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Carbon and water conservation value of independent, place‐based repair in Lima, Peru

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  • Josh Lepawsky
  • Kathia Cáceres
  • Marco Gusukuma
  • Ramzy Kahhat

Abstract

To what extent do repair and maintenance of consumer electronics conserve the materials and energy they embody? In this paper we examine the conservation value of a cluster of independent third‐party electronics repair businesses in Lima, Peru. Drawing on a combination of methods that include fieldwork, digital methods for online sociology, and life cycle assessment (LCA) of phones and tablets we quantify the conservation value of typical repairs performed at businesses in this cluster in terms of CO2 equivalent (CO2e) and water consumption relative to new manufactures of the same categories of electronics. We model typical repair scenarios and find that repair can offer substantial conservation benefits. However, these benefits vary by device sub‐unit repaired (e.g., replacing a camera vs. replacing a display). For example, while two screen repairs through replacement is nearly equivalent to replacement with a whole new device, repairing with components that are already in the market could save around 10% of total emissions in global warming potential (GWP) for both devices. Further, we discuss the politics of attributing the conservation value achieved by the third‐party repair cluster in Lima to either domestic (that is, Peruvian) or foreign CO2e and water consumption. Whose conservation of CO2e and water is this? How do the answers to that question shape understandings of the relevance of location for industrial ecology? Our work contributes to the emerging subfield of political industrial ecology and its incorporation of spatially explicit LCAs.

Suggested Citation

  • Josh Lepawsky & Kathia Cáceres & Marco Gusukuma & Ramzy Kahhat, 2023. "Carbon and water conservation value of independent, place‐based repair in Lima, Peru," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 27(3), pages 896-907, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:inecol:v:27:y:2023:i:3:p:896-907
    DOI: 10.1111/jiec.13368
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Paul Teehan & Milind Kandlikar, 2012. "Sources of Variation in Life Cycle Assessments of Desktop Computers," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 16(s1), pages 182-194, April.
    2. Sandra Boldoczki & Andrea Thorenz & Axel Tuma, 2021. "Does increased circularity lead to environmental sustainability?: The case of washing machine reuse in Germany," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 25(4), pages 864-876, August.
    3. Simon Glöser‐Chahoud & Matthias Pfaff & Frank Schultmann, 2021. "The link between product service lifetime and GHG emissions: A comparative study for different consumer products," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 25(2), pages 465-478, April.
    4. James R Suckling & Jacquetta Lee, 2017. "Integrating Environmental and Social Life Cycle Assessment: Asking the Right Question," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 21(6), pages 1454-1463, December.
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