Ethically Kate: I’ve heard repair cafes are a cost-effective way to fix household items. How do they work?

Mending rather than replacing items saves money and prevents goods going to landfill. Photo / 123rf

OPINION

The repair cafe movement is booming throughout Aotearoa New Zealand; we currently have over 50 repair cafes operating.

In case you haven’t had a chance to visit one yet, a repair cafe is a set time and place for people to gather to fix everyday objects like electronics, appliances, and clothes.

They are usually run by volunteers and commonly take place in community halls where there is lots of space for all sorts of restoration stations to be equipped with the required tools.

All repair cafes run slightly differently, but in general, when you walk into a repair cafe you’ll be asked to write your details and your repair needs on a piece of paper. This is then passed by the lovely volunteers to the correct station.

For example, if you arrive with a laptop that has two broken keys, you’ll be placed in the queue for the electronic repair specialist. Repair cafes are often free but run off donations.

There is no limit to what you can bring along to a repair cafe. The range of expertise amongst the volunteers at repair cafes always baffles me.

Of course, there’s a chance that the skills needed to fix your item may not be present, but the creativity and ingenuity of the volunteers usually means you’ll come away with a working item.

When my husband, Tim, and I were travelling the country to launch my book last year, a piece of our camera tripod broke. We attended a brilliantly timed repair cafe in Arrowtown.

Tim and I walked away with a working tripod and enjoyed the chats and time spent with lovely locals that we wouldn’t have had from simply walking through town.

Repair Cafe Aotearoa New Zealand is the driving force behind the repair cafe movement nationwide. They’re a hub that supports communities with resources for starting repair cafes and lists all the repair cafes that are happening on their repair cafe map and calendar of events. They also promote the “right to repair” movement and advocate for mandatory Product Stewardship at a government level.

Repair cafes are more than just a place to fix things. They foster community resilience, friendships, and keep a whole lot of stuff out of landfill. Use the Repair Cafe Aotearoa New Zealand guide to find a repair cafe near you. Bring along your broken items, drop off baking to keep the volunteers fuelled, or sign up to volunteer your repair skills!