perceived obsolescence Archives

A Tech Care Association initiative For Repair Shops

Phone Won’t Hold a Charge? How to Tell If You Need a New Battery

Illustration of a phone at 23% battery at 2 PM beside a replacement battery, showing when you may need a new phone battery.

Your phone used to last all day and now it’s dead by mid-afternoon. Before you replace it, learn how to check battery health, which signs point to a worn-out battery, when a swollen battery means stop now, and when a battery replacement at a local shop is the smarter fix.

How to Deal With Old Phones, Laptops and Electronics

What to do with old phones, laptops and electronics: keep, repair, reuse and recycle in that order.

There is a right order for old phones, tablets, laptops, consoles and watches: keep it, repair it, reuse it, then recycle it. Here is how to decide which step yours is on, how to wipe it first, and where it should go next.

Repair or Replace? How to Decide Without Wasting Your Money

Repair or replace electronics guide showing a cracked phone, laptop, smartwatch and game console on a repair bench.

Cracked screen, dead battery, or a laptop that won’t charge? Start with repair. This guide shows how to decide whether to repair or replace any device, why the Hassle Factor belongs in the math, and how to get a quote you can trust.

Repair Is Climate Action: The Hidden Link to Rare Earth Supply Chains

Technician repairing a smartphone motherboard surrounded by glowing mineral-like elements, symbolizing the connection between device repair and rare earth supply chains

By Rob Link, Founder and CEO, Tech Care Association Founder, WhereToRepair.org · Founder, eWaste Warriors Published April 27, 2026 · ~14 min read Repair Is Climate Action: The Hidden Link to Rare Earth Supply Chains Headline graphic showing three key statistics: China controls 94 percent of rare earth magnet manufacturing, repair instead of replacement reducesContinue reading “Repair Is Climate Action: The Hidden Link to Rare Earth Supply Chains”

Reuse, Recycle & Join the Movement: Your Complete Guide to Responsible Tech Care

Community tech recycling event where diverse volunteers donate and sort used phones, laptops, and electronics into reuse and recycle bins as part of a responsible e-waste and device donation movement

Reuse, Recycle & Join the Movement: Your Complete Guide to Responsible Tech (2026) Part 3 of 3 – The Tech Care Pledge Series Published: February 9, 2026 | Reading time: 7 minutes Reuse, Recycle & Join the Movement: Your Complete Guide to Responsible Tech By Rob Link, Founder & CEO, Tech Care Association In PartContinue reading “Reuse, Recycle & Join the Movement: Your Complete Guide to Responsible Tech Care”