Fix it, don't ditch it: University of Auckland hosts first Repair Cafe

What if fixing a faulty toaster or broken jewellery could also help build stronger communities and a less wasteful society?

That’s the idea behind a worldwide movement coming to Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland on Friday, 17 October, with its first-ever Repair Café.

At this hands-on community event, skilled volunteers will work with visitors to diagnose and fix broken household items, from small appliances to textiles, jewellery and furniture.

Each successful repair diverts waste from landfill, reduces greenhouse gas emissions and gives cherished items a new lease on life.

The initiative is being run in collaboration with Repair Network Aotearoa (RNA) and the University’s Faculty of Engineering and Design, the Sustainability Hub, the Circular Innovations Research Centre (CIRCUIT), Ngā Ara Whetū - Centre for Climate, Biodiversity and Society, and the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

The event takes place one day before International Repair Day.

Professor Saeid Baroutian, co-organiser of the event, says it’s about turning sustainable thinking into action.

“We wanted to create something that brings students, staff and the wider community together to learn how to repair, how to diagnose problems, and how to extend the life of products,” says Baroutian, who chairs the Faculty of Engineering and Design’s Sustainability Committee and directs CIRCUIT.

“It’s a people-centred approach to advancing our circular economy goals. Keeping materials in use, reducing waste to landfill, and building repair skills are all essential for minimising emissions.”

Baroutian adds the event is a pilot, which could lead to the initiative becoming a regular fixture at the University.

Associate Professor Maria Armoudian, director of the Sustainability Hub and co-executive director of Ngā Ara Whetū, says the event highlights the multiple benefits of repair.

“First, people can get their loved items repaired to enjoy them for longer, which means they save money while reducing their negative impacts on the planet,” she says.

“Each item we repair reduces greenhouse gas emissions and landfill pressures. We will be measuring the impact of our event, calculating the reduction in emissions and diversion from landfills.

“Finally, these events help us learn from one another while building community and hopefully shifting the culture away from being a throwaway society.”

Repair Cafés are a global initiative that began in Amsterdam in 2009 and has since spread to more than 40 countries, including New Zealand.

Brigitte Sistig, founder of RNA, says she has been inspired to see the movement take hold across the country, with just under 90 community cafés now operating.

“Despite starting here during the Covid-19 pandemic, there was a real determination of people to engage in the activity of repair,” she says.

“We’ve seen initiatives start with one passionate individual and grow into regional networks.”

Sistig says Repair Cafés are about much more than fixing things.

“They reduce waste, but they also strengthen community resilience and create learning opportunities.”

“Visitors sit with the repairer, observe the process and gain new knowledge about how things are designed, which can influence future purchasing choices considering product durability and repairability”, she says.

“It’s also about saving money and building a culture beyond throwaway consumerism.”

Nationwide surveys suggest a public appetite for repair. One recent survey by RNA identified the key challenges that Repair Cafés are designed to overcome: poor knowledge about where to get items repaired, a lack of skills and confidence to undertake repair themselves, and the perception that existing repair services are too expensive.