Canada Wants To Make Owning Electronics Cheaper — Here's How New Rules Would Save You Money
The governments of Canada and Quebec are working to end some of the crappiest practices in the electronics market. Both have proposed measures to crack down on things like companies' refusal to conduct device repairs and variable charging ports that force consumers to regularly buy new equipment.
Such measures, the governments argue, will not only help consumers save money but also reduce electronic waste.
Here's how the Canadian electronics market could change.
What bills have Canada and Quebec introduced?
The federal government proposed a "common charger" standard and "right to repair" in March as part of the 2023 budget.
Quebec introduced similar measures in June as part of Bill 29 (a package of amendments to the Consumer Protection Act), entitled the Law to Protect Consumers against Programmed Obsolescence and Promote Durability, Reparability and Maintenance of Goods.
The proposals apply notably to electronic devices, but would also further regulate sales of vehicles and appliances.
In a June 1 statement, Quebec Minister of Justice and Minister Responsible for Consumer Protection Simon Jolin--Barrette said the goal is to help households save money on significant but essential purchases.
"In the current context, where all families have to deal with inflation," he stated, "we want to ensure that when they spend, they get value for money. Equipping a house or apartment and buying a car are sure to account for a significant proportion of the household budget, and shouldn't have to be done every year. It's not normal for a good to be defective shortly after purchase."
The federal budget didn't offer a timeline for the passage of new rules, just a commitment to launch public consultations on the "right to repair" in the summer of 2023 and a vague promise to "work with international partners and other stakeholders to explore implementing a standard charging port."
Quebec's bill is already making its way through the National Assembly.
Universal Chargers
Common charging ports are part of both the federal and provincial proposals. Currently, manufacturers are free to install distinct charging ports on their products, meaning consumers need to purchase several chargers for their electronics collection and, sometimes, obtain new chargers for new generations of the same device.
The federal government says it will consider a single charger type for electronics such as phones, laptops, tablets and cameras. It cites the European Union's move to implement a "common charging solution," a standard USB-C port, for many electronics sold in member states by 2024.
Quebec Bill 29 would enable provincial officials to "establish technical or manufacturing standards for a product, including standards to ensure interoperability between a product and a charger."
Both governments invoke the possibility of waste reduction. The EU estimates its new regulations — which so far, unlike the Canadian proposals, also specifically call for "unbundling the sale of a charger from the sale of the electronic device" — will eliminate 980 tonnes of annual electronic waste.
'Right to Repair'
The "right to repair" could both require manufacturers and retailers to repair devices they've sold, rather than force consumers to purchase new ones, and empower consumers to repair a device, appliance or vehicle at the enterprise of their choice.
The measure is twofold in the Quebec bill.
First, it would mandate warranties "of good working order" for many new devices and appliances. The bill stipulates that necessary, qualifying repairs over the course of the warranty would be at the expense of the retailer or manufacturer. They would also have to cover any shipping costs.
Second, it would in many cases compel retailers and manufacturers to carry replacement parts and make repair services and instructions available at a "reasonable price." Critically, the bill states replacement parts "must be able to be installed using commonly available tools without causing irreversible damage to the property," thus facilitating third-party repairs.
These rules and others in the bill, Quebec Environment Minister Benoit Charette proclaimed in a June 1 press release, would "reduce overconsumption and give Quebecers the opportunity to make more sustainable choices."
"Too often, when a good is broken, we have the reflex to throw it away. From now on, it will be easier to have it repaired and thus give it a second life."
Outlawing Planned Obsolescence
This is specific to the Quebec bill, which, if passed, would make the province the first state in North America to prohibit companies from selling products whose premature deterioration is pre-determined, the government says.
Manufacturers use planned obsolescence to force consumers to continually purchase new devices, for example, by introducing new features or technology that purposefully render older devices useless.
The language of Bill 29 is broad, banning the sale of any product "subject [to] a technique to reduce its normal working life."
What are the costs and penalties?
The Quebec bill would impose financial penalties on people and entities who violate the new consumer protection rules: between $1,500 and $125,000 in some cases depending on the circumstances of the violations.
Companies' new obligations under the bill would also cost them. A financial consulting firm commissioned by the Quebec Office de la protection du consommateur estimated that companies would spend $800,000 implementing new measures and $81,675 each year thereafter applying them.
