Repair Café saves from landfill!2 min read

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Friends of the Farm( FOF)  joined up with Māngere Bridge Library again in November to hold their second Repair Café. Library visitors were more than double the usual Saturday number, as locals thronged to have items repaired. Ninety one items were looked at, and 68 items were saved from landfill.

 

Repair cafes are free events where local people bring in damaged or broken items and volunteers repair them. This reduces waste, saves money and raises community awareness about waste.

 

Electrical and sewing repairs were the most popular, followed closely by the knives brought in for sharpening by local team CSF knives. Electricians, Mark and Joel Swords, dealt with a variety of items, from coffee makers to travel hairdryers, while three expert sewers mended ripped trousers, dresses, jackets and backpacks.  Onehunga local, Jason Johnston from Pedal Easy, fixed bikes in the forecourt.  Two laptop and cell phone experts dealt with a range of technology inquiries – plus they fixed several remote control cars, while two Wastewise experts from Waste Solutions at Auckland Council  answered questions on recycling.

 

The regular Saturday morning library activities of JP visits and children’s music programme continued on uninterrupted.  Home baked treats and hot and cold drinks were available as people waited for repairs.

 

Special thanks to the hard working volunteers who donated their time to help others. Thanks also to our local café and restaurant, Phnom Penh, who generously provided hot and cold drinks for the volunteers.    The Repair Café was a great success in terms of the numbers attending, the extremely positive feedback received from the community, the number of items saved from landfill – and it saved locals money too!

 

Keep an eye out for our next repair cafe in early 2023, and If you have any skills you think would be useful, please contact friends@fof.nz and we’ll be happy to fit you in.

 

Friends of the Farm has partnered with Auckland Council for ten years to deliver education and waste reduction services.

L-R Jason (Pedal Easy) with Marie, Caroline, Robyn, Jane, Gabb and Janine