I want my faulty earbud fixed. Should it cost less than replacing the pair?

With a growing e-waste problem, you're right to pursue a repair, writes policy professional Kat George. Your consumer rights extend beyond a product's warranty too

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I have a pair of Beats earbuds I received as a Christmas gift three years ago. They have been replaced once for free by Apple when they developed a sound issue within the warranty period. Recently, one earbud stopped working. I went to an authorised Apple repairer and was told the price of fixing them was equivalent to buying a new pair of earbuds. This seems wasteful to me as I'd rather repair the broken earbud, and I'm wondering if there is any recourse as to a discounted repair fee to encourage device repairs rather than replacements.

- Alana, Victoria