Axios: The great repair revival

The great repair revival
 
Illustration of a woman leaning on a giant hammer
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Stock: Getty Images
 
Americans are reviving the lost art of fixing their possessions — and pushing back against a culture of buying and tossing things.

Repair Cafés are popping up in libraries and community centers across the country, where volunteers are helping people mend their broken toasters, busted zippers and family heirlooms for free.

Why it matters: Most of us have too much stuff. Fixing what we own instead of throwing it away is a simple way to save money and cut waste

🔎 Zoom in: In Houston, Axios’ Shafaq Patel got her mom’s sewing machine fixed at the local library’s Repair Café. Volunteers told her that people have come in with jewelry, clocks, lamps, stuffed animals and more.

In Des Moines, Axios’ Linh Ta had a torn backpack strap stitched back together at another library Repair Café.

In New Paltz, N.Y., volunteers rewired an antique fan, restored old family photos and replaced clasps on necklaces, AP reports

🪛 Zoom out: In today’s modern, disposable culture, many people have lost the ability to repair household goods, a skill that was once nearly universal, engineer Peter Counter told AP. He’s studying Repair Cafés as part of a doctorate at the University for the Creative Arts in Farnham, England.

“The idea that you can fix your own stuff has receded because the skills are not being passed down. … If you want something fixed, it’s almost certainly cheaper to go buy a new one

“🧰 Repair Cafés are helping preserve those disappearing skills.

More than half of volunteers are over 60, according to a global survey, giving younger visitors a chance to learn from those who grew up fixing stuff.
Unknown's avatar

About michelleclarke2015

Life event that changes all: Horse riding accident in Zimbabwe in 1993, a fractured skull et al including bipolar anxiety, chronic fatigue …. co-morbidities (Nietzche 'He who has the reason why can deal with any how' details my health history from 1993 to date). 17th 2017 August operation for breast cancer (no indications just an appointment came from BreastCheck through the Post). Trinity College Dublin Business Economics and Social Studies (but no degree) 1997-2003; UCD 1997/1998 night classes) essays, projects, writings. Trinity Horizon Programme 1997/98 (Centre for Women Studies Trinity College Dublin/St. Patrick's Foundation (Professor McKeon) EU Horizon funded: research study of 15 women (I was one of this group and it became the cornerstone of my journey to now 2017) over 9 mth period diagnosed with depression and their reintegration into society, with special emphasis on work, arts, further education; Notes from time at Trinity Horizon Project 1997/98; Articles written for Irishhealth.com 2003/2004; St Patricks Foundation monthly lecture notes for a specific period in time; Selection of Poetry including poems written by people I know; Quotations 1998-2017; other writings mainly with theme of social justice under the heading Citizen Journalism Ireland. Letters written to friends about life in Zimbabwe; Family history including Michael Comyn KC, my grandfather, my grandmother's family, the O'Donnellan ffrench Blake-Forsters; Moral wrong: An acrimonious divorce but the real injustice was the Catholic Church granting an annulment – you can read it and make your own judgment, I have mine. Topics I have written about include annual Brain Awareness week, Mashonaland Irish Associataion in Zimbabwe, Suicide (a life sentence to those left behind); Nostalgia: Tara Hill, Co. Meath.
This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.

Leave a Reply