We had the pleasure to collaborate with the City of Port-Coquitlam who launched their first-ever Repair Cafe on June 1, 2019. Upon arrival at the Repair Cafe, Mahdis immediately welcomed us with her contagious smile and positive energy. Mahdis Araujo, Engineering and Public Works Program Ambassador, decided to put this event together and offer the community an opportunity to gather together and repair.
What is a Repair Cafe and how does it work?
Before digging further into the event, you might wonder how a Repair Cafe works; is it open to the public, free to attend? The first Repair Cafe was initiated by Martine Postma in Amsterdam in 2009. Since this first Repair Cafe, the movement has grown worldwide. There are currently 1,841 Repair Cafes held throughout the world, from Africa to Asia, South America, North America, and Australia.
Repair Cafes are free to attend! The objective is to offer an opportunity for all to come and learn how to repair their favourite items together. Repair Cafes are all about gathering the community in one setting, providing a collaborative and enjoyable experience. Some community members attend as “expert volunteers” as they have years of experience repairing certain items. Others come to share their power drills, sewing machines, and other tools, while some come to simply enjoy a cup of tea, observe and learn.
Interested in creating a Repair Cafe in your home town? Find out more about the house rules here.
Partnering with Port Coquitlam’s Repair Cafe
On Saturday, June 1, about 35 handymen and women volunteered their time and expertise to repair dozens of small appliances, electronics, and clothing. They were all very nicely organized in “stations”: the textile station was on one side of the room next to the jewelry repair tables, and across the room were the electrical appliances.
One of the attendees came to the Repair Cafe in hopes of repairing his old fan. The broken stand couldn’t be replaced by the manufacturer, so two of the expert volunteers offered to help him out by applying their carpentry skills to design a new stand. Without their help, the fan would have certainly ended up at the recycling depot. Now it can be used to keep the summer heat at bay once more, and the wooden stand definitely adds some character and uniqueness to it!
What are the benefits of a Repair Cafe?
Repair cafes offer an opportunity to
- Gather and connect with other people
- Learn how to repair and maintain the items you already have
- Cut down on waste ending up in landfill
We love partnering with Repair Cafes because we believe that recycling is the last possible option, once Rethinking, Refusing, Reducing, Reusing and Repairing have been tried out. ElectroRecycle attends Repair Cafes to ensure that small appliances and power tools that cannot be fixed are collected and recycled, saving the attendees a trip to the recycling depot. As a result, we ensure a responsible and sustainable recycling process. Interested in participating at or hosting a collection event with ElectroRecycle? Contact us via email at info@cesarecycling.ca. You will find the list of all the items we recycle here.
More to come!
Check out the next Port-Coquitlam Repair Event here. For more information, contact repaircafe@portcoquitlam.ca
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