This has resulted in an overload of cheap, poorly made products that are designed to be replaced, rather than repaired. Now, few people have the knowledge, skills or tools to repair their household items.
The solution
Repair Café Aotearoa New Zealand (RCANZ) is changing this dynamic by giving people the skills and initiative to repair their own belongings.
Last year, RCANZ ran more than 230 events across the country. Repair Cafés are run with the help of repair volunteers, who work with participants to diagnose and – if it’s safe to do so – help them repair the item they’ve brought along. Events run for about three hours and have repaired everything from electronics and small appliances to ceramics, software and jewellery.
Through cross-cultural and intergenerational knowledge and skill sharing, these events strengthen community networks and resilience. People can learn skills that they may not otherwise have access to in their own circles. RCANZ Co-founder Brigitte Sistig sees this as the foundational strength of the RCANZ network. She has helped communities to establish repair cafés around the country.
“Accessing the richness and diversity of skills that are within each locality makes each repair café so unique,” says Brigitte.
To truly make a difference, Brigitte believes that a cultural shift is needed. Not only do we need to make repair more accessible, we also need to change the way we look at the products we buy.
“Our mission is that people buy wisely, are educated about the durability and repairability of each product and have an interest in taking care of their belongings, so repairing is part of our lifestyle again. This not only requires consumer behaviour change, but legislative change. This is why we’re campaigning for the Right to Repair.”
The Right to Repair movement in Aotearoa New Zealand builds on the international success of Right to Repair legislation in the USA, Europe and Australia. RCANZ has submitted a petition to parliament calling for legislation to ensure that products put on the market in Aotearoa New Zealand meet basic standards of durability and repairability and the provision of accessibility to repair by the consumer.
The benefits
Increasing the expected lifetime and repairability of products has numerous benefits. Consumers will have the option to repair a product when it breaks rather than being forced to pay out for a replacement. Companies that offer quality, long-lasting products and repair options will see an increase in customers and retention. By extending the life of products we won't need to make so much stuff. This will reduce carbon emissions and there will be less dumped into landfill.
Jaz O’Donnell, Project and Partnership Manager in the Circular Economy team at the Sustainable Business Network (SBN), sees repair as an essential part of the circular economy.
“It ensures that products stay in use for as long as possible instead of being sent to landfill. However, a lot of the time it is costly or even impossible to repair household goods,” she says. “RCANZ is working to rewrite this story, empowering everyday New Zealanders to take repairs into their own hands and rethink their purchasing habits.”
Get involved
Want to help support RCANZ but don’t have repair skills? As well as a diverse team of repair volunteers, RCANZ is always on the lookout for passionate people who want to get involved. Organising events, photographing at repair cafés, storytelling, baking or collecting repair data all contribute to a successful repair café event. If you’d like to volunteer, complete this Volunteer Form or contact Brigitte at nzrepaircafeinfo@gmail.com.
