Repair Cafés, workshops organized by Facilitec in Esch, are dedicated to repairing everyday items, in order to help extend the life of products but also to strengthen environmental awareness and solidarity within local communities.
What is a Repair Café?
A Repair Café is a place where expert volunteers, often DIY enthusiasts, share their skills to repair items brought in by participants: household appliances, clothing, bicycles, electronic devices, furniture, etc. These free workshops promote knowledge sharing while preventing these items from ending up prematurely in the landfill. The concept originated in the Netherlands in 2009 and has quickly spread worldwide, with thousands of events held each year.
A Concrete Action to Reduce Environmental Impact:
One of the main contributions of Repair Cafés to the ecological transition is their ability to effectively reduce the environmental impact of waste. Each repaired item represents waste avoided and resources preserved. According to studies, over 50% of electrical devices that are discarded could still be used after repair. By extending the lifespan of items, Repair Cafés contribute to a significant reduction in waste while limiting pollution associated with their disposal.
At our latest Facilitec Repair Café, 5 volunteer repairers fixed 9 out of 10 items brought by participants! For example, we repaired a printer that needed a good cleaning, a waffle maker that required new electrical wires, a laminator that had a paper jam, and a rice cooker that needed new heating parts…
A Model of Circular Economy
Repair Cafés are a perfect example of the circular economy model. Unlike the conventional linear economy, which follows the cycle of “produce, consume, dispose,” the circular economy aims to complete the life cycle of items by promoting their reuse, repair, and recycling. By repairing items instead of replacing them, Repair Cafés reduce the demand for raw materials, the carbon footprint associated with production, and the amount of waste generated.
Beyond the technical aspect of repair, Repair Cafés also serve as a place to promote learning and social cohesion. They allow participants from diverse backgrounds, united by a common cause, to discover how their items work and to better understand the importance of responsible resource use. This process of recovering objects encourages more conscious and environmentally respectful consumption. Repair Cafés also raise awareness about the negative impacts of overconsumption and planned obsolescence while promoting sustainable alternatives. Moreover, skills sharing and mutual cooperation foster a sense of community and solidarity, thereby strengthening the local social fabric. This human dimension is crucial for creating strong collective dynamics around ecological transition.
Join Our Repair Cafés
Come to our next Repair Cafés organized by Facilitec. We offer sessions dedicated to bicycles, gardening tools, electrical/electronic items or small appliances, and sewing workshops to repair our clothing.
What should I check before coming to the Repair Café?
- Power Supply: Is the power light on? Are the batteries charged? Is the power cable in good condition?
- Maintenance: Empty the filters of hairdryers and vacuum cleaners, descale a coffee machine with citric acid or other descaling agents, etc.
What should I bring for the repair? Make sure to bring all the necessary items to test your object. For a coffee machine, bring coffee or a capsule, for a DVD player, bring a DVD, for a gas-powered machine, bring your fuel, etc. Also, bring the charger, cable, and instructing manual if available.
For your Hi-Fi system: bring the remote control and speakers.
For your TV: bring the cables used for connection (to the receiver, amplifier, etc.).
If you have identified a replacement part, bring that as well.
Find out more at www.repaircafe.lu