By Michelle Waltos

Librarian

When your lamp or toaster stops working, or the zipper on your luggage or favorite jacket breaks, what do you do? 

If you’re like most Americans, you probably toss the item and buy yourself a new one. It happens so often that a term has even been coined for it: we’re a “throw-away society.” As a result, the knowledge and ability to repair items is a fading skillset. What is more, because we are always replacing items, the large volume of raw materials and energy needed to make new products results in increased greenhouse gas emissions. Simultaneously, landfills are brimming with our discarded things.

Repair Cafés — free meeting places that are all about repairing things — are seeking to change all that. Individuals with repair skills in various fields volunteer their time to help other fix all sorts of items: clothing, electrical, small appliances, bicycles, toys, etc. These things are saved from going into a landfill, and people start to see their possessions in a new light and once again appreciate their value.

There are over 1,300 Repair Cafés around the world, with one locally right here in Syracuse. Repair events are held in different locations throughout the community. 

The next Syracuse Repair Café event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, June 17, at the NOPL Cicero Library, 8686 Knowledge Lane, Cicero. Bring your broken items from home and volunteers will be happy to show you how they can be repaired, or they can fix them for you. There is no charge for the service, but volunteers will gladly accept donations to offset the cost of tools and parts.

Join the global movement to become a more sustainable society — we’ll see you at the Syracuse Repair Café!