Repair Cafe volunteer says 'bring in your stuff and give it a second life'

In a world of fast fashion, cheap appliances and quick-to-outdate electronics, a group of repairers is urging people to think twice before tossing things into the landfill.

Repair cafes are an international phenomenon that began in the Netherlands in 2009, and were first set up in New Zealand in 2016. The current edition has ramped up since the pandemic, supported by Doughnut Economics Advocates New Zealand.

Charging nothing but with a koha encouraged, the volunteer repairers do their best to fix all sorts, saving people money, and a trip to the dump.

Repair Cafes have now popped up in six locations across the Auckland region.

Une-Deux Cafe on Karangahape Road hosts a Repair Cafe on the second Saturday of each month from 11am till 2pm.

Eric has been volunteering at Repair Cafes for about 10 months and has an electrical practising license.

Electronics wizard Eric is a regular volunteer.

"I've been at Repair Cafes for about nine or 10 months now," he said.

"I got suckered in by my wife. She said 'I think you'd like this' so we went and had a look."

He loved it from the get-go.

"It was the shortest three hours of my life. Not for her, she was waiting in the car.

"I have a electrical practising license, so we fix whatever comes through the door or at least attempt it from toasters, irons, heaters, all the things I did when I was an apprentice in the '60s."

On a warm Saturday afternoon, a couple of items had crossed Eric's desk.

"There was a coffee grinder, and I don't like coffee, but I got it to run. It just wouldn't work. Coffee grinds get into the little bearings and the motors and make them go solid and that's it.

"There was a guy had a touch desk lamp which I couldn't fix. A couple of things are against us here. One of them time, and the other is parts, which is why I don't often fix toasters, because you'd have 1000 different elements for different, all the different toasters that are out there."

Across the room, fellow volunteer Pete was hard at work gluing up a unique-looking model sailing ship.

"A chap bought in his grandfather's model ship that, if you look closely, is made out of matchsticks.

"I said 'oh that must have taken a long time' and it turned out that his grandfather had been inside - as in jail - and had a lot of time to build this elaborate model out of matchsticks."

Pete is fixing a model sailing ship made of matchsticks.

On another table sat two sewing machines and a bunch of needles and thread.

Volunteer Kurt said repairing items that were special to people made it all worthwhile.

"It might have zero or very little monetary value, but the emotional attachment if you can just repair that patch in someone's trousers or fix their bag that their mother gave them. That type of thing, it's extremely rewarding."

People getting their items looked at the Karangahape Road Repair Cafe.

At the same table, Janice helps to sew, hem and mend items.

For her, Repair Cafe is a space of positivity.

"I think there's enough doom and gloom around in the world at the moment, but if you want to feel a bit better about the world, come along to Repair Cafe. See some goodness happening and great stories, like this rucksack I'm fixing. It has had adventures around the world and will keep going, rather than go into landfill."

The owner of that rucksack heard about Repair Cafe through a sustainability group on Facebook.

"There's been a few in other parts of Auckland, but this is the closest to where I live, so I jumped on the opportunity," the traveller said.

"That is my hiking backpack that's been all around the world with me. The straps were a bit worn out, so I'm really stoked I'm going to get some more use out of it.

"I also have a few clothes that I've tried to mend myself, but they keep breaking in the same place. Obviously I'm not doing a good job enough, so I'm glad that someone who's actually a professional can help out with this."

It's a sentiment shared by first-timer Juan, who had zips repaired on a jacket and a backpack, as well as a shoe glued back together. He had been holding onto the damaged items for the past two years.

"I'm visiting my family at the end of the year in Columbia and I was going to bring all of those items with me there to fix them. So I was going to ask my mum, but they were easy to fix and I think that's what is great about places like this, you can bring in your stuff and give it a second life."

So next time you are thinking of throwing away that faulty Bluetooth speaker, or microwave that isn't closing properly, Repair Cafe would like you to visit your local first.

You can find them on Karangahape Road, Te Atatū, New Lynn, Piha, Manurewa, and coming soon to Orewa.

As Pete explained, almost anything goes, but there were some exceptions to the rule.

"We've seen it all, but I have to be honest, we can't do waterblasters. We're upstairs at a lovely cafe here in Auckland, but we don't have the facilities to plug in a waterblaster and try waterblasting to see if it works. Yeah, it's generally the smaller stuff."