“APPLE’S USE OF T2 CHIPS IN ITS MACBOOKS VIOLATES THE RIGHT TO REPAIR”

For many years now Apple has come under fire for various reasons, such as slowing down iPhones and complicated self-repair programmes. Apple’s self-repair process is said to be time-consuming and the tool kits are more expensive than going to an Apple store for assistance. These actions deliberately force Apple’s customers to upgrade and purchase new devices, thus contributing to increased e-waste. Now, the latest issue is Apple’s use of T2 Chips which has severe consequences for the right to repair movement and circular economy.

T2 Chips were introduced to MacBooks in 2018 and on the surface they appeal to consumers and businesses who buy from Apple due to their enhanced security abilities. As we enter 2023, more of the older 2018/2019 MacBooks are appearing in refurbishers’ stores and many are faced with challenges when it comes to unlocking the device and restoring it to factory settings. T2 chips prohibit refurbishers from restoring the device to factory settings and therefore prevent its resale within the digital circular economy. This results in thousands of MacBooks around the world being sold cheaply as scrap or ending up in a landfill.

The use of T2 Chips further highlights Apple's disregard for the refurbishment market and the efforts that are going towards the right-to-repair movement. The movement's ambition is to increase the lifespan of a device by 10 years, ultimately reducing e-waste. However, Apple’s use of T2 Chips undermines this goal. Coupled with this, it restricts con- sumers' access to refurbished sustainable devices and impedes the continued development of the refurbishment industry.

Peter Windischhofer (pictured above), Co-Founder of Refurbed, Ireland’s leading online marketplace for refurbished electronic devices, has released a statement on the negative impacts Apple's use of T2 Chips is having on the refurbishment industry.

We need to see a systematic change whereby Apple takes responsibility for the effects that T2 chips are having on the development of the digital circular economy and the supply available to consumers. T2 Chips can be identified as a lever on which Apple can act upon in order to reduce the e-waste that is created as a result of their use. The continued use of T2 Chips in Apple products shows a disrespect for the efforts of refurbishers in developing the digital circular economy and the lengths they go in reversing the negative impacts that the creation of new electronic devices have on the environment.

The Global E-Waste Monitor estimated 59.4 Mt of e-waste was disposed of in 2022 – it has also projected this figure to grow to 74.7 Mt by 2030.

If Apple, and other large corporations, continue to ignore their damaging impact on the environment, the “2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals” will become unreachable. For a company that claims to be sustainable, it must act in a way that does not harm the environment and community it operates in. It is time that we put further pressure on Apple and corporations alike to change their practices and work with us to promote the refurbishment industry across the globe for a better future. n

The Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO) is a Local Authority shared service with 60 specialist staff from a broad range of backgrounds and expertise, who are based within 13 different local authority centres nationwide.

The European Union Water Framework Directive places statutory obligations on Member States and local authorities for the development and implementation of River Basin Management Plans. LAWPRO is coordinating the LAs response to these obligations through a new approach that includes five themes:

 Programme Coordination

 Community Engagement

 Catchment Science

 Governance

 Innovation

A core function of LAWPRO is to work with community groups to support the work already being done to promote better water quality, and to encourage more groups to get involved. Community involvement is key to the protection and management of local waterbodies. This is being achieved through a three-stage process:

 Raising awareness of LAWPRO and engaging communities on local water quality issues and concerns.

 Supporting community involvement in the stewardship of local streams, rivers, lakes, and coasts.

 Building capacity within local communities through knowledge funding and training.

LAWPRO is building networks of active communities with the knowledge, skills, and capacity to make a difference. In this way, LAWPRO’s 13 Community Water Officers have established themselves as contact points for local communities. This is clear by the growing number of groups and champions getting involved in caring for their local water environment.

Ann Phelan is the LAWPRO community water officer for the South East, and she is working to identify issues affecting water quality. Where issues are identified she supports the local authority, public bodies, water stakeholders and communities to find a solution. Collaboration and community engagement is the cornerstone of the programme, combining that with local knowledge to find what is happening in particular water bodies.

Under the new River Basin Management Plan, the River Slaney has been chosen as a pilot catchment to roll out a catchment management plan and form a catchment forum to increase public participation in the water environment area, so to this end Ann is looking to meet with community groups, environmental groups, farming groups/individuals, tidy towns and people who are interested in the River Slaney Catchment and improving water quality. Please contact Ann on 085-8084067 or email ahphelan@lawaters.ie and visit: https://lawaters.ie n