22 September: We don't have an e-waste data problem.

Tuesday 22 September, 1pm-2pm

FREE for members and non-members 

Background

We have an incentive problem. 
The real story behind New Zealand's e-waste numbers – and the Repair Manifesto that changes what happens next. 
You've probably seen the numbers: 100,000 tonnes of e-waste a year, 20kg per person, 2% recycled – repeated everywhere from media to government reports.
Look closer, though, and they don't hold up: the tonnage is modelled, not measured and the recycling statistic comes from one small local study repeated as national fact. New Zealand is the only OECD country with no e-waste tracking scheme.
But chasing better data misses the real story. Previous research found retailers refunding and landfilling returned appliances – it is cheaper and easier to bin than repair and resell. It's the same for households: landfill’s true cost is low and hidden.
That's the pattern underneath it all. Throwing things away is easy and nothing in the incentivises repair, resale, or reuse.
So, we’re not here to argue for better measurement. We're here to share our Repair Manifesto – our vision for a future where repair is easy: products built to last and easy to repair, thriving local repair, and legislation that backs it up.
Join us to find out what it will take to make repair the easy choice, for good.

Presenters:

Presenter: Dr Paul Smith, Right to Repair Aotearoa Coalition
Paul is a leading voice and researcher in the Repair Movement, advocating for a Right to Repair to keep "durable" products out of landfill and working with businesses and communities to make repair more accessible and economically viable.
Paul’s engineering career has seen him lead product testing at Consumer NZ, educate design engineers at Massey University, and work in the automotive and consumer product industries in New Zealand and the UK.

Presenter: Brigitte Sistig
Brigitte Sistig is the Founder and CEO of Repair Network Aotearoa Trust, advancing the right to repair and a circular economy in Aotearoa New Zealand. Working at the intersection of community action and policy, she champions the Repair Movement in Aotearoa, fostering a repair culture, waste prevention and community resilience through Repair Cafés and regenerative economic frameworks. Brigitte leads nationwide initiatives, including Repair Festival Aotearoa, to support local communities and advocate for resource stewardship

Presenter: Prof Alex Sims

Alex Sims is a Professor in the Department of Commercial Law at the University of Auckland Business School. Alex’s research and publication areas include intellectual property law and consumer law, two of the key legal areas for Right of Repair. She is a member of the Right to Repair Aotearoa Coalition and has written on the Right to Repair.

Facilitator: Brigitte Sistig