Demand more durable goods that are more easily repaired

In this age of overconsumption, when humanity is using up natural resources more quickly than our planet is capable of replenishing them, too many resources are being used to produce goods that too rapidly become obsolete. Enough already with coffee makers and smartphones that need to be replaced every two years! We can no longer afford to operate in a system of production and consumption that is geared to replacing our goods with cheap new products rather than repairing them.

In order to make informed purchase decisions, consumers need information on the lifespan of products and on how they can be repaired. To offer a quality product, manufacturers must make it easier for consumers to repair it.

The government must introduce legislation to help the public prolong the lifespan of their goods as much as possible.

We, the signatories of this petition, call on the Quebec government to amend the Consumer Protection Act by imposing the following restrictions on manufacturers:

• The goods they sell must be built to last and be reparable, and consumers must have access to this information at the time of purchase;
• Their products must include an indicator of durability and reparability;
• Spare parts for their products must be available for a set number of years after purchase (to be specified by the type of good);
• They must guarantee that the cost of the parts and the labour for repair be systematically less than the purchase price of a new product;
• They must make technical documentation available to repair technicians and to product owners and ensure that repairs can be done by repair technicians other than the manufacturer’s.

We also call on the Quebec government to improve access to repair by supporting the next generation of repair technicians, expanding training opportunities, and supporting repair organizations and initiatives.

A product that lasts a long time and that can be repaired helps to reduce the extraction of new resources to produce a new product, reduces the energy needed to manufacture and transport it, and reduces the amount of potentially toxic waste that ends up at the landfill. It also saves consumers time and money.

As a society, we can no longer afford to continue extracting and processing so many natural resources. We need action on this now.

We urge the Quebec government to impose restrictions on manufacturers to protect consumers as well as the health of our environment and our planet.