“Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.” A phrase we’ve heard over and over again that describes an environmentally-healthy lifestyle. However, there is a fourth “R” that should be thrown into the mix: Repair! This R is usually overlooked and underutilized as many people don’t have time in their day to fix broken items, or don’t know how! Replacing with a new item is often more convenient.
That’s why several communities, including our very own Flower City, have started what are known as Repair Cafés, where skilled artisans and professionals will repair broken items, whether it be a bicycle, clothing, household appliances, computers, free of charge! The idea was initiated in 2009 by Martine Postma in Amsterdam as a way to promote sustainability on a local level, and has spread worldwide.
The Rochester ShareFest, a 3-day showcase of the city’s sharing economy that occurs in May, featured a repair café for bicycles and sewing machines. R Community Bikes, the bike repair organization, also provides its repair services weekly at the Westside Farmers Markets (right across the pedestrian bridge on Genessee St) for free!!
My hometown, Rhinebeck, NY, held a Repair Café for the entire community in early May and a second in mid-July. Local residents gathered to fix small motors, household appliances, jewelry, crockery, bikes, computers, and more all free of charge. There were even volunteer repair coaches who taught event goers how to repair their broken items on their own, a skill that many people have lost.
Repair Cafés have several benefits! They extend the lifetime of items, meaning less waste is generated and less raw materials are used. They also help you cut CO2 emissions, since less transportation is needed and the manufacturing process is eliminated. Less energy is required to repair than to recycle as well. Repair Cafés also help change our mindset regarding our possessions; as consumers provided with new items every day, it can be difficult to see the value of our possessions. Lastly, and most importantly, these events offer a great way to promote a more sustainable lifestyle within the local community- it’s easier to change your habits with an entire community of support and service!!
Written by Ainslee Cunningham, Class of 2014
Photo Credit: Rcommunitybikes.net, Shareable.com