Addressing E-Waste Repair Café Processes as Barriers to Repair of Smart Devices

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Published: Nov 11, 2024
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52611/bdi.num10.2024.999
Keywords:
  • community-repair
  • IoT
  • design
  • repair
  • smart devices
How to Cite
Castle-Green, T., & Sailaja, N. (2024). Addressing E-Waste: Repair Café Processes as Barriers to Repair of Smart Devices . Base Diseño E Innovación, 9(10), 150–161. https://doi.org/10.52611/bdi.num10.2024.999
Issue
Vol. 9 No. 10 (2024): Disruptive sustainability: society, innovation and futures
Section
Research
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Main Article Content

Teresa Castle-Green
Horizon Digital Economy Hub University of Nottingham
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9431-8567
Neelima Sailaja
Horizon Digital Economy Hub - University of Nottingham
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5056-673X

Abstract

Electronic waste, commonly referred to as e-waste, is a health and environmental hazard that affects many people and ecosystems around the world. As the volume of e-waste continues to surge, it is imperative this issue is addressed. Contributing to this situation is the Internet of Things (IoT); an expanding industry deploying countless smart devices globally. Prolonging the lifespan of already-deployed devices through acts of repair can help to reduce the impact of IoT on climate change. A sustainable design and innovation approach to addressing this growing problem is to challenge conventional design practices focused on consumption by prioritising community repairability in design. This paper uses an ethnographic and interview approach to explore the challenges of repairing smart devices within community repair contexts. We discuss the impact of fail-fast approaches and the assumptions that repairers hold about the repairability of smart devices. Our findings demonstrate how repair café processes cause smart devices to be filtered out, thereby identifying barriers that designers and repair café organisers must navigate to successfully incorporate the repair of smart products into these settings.

Article Details

Author Biographies

Teresa Castle-Green, Horizon Digital Economy Hub University of Nottingham

Teresa Castle-Green is an interdisciplinary researcher working on unpacking the socio-technical complexities of design and repair of IoT. Currently part of the EPSRC Fixing the Future project engaging with UK repair communities to investigate ways in which HCI/HDI approaches can support the growing culture of community-based repair. 

Neelima Sailaja, Horizon Digital Economy Hub - University of Nottingham

Neelima Sailaja (Transitional Assistant Professor at the University of Nottingham) is an interdisciplinary researcher working on the socio-technical challenges of technology use. She currently leads the HDI wing of the EPSRC Fixing the Future project focusing on exploring the challenges and responses around repair of smart technologies. She has published over 15 peer reviewed outputs at leading HCI venues and has led workshops exploring the sociotechnical implications of technology. 

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