, the 2022 winner selected by iFixit’s Kyle Wiens was the Mercedes Benz Vision EQXX, an electric vehicle that makes it difficult to open the hood to perform work. “That’s all that’s wrong with the future,” Wiens wrote.