Wanstead Repair Café volunteers will mark International Repair Day with a special taster session at Wanstead Library, encouraging residents to keep everyday items out of the bin. Kathy Taylor reports
How many broken gadgets, clothes or items of jewellery are sitting in a drawer at home, waiting to be fixed? For many of us, the answer is probably more than we would like to admit.
When something stops working, it is often easier to replace it than repair it. But throwing things away has a cost; for our pockets and for the environment. Many electrical items that are discarded are not necessarily at the end of their useful life. Research highlighted by The Restart Project found that only 12.4% of electrical devices thrown away were genuinely beyond repair.
Repairing an item can save money, reduce waste and extend the life of products we already own. Just as importantly, community repair events give people the opportunity to share practical skills and learn from one another. That is why International Repair Day 2026, on Saturday 17 October, is a great opportunity to think twice before putting a broken item in the bin. The day celebrates the simple idea that repairing things is good for people, communities and the planet. It also helps to raise awareness of the growing ‘right to repair’ movement, which is encouraging manufacturers to make products easier to fix and keep in use.
Here in Wanstead, local volunteers will be marking Repair Day with a special repair taster session at Wanstead Library, among the books, from 2pm to 4pm on 17 October. The session will focus on small electrical items, sewing and jewellery repairs, offering residents the chance to bring along suitable items for repair help, advice and guidance. It is a small taste of what community repair is all about: rather than simply throwing something away, stop and ask whether it can be fixed.
And if you cannot get your item repaired then, there will be another opportunity soon. The next full Wanstead Repair Café takes place on Saturday 14 November, from 10.30am to 1pm at Christ Church Hall.
Thinking of trying a repair yourself by watching YouTube videos? Not every repair is suitable for doing at home. Electrical equipment, particularly anything involving mains electricity or lithium-ion batteries, can be dangerous if handled incorrectly. The advice from experienced repair groups is simple: if you are unsure, ask someone with the right skills rather than taking risks.
Repair is about more than fixing a toaster, mending a jumper or restoring a broken piece of jewellery. It is about changing our attitude to the things we own. By repairing, reusing and sharing skills, we can keep useful items out of the waste stream while strengthening connections within our local community.
So, before you replace that broken item, why not ask: “Could it be repaired?” This October, Wanstead has the chance to find out.
For more information on local Repair Cafés, visit wnstd.com/repaircafes
