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Yesterday, I testified in favor of Senate Bill 723, to give consumers a right to repair their electronics. This might not seem like an environmental issue, but the flood of thrown away products has an enormous environmental impact. Read the joint written testimony signed by 9 organizations below.

SB723: Consumer Protection: Right to Repair Senate Finance Committee March 11, 2020 FAVORABLE

Our groups represent thousands of Marylanders who are concerned about the impact that a throw away society has on our environment. Right to repair gives Marylanders the right and option to repair their

In our efforts to reduce waste, we have often heard people say that the “real” problem is the people who throw their garbage on the sidewalk and out their car windows. Of course, we agree that we should change this behavior, but the truth is that littering is not the real problem. We need to change the entire system because the plastic trash that floats in the world's oceans actually decompose and release potentially toxic substances into the water.

First, much of the litter items we see—aluminum cans, straws, plastic bags, etc.—are lightweight and easily blow off of garbage trucks, landfills

The addiction to instant gratification has turned e-commerce into an environmental monster. The fascination with on-demand service and the growth of a “got-to-have-it-now” culture has compelled shipping companies to carry fewer items in their vehicles in order to meet time demands. For expedited shipping orders the e-commerce giant Amazon sends trucks only halfway or partially filled to meet arrival deadlines. Moreover, expedited items being sent to the same location are shipped individually as soon as each one is ready, resulting in multiple trips to the same location.

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