Yes, but shipping it back to be destroyed instead would be more wasteful, with the same end result.

It would be better to repair, but where repairs cost more than replacement, the only way to force them to repair is with regulations, as otherwise they do what costs less.

I much prefer that they require you to break it and give a new one. From a consumer perspective it’s a better outcome. From an environmental perspective, it’s slightly better than ship back and destroy. The ideal is repair which has less waste and solves the problem for the consumer.