Tell your governor: We should be able to fix the stuff we own

Americans throw away 416,000 cell phones every day.

That’s staggering -- and more than a little depressing. Are we really that wasteful by nature? Why not just get your phone fixed when it breaks, so you don’t have to shell out another $900 for a new one?

As it turns out, making these repairs isn’t that simple. Many companies have refused to make parts, manuals or repair software available to independent fixers -- forcing many users whose devices just need minor repairs to trash them and spend hundreds on new ones.

States have an opportunity to pass “right to repair” laws that would put a stop to this. Tell your governor: Support legislation requiring manufacturers to give us fair access to components we need to repair our stuff.

Phones shouldn’t be this disposable. An iPhone 6 requires 295 pounds of water and mineral ore to manufacture. Those components come together to create something incredible: a supercomputer in your pocket, capable of accessing the world’s information in seconds.

When you have to replace these wonder-devices because of a faulty battery or a bad component -- something you or a repair shop could fix in minutes with the right tools and know-how -- it hits you in the pocketbook and adds to our country’s waste problem.

That's why we're calling on state leaders to support legislation that will make it easier for people to repair their devices so that we spend less and waste less.

Tell your governor: Nothing that requires 295 pounds of resources is disposable. Support our right to fair repair.

The movement for repair already has some momentum. In state legislatures across the country, lawmakers are debating bills that will make personal and third-party repairs more accessible for consumers.

But those bills are meeting stiff resistance from well-funded lobbyists representing some of the country's biggest tech giants. Some lawmakers agree, saying that in "the near future, cell phones are throwaways."

We're not asking for trade secrets. We just want to extend the lives of our devices.

Your governor should support our right to fair repair by passing legislation requiring manufacturers to sell the components we need to repair our stuff.