There’s a repairable phone (the fairphone) and we’ll soon have a repairable computer.
However has anyone ever seen a repairable printer?
There are two repairable phones - FairPhone and Teracube. I don’t think there are printers designed for repairability (yet), but some very old laser printers come close, in terms of mechanical stability - I am still printing on an HP LaserJet 6MP that I don’t think has ever needed mechanical repairs. Some day it’ll die, though.
More repairable printers would be great. The old ones tend to be the goodies - I came across this thread recently of people’s favourites - DJ Sundog - from the toot-lab: "What's your favorite printer of all time? I'll s…" - reclaim.technology
Within the EU at least, printer manufacturers only abide to a ‘voluntary agreement’ on reducing their environmental impact. And as you might expect with a voluntary agreement, it’s really weak.
Consumer complaints suggest that many inkjet printers are thrown away after a lifetime of two to three years, with some being in use for as little as six months before they become e-waste.
– Throwaway printers, luxury inks, killer chips …and their shocking environmental impact. Coolproducts, 2019
The manufacturers are currently updating that voluntary agreement and from a latest draft it still looks extremely weak. We are involved in some campaigning to push the commission to reject the voluntary agreement and develop proper regulations.
You can read more here if you’re interested
(and even get involved in a little data microtask to help!)
(disclosure: I’m a member of The Restart Project and we’re involved in the campaign )
Not repairable per say, but the Epson Eco Tank printer seems to be more consumer and environmentally friendly.