Repair Independence

It is Time to Assert Your Right to Repair Your Own Stuff!

On July 1st, the Digital Fair Repair Act went into effect in Minnesota, granting residents more options for fixing damaged electronics and appliances.

Under the new law, manufacturers are required to make replacement parts, tools, and repair manuals available to individuals and authorized repair shops upon request. The law applies to all manufacturers that sell electronics and appliances in the state and covers devices sold after July 2021. This includes cell phones, laptops, and home appliances.

A Step Toward a Zero Waste Economy

The Digital Fair Repair Act is a critical step towards a zero-waste economy. It will reduce electronic waste, save residents money by expanding their options for fixing damaged products, and support our local repair industry.

Expanding Our Rights Further

Unfortunately, the new law exempts some equipment, including medical devices, motor vehicles, video game consoles, and off-road equipment such as farm machinery and tractors.

This exemption affects equipment used at Eureka. We have first-hand experience with the barriers created when we cannot fix our own equipment. This happens most often with our materials handling equipment like forklifts, loaders, and skid steers.

When simple repairs are needed, like replacing a joystick or a fuel filter, we are unable to utilize our in-house mechanics. Instead, we find ourselves waiting a couple of weeks for a special technician employed by the manufacturer to come out and recalibrate the machine. This not only creates additional costs for the outside labor but also impacts our productivity. We fall behind while we wait for the technician, trying to reassign staff to other tasks. We thank the Minnesota Farmers Union for their continued leadership in working to expand the law in Minnesota.

More Information

While there will be opportunities to strengthen the Right-to-Repair law in future legislative sessions, let’s celebrate our expanded rights. A big thank you to our coalition partners for their strong voice at the Capitol, including Reuse Minnesota, Recycling Electronics for Climate Action, Minnesota Farmers Union, US PIRG, and Minnesota Tech for Success.

To learn more about your right to repair and how to file a complaint against a manufacturer, visit the Minnesota Attorney General’s FAQ