Introduction by Martine Postma and Martin Charter

Martine Postma (Repair Café International) and Martin Charter (Centre for Sustainable Design, UK) opened the webinar. Martine talked about developments that Repair Café International has noticed, such as growing interest in repair from public authorities and more projects to promote repair and reuse of products.

Repair Café International sees opportunities for repair activities in places such as shopping centres.

First hour on textile repair

The first hour focused on textile repair, with presentations by Sandy Black (Centre for Sustainable Fashion, UK), Suzie Fromer (Repair Café Hudson Valley, US) and Beth Quinton (University for the Creative Arts, UK).

Suzie Fromer talked about textile repair in the 67 Repair Cafés in the Hudson Valley in New York State, USA.

Second hour on research

The second hour was devoted to research on and around Repair Cafés. Martine Postma gave a short introduction. This was followed by presentations by Peter Counter (University for the Creative Arts, UK) and two groups of students from Dutch educational institutions: students from Leiden University talked about their research into involving more expats in Repair Cafés. Game technology students from Hanze University of Applied Sciences in Groningen talked about the Repair Café game they developed as their graduation project.

Students from Leiden University talked about their research into involving expats in Repair Cafés.

More information

• Watch the webinar on YouTube
• Read more about the programme on the website of the Centre for Sustainable Design

Het bericht Looking back on 5th international Repair Café webinar verscheen eerst op Repaircafe.

Vacuum cleaners, coffee makers, and trousers/pants were the most popular items brought to Repair Cafés in 2024. The factsheet also lists the most common problems for each of these three items. For example, vacuum cleaners often had damaged cords or plugs, switches were broken, or there were motor problems.

Public dashboard with eight visualisations

The current results of the RepairMonitor can be viewed at any time via a public dashboard with eight visualisations. This dashboard provides insight into the most frequently offered products and brands, participating Repair Cafés, reasons why repairs are unsuccessful etc. Visitors can filter the results by indicators such as country, year, Repair Café and product category. They can also download the entire dataset for further independent research.

RepairMonitor is being expanded and improved

Repair Café International is taking a close look at the RepairMonitor this year. The system is being rebuilt, expanded, and improved in numerous ways. This should make it attractive for even more Repair Cafés to enter repair data and provide more information about the repairs they carry out. This should lead to a larger and better dataset.

This dataset will benefit all kinds of parties: repairers will be able to repair better, policymakers will be able to make better rules to promote repair, manufacturers will have additional tools to increase the repairability of their products, and researchers will have better data to analyse. The updated RepairMonitor is expected to be available in autumn.

More information

• Download the factsheet with the results of the RepairMonitor in 2024
• View the RepairMonitor dashboard
• Read background information about the RepairMonitor dashboard
• Check out our previous articles about the RepairMonitor
• Register your Repair Café as a RepairMonitor participant

Het bericht RepairMonitor factsheet provides insight into repair data for 2024 verscheen eerst op Repaircafe.

The two hour webinar is in English, from 4 to 6 PM CEST (3 to 5 PM BST). It is organised by Repair Café International in Amsterdam and the Centre for Sustainable Design in Farnham, UK.

Clothing repair central topic in first hour, research in second hour

The first hour will focus on clothing repair. Why is that necessary and what is already happening in this field in Repair Cafés?

The second hour is about research. The Centre for Sustainable Design has been researching Repair Cafés for years: how are they doing, how are they organised and how can they increase their impact? Students from Leiden University will talk about their research to involve expats in Repair Cafés. Students from Hanze University Groningen will present their graduation project: they are developing a Repair Café game for their studies Creative Media and Game Technologies.

Martine Postma of Repair Café International and Martin Charter of the Centre for Sustainable Design will give opening speeches.

Read more and sign up

More information about the programme is available on the website of The Centre for Sustainable Design. You can also register there.

Het bericht Friday, April 25: 5th international Repair Café webinar verscheen eerst op Repaircafe.

Farnham Repair Café celebrates a decade of community service

Farnham Repair Café will reach its 10th anniversary on 8 March 2025, “marking an incredible decade of dedicated service to the local community,” says founder and chair Professor Martin Charter.

The initial idea was sparked when Charter listened to Martine Postma, founder of the Repair Café movement, speaking at the Hannover Fair in 2013. This led to cooperation on research into Repair Cafés worldwide. The learning was translated into a model for Farnham and a series of pilots to test a concept in Farnham in 2014-2015.

Peter Sullivan is a multi-skilled repairer for electrical repairs. He has volunteered for Farnham Repair Café for more than five years.

The Repair Café was then launched in 2015 and since then, over 100 sessions have been organised with the initiative going from strength to strength. Its reliance was displayed when it continued to operate through the Covid years through adapting its model. In 2024, Farnham Repair Café received the King’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest accolade given to voluntary groups in the United Kingdom.

“The café has become a cornerstone of sustainability and community spirit in Farnham, providing residents with free repair services while fostering a culture of environmental responsibility,” Charter states.

Operating on the second Saturday of every month at The Spire Church in Farnham, Farnham Repair Café has welcomed 6,000 visitors over the past ten years. During this time the café’s skilled volunteers have successfully repaired over 2,600 items, ranging from household appliances to cherished personal belongings.

Culture of repair and reuse

These efforts have made a tangible impact on the environment by diverting an estimated 7,500 kilograms, or 7.5 tonnes of waste from landfills and saving approximately 70,100 kilograms, or 70.1 tonnes of CO₂ emissions.

However, the Repair Café not only saves waste from landfills, Charter points out. Visitors also leave with newfound knowledge and confidence to tackle repairs themselves in the future. “This educational aspect is a core element of the café’s philosophy and one that resonates deeply with product owners who bring in products to be fixed from vacuum cleaner to bicycles to teddy bears.”

Unwavering support

The café’s achievements have been made possible through the unwavering support of its volunteers, who bring their expertise and enthusiasm to each monthly session. From electrical repairs to textile mending, their contributions span a wide range of skills, ensuring that the café can meet the diverse needs of the community. In addition to their technical expertise, volunteers provide a welcoming and friendly environment that encourages collaboration and mutual learning.

“Farnham Repair Café extends its heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has contributed to its journey over the past decade. The café remains committed to its mission of reducing waste, fostering a culture of repair and reuse, and strengthening community bonds for years to come,” says Charter.

More information

• Read more about Farnham Repair Café
• Will your Repair Café celebrate its 10 year anniversary too? Leave a comment below!

Het bericht More and more Repair Cafés celebrate 10 year anniversary verscheen eerst op Repaircafe.

Repair Café fixes things and restores memories

“The Repair Café in Bury St Edmunds runs every two months, and we have recently had our most successful event with around 40 items and eight repairers. Last month’s café’s heart-warming story was of two brothers and an electronic quiz show game they remember playing as children in the 1980’s. Theirs is long gone, but one of the brothers bought the game on eBay as a surprise for the other, but it didn’t work. They bought another one to see if they could make one good one out of the two broken ones, but that proved too complicated for them.

This is exactly the kind of challenge we love at the Repair Café. Ben and Alastair got out their soldering irons and their multimeters and set to work. In pretty short order “Mr Gameshow” was talking, waving his microphone and flashing his (frankly alarming) teeth once more.

Sharing the fun with their families at Christmas

The two brothers (on the left in the photo) were delighted. Not only had we restored their childhood memory, but they also said it was going to make their Christmas as they could share the fun they had with their own families.

It is this kind of stories that make our volunteers give up their free time so selflessly. Bringing things back to life and sharing in the joy that this resurrection can give to the owner of the once-broken item is simply great. And then there are always home-made cakes, coffee, tea and a chance to sit and chat and enjoy the bustling atmosphere. We love our Repair Café!”

Het bericht Bury St Edmunds Repair Café adds extra sparkle to Christmas verscheen eerst op Repaircafe.

The ministry’s ‘Repairing instead of throwing away’ funding programme aims to extend the life of products and save resources. The programme promotes a culture of repairing instead of throwing away and wants to ensure that people have a greater appreciation of products and materials.

Repair Cafés as important cornerstone of the right to repair

German Environment Minister Steffi Lemke sees Repair Cafés as an important cornerstone of the right to repair. “They are places of civic participation where the environment is actively protected”, she said.

Initially, only Repair Cafés that are officially registered as non-profit organisations will receive funding. In the next phase, the programme will be opened up to Repair Cafés that are not organised in this way.

Funding in line with European right to repair

The move is in line with European agreements on the right to repair. The legal text, adopted in April 2024, states that EU member states should take additional measures to promote repair. For example, they can support civic repair initiatives by providing space or funding training so that more people can learn to make repairs.

More information

• Read the German Environment Ministry’s press release on the new subsidy (in German)
• Also read the FAQ on the ‘Repairing instead of throwing away’ subsidy programme on the German Environment Ministry’s website (in German)
• Read more about additional EU measures to promote repair (in English)

Het bericht Funding for German Repair Cafés verscheen eerst op Repaircafe.

Most satisfying repairs are the ones with sentimental value

“They call me Mr. Glue. For around 18 months, I have been fixing things along with the other menders at Repair Café Nunhead, South London. When I joined the Repair Café I decided that my skills with gluing would be an addition to the range of repairs the group could do. Shoes and wooden items often need glue fixes. Modern glues can do an immense variety of tasks. Some of the most satisfying repairs are ones which have sentimental value.

“For instance, I once mended a Caribbean coconut fibre ring. This was a fascinating job, obviously precious to the woman who brought it. I suspect it was a memento of a love affair, but that’s not the sort of question you can ask of someone you only just met!

“I also remember repairing a display plate that was painted when a woman’s – now-adult – child was at school: it had fallen off the wall and was broken in three places. I couldn’t mend it invisibly, so the cracks showed, but the owner thought that was great because it showed how much it meant to her as it had suffered a disaster and had been fixed.”

Menders explain what they do so the visitors can learn

“Our Repair Cafe was set up by Sophie two years ago. It operates once a month out of a community centre in South East London. There are the sewing team and the electricals group, as well as a spread of other skills, like bicycle repair, woodworking and leather expertise. As a result of success, the group expanded so we had to move into a bigger room.

“Most of the menders generally try to explain what they are doing, so people can learn to repair items themselves. Often they are astonished at how easy it is to do, for example, rewiring an electrical plug. That’s not everyone, of course, but we seem to have quite a generation who have been brought up to believe technological items either work, or should be binned immediately. I think that’s an attitude that needs to change.

It’s a lot of fun, although it can be a little stressful when a repair is difficult. But it is very satisfying when you learn and apply new skills. There is a lovely cameraderie between the menders and we usually retire to the pub next door afterwards.”

Collaborating on jobs that need multiple skillsets

“It would be remiss of me not to mention David, Richard and Aya, who organise things. This is quite complex: although there is a queue, it makes sense to move a job forward if a mender is free, or prioritise something simple, to get it done quickly over a more time-consuming repair. This aspect of the Repair Café involves constant project management juggling. Obviously we menders also collaborate on jobs that need multiple skillsets. A broken lamp might not be electrical, but have a busted switch inside, that needs physical repair.

“Are there any downsides to volunteering? I don’t think so, although I have felt a bit dismayed on a couple of occasions when I couldn’t fix children’s toys. Adults are usually understanding if you can’t repair something, or if we think a repair would be unsafe, which can be the case with elderly electricals. It’s better to junk those than to risk a fire.”

Throwaway society is on its way out

“On a more philosophical level, we must reduce our carbon emissions by repairing items. I think the ‘throwaway society’ is on its way out, and we will – of necessity – need to make products more repairable and durable in future. We will also need to inculcate repair skills in young people to ensure that artefacts can be repaired. If these skills are lost, it is hard to regain them.”

Photo: Olga Dominika Osuch

Het bericht Meet ‘Mr. Glue’ – volunteer at Repair Café Nunhead, London verscheen eerst op Repaircafe.

Anniversary documentary on global impact of Repair Café

The afternoon started with the first screening of an anniversary documentary on 15 years of Repair Café (this documentary will soon be available with subtitles in English). After the launch of this film, presenter Andrea van Pol continued the conversation with numerous guests about the topics covered in the video.

Like repairing with children. TV producer Harro van Staverden talked about the second season of the children’s series Saïd & Anna, which is all about repair and second chances. He said that over the past year, almost half a million primary school pupils have already worked with the teaching material that accompanies this series.

TV producer Harro van Staverden talked about the children’s series Saïd & Anna, which is all about repairing

Rodin Bruinsma, product architect at Versuni (the former coffee and vacuum cleaner division of Philips) was also a guest on the talk show. He told how his team incorporates the new European reparability requirements into the design of new products.

Opening of Repair Café XL by mayor Jan van Zanen

Last guest in the talk show was the mayor of The Hague, mr. Jan van Zanen. He spoke highly of both the environmental and social aspects of Repair Café and urged those present to continue for a very long time. He then opened Repair Café XL by tying the bunting flag of Repair Café The Hague to the international bunting line that Repair Café volunteers from all over the world had made for the occasion.

Together with Martine Postma, mayor Van Zanen tied the bunting flag of Repair Café The Hague to the international bunting line. On the right, presenter Andrea van Pol

The mayor had also brought a repair himself: a pair of socks with a hole in them. The textile repairers immediately set to work on it.

First repair of Repair Café XL: the socks of mayor Jan van Zanen

Between 2 and 5 pm, a lot more was repaired. Hundreds of people had reserved a time slot with one of the hundred repairers in advance. On the table were vacuum cleaners, coffee machines, clocks, irons, toasters, torches, trousers, bags and much more. Many of the repairs were successful, as usual at the Repair Café.

Member of Parliament Geert Gabriëls learns to tie a button

Member of Parliament Geert Gabriëls (GroenLinks-PvdA) visited textile repairers of Repair Café The Hague, where he learned how to put a loose button back on his shirt. He also met Repair Café volunteers from his hometown Weert.

‘A vacuum cleaner filter needs to be replaced in time.’ Repairers from Weert inform MP Geert Gabriëls (left) on important aspects of maintenance and repair

Besides repairing, there was more to do in the afternoon. At the information market, visitors could learn how a multimeter works. Repair Café volunteers from Utrecht and Amsterdam had prepared all kinds of practice materials, and students from TU Eindhoven presented their ‘giant multimeter’ project, giving a step-by-step explanation of how this device works.

Information market with (from top left clockwise) among others WD-40, iFixit, TU Eindhoven students with their ‘giant multimeter’ and Bison

Various Repair Café International partners also presented themselves at the information market: iFixit, WD-40, Bison and FixPart provided information and handed out free products. Duurzaam Den Haag and Magazine Genoeg were also at the market. At Den Haag Street Art, visitors could pimp a (repaired) object. There was a festive cake for everyone.

A photo with your repaired object

After the repair, every visitor received a small gift: a bag of citric acid, including a manual on how to use it to descale your coffee machine or kettle. People could also have their photo taken with their repaired item.

Photos: Martin Waalboer / Repair Café International

Het bericht 15 years of Repair Café exuberantly celebrated in The Hague verscheen eerst op Repaircafe.

In the documentary, by video maker Johan Zwaan, Repair Café creator Martine Postma, among others, looks back on the start and development of the Repair Café movement, and the many positive results this international movement has achieved in the meantime. Martine also looks ahead: ‘In the coming years, we want to achieve structural changes in education so that more attention is paid to teaching repair skills, because only in this way can we shape a circular economy.’

Repair lessons in primary schools and higher education

The documentary highlights several initiatives that already anticipate this: from a structural Repair Kids Class in Oegstgeest, to courses on repairable design at Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences and Delft University of Technology, to the appearance of more repairable products on the market.

Watch the documentary here (you can activate English subtitles via settings):

Het bericht Anniversary documentary on 15 years of Repair Café verscheen eerst op Repaircafe.

Since the first Repair Café, community repair has grown and spread around the world. The report delves deep into the data that Repair Cafés and other community repair groups have collected over the years.

Showing that repair is possible and can be great fun

“This report shows what we, as a global movement, have reached in 15 years”, says Martine Postma of Repair Café International. “We estimate that over 4,000 community repair groups are now active globally, performing 190,000 successful repairs per year. Also, these volunteers contribute to the resilience of their community, by sharing their skills and showing their fellow citizens that repair is possible, need not be difficult or expensive and can be great fun.”

“Of course, our work is not done yet. This report also goes into the barriers that we still need to overcome. We need more repairable products and stronger legislation to support repair”, Martine stresses.

International collaboration of community repair networks

The Open Repair Alliance is an international collaboration of community repair networks. It was co-founded by Repair Café International and four other organisations in 2017. The ORA combines datasets collected by its members and draws important conclusions about the durability and repairability of our every-day products from this data. Over the last 15 years, hundreds of thousands of items have been repaired by volunteers, and more than 200,000 repair attempts have been logged in the combined ORA dataset.

The data helps the fight for the right to repair in many ways: providing evidence of barriers to repair that need to be removed, but also showing the growing enthusiasm and sense of urgency among the public for repairing your own stuff and using less of the world’s natural resources.

More information

• Download the report from the Open Repair Alliance website
• Read facts and figures about the growth of the worldwide community repair movement

Het bericht 15 years of community repair in data verscheen eerst op Repaircafe.