DIY repair workshop gives items second chance at life
Posted Mar 4, 2020 08:00:00 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The EcoCafe in St. Jacobs is partnering up with 4Repair KW to host a free DIY workshop on Saturday.
The event runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., where people can bring their broken items, and get the tools and guidance to fix them.
Repair experts will be on hand and can help repair small electronics/appliances, mend clothing, restitch leather, repair broken jewellery, and even sharpen dull knives. They ask that you leave the large appliances at home, however.
The workshop started at the University of Waterloo by Julie Cook, a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Environment, and Murray Zink, a staff member in the Waterloo Professional Development (WatPD) program.
It began out of the desire to push back on throwaway culture and build a zero waste community. The first repair workshop happened in July 2019.
Akshit Marwah, a volunteer repairman with the 4Repair KW, said they had a strong repair ratio of 70 per cent. He said often repairs aren't too complicated, but people just need some guidance.
“People don't have time first of all, and then they don't have expertise repairing things also, so they find it more convenient to just throw it away and then buy a new one.”
Marwah recalled one repair involving an old clock, as they were able to find a replacement part in another broken clock they had.
“He was quite happy because it was from his granddad's first salary and all that stuff, so there are people who have emotional attachment in certain products.”
Not everything does get fixed at the workshops, but the group is more than happy to take the items off people's hands. They will use it for spare parts and material, but if they can't, it's properly recycled. He said they have been able to divert a lot of waste away from landfills.
To register for the event, click here.
