If you wonder why so many people have adopted a chuck-it before fix-it approach to household goods, it could be simply not knowing how to perform simple repairs.
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Simple, of course, if you know how, but if you don’t, changing the washer in a tap, repairing a bike, or repurposing old clothes can be a much harder task.
In Wollongong on Friday a new initiative called Repair Cafe kicked off, giving people the opportunity to get household goods repaired for free, while sharing skills and building social inclusion.
Arranged by local not-for-profit operators Flourish Australia, in partnership with Ability Links NSW and the National Disability Coordination Officer Program, the Repair Café promotes repairs to minimise waste.
One of the popular stations showed people how to cut off an old pair of jeans, stitch them up, add a belt, and you have a new handbag, Illawarra National Disability Coordination Officer Elicia Ford said.
“Too often people toss things away when the most basic repair is required,” Flourish’s Wollongong manager Chloe Hancock said.
“That results in mountains of unnecessary landfill, not to mention additional environmental pressure that comes from manufacturing replacement goods.
“Repair Cafe is about altering mindsets - reminding people that so many things can be as good as new with a basic repair job.”
Each Friday, Repair Cafe specialists will be on hand from 10am-1pm to fix items, at Flourish Australia, 3 Station St, Wollongong. And people with skills to share are most welcome.
