Fixing Factory: The first six months
The Fixing Factory in Queen’s Crescent, Camden, has now been open for six months! We spoke to Dermot, the project manager of the Fixing Factory, to ask him about his experiences in these first six months.
“The first time someone walks through the door with a broken device they’re coming from a world where nothing is designed to be fixed. And yet, something has led them to give it a last try anyway.
When we’re able to fix their item, they walk out the door into a less disposable world. It really helps change people’s perspective on the things they own. Seeing that change in people is my favourite thing about being project manager for the Fixing Factory.
We’ve been up and running in Queen’s Crescent for just over 6 months and I’ve learned so much in that time.
Perhaps the most surprising thing has been how quickly a community has sprung up around fixing things - and how extraordinarily diverse it is. It turns out that repairing might be the great commonality: everyone has broken things and a large proportion of people would like to see their things fixed rather than having to buy a new version.
But the most shocking revelation has been how much equipment sent to be recycled is actually still working.”
Dermot shows someone how they can repair their broken iron.
“In our experience, more than a third of the items dropped off for e-waste recycling are in perfect condition. This is also backed up by research from our project partners at The Restart Project. That means huge amounts of e-waste could actually be fixed and continue to be used. Instead, large amounts of energy are wasted recycling items while people have to spend more money on new things they didn’t really need to replace.
Community repair hubs like the Fixing Factory are vital to reducing environmental damage by allowing local residents to get appliances fixed and learn valuable repair skills so people can reduce their e-waste. I really believe that through this project and others like it, we can start building a culture where people see the opportunities of keeping their appliances for longer.
It’s a joy to see people realise that they’re capable of repairing their belongings and to see the community that has blossomed here. We hope one day everyone across the UK will have access to a local community repair hub.”