iFixit

Fixing the World Together: iFixit + Electronic Recyclers International

It’s our mission to teach the world how to repair everything they own. But a successful repair often hinges on consumers having access to quality replacement parts. And all too often the right parts just aren’t available—to anyone. No part, no repair.

No longer.

iFixit is partnering with Electronic Recyclers International (ERI)—the largest recycler of electronic waste in the world—to make repair possible for gadgets of all kinds. Together, we’re working to keep as many electronics as possible in use and out of landfills.

From their eight facilities in the US, ERI processes over 250 million pounds of electronic waste for recycling each year—from tablets to digital cameras, laptops to flat screen TVs. Many of these devices still work. Some have broken screens but functional internals. Others have never even been used.

Manufacturing electronics requires a massive outlay of energy and natural resources—embodied energy that we can’t recover in recycling. Between 20-35% of the material content of a cell phone, for example, is lost when it is melted down for recycling—including critical rare earth metals.

It doesn’t make sense to shred functional electronic devices and components—especially when consumers and repair shops need wider, more reliable access to quality repair parts. That’s why we’re working with ERI to harvest components from electronics slated for recycling. In doing so, we’ll be able to help consumers repair devices—like Kindles, GoPros, Microsoft Surfaces, and Nexus devices—that have never before had a steady supply of replacement parts.

iFixit repair of a GoPro camera instead of recycling it
GoPro parts? Yeah, we got that

“The hardest part of repair can be finding good parts. Many manufacturers just don’t make them available,” says iFixit CEO Kyle Wiens. “Now, by partnering with ERI, we can make parts available for hundreds of gadgets that were previously unfixable. With step-by-step guides and quality parts, you can fix anything.”

“We are very excited to be partnering with our friends at iFixit,” said John Shegerian, Chairman and CEO of ERI.  “Finding new ways to keep electronic waste out of landfills has always been part of our DNA as an organization, so it makes sense to partner with a company that is bringing dead or dying devices to life through refurbishment. We’re looking forward to blazing this new path of innovation alongside our likeminded partners at iFixit.”

Just like the rest of iFixit’s parts, replacement parts sourced from ERI will be rigorously tested and backed by iFixit’s Lifetime Warranty. Our parts also come with a complete repair solution: specialty electronics repair tools, free step-by-step repair guides, and a community of repair experts to help you out. We’ve already rolled out parts and repair guides for Kindles and GoPros—and more will come soon.

“The repair industry and the recycling industry are natural partners. We’re both working to build an economy that uses resources to their fullest,” says Wiens. “I’m excited to partner with ERI. Together, we can get people the repair parts they need—and keep countless electronic devices alive and out of the landfill.”