News / UWE Bristol

‘Reducing waste and embracing circular economy’: Repair Café returns to campus

By Milan Perera  Tuesday Oct 8, 2024

After the success of its inaugural edition last year, ‘Repair Café’ is to return to UWE Bristol campus.

The monthly repair cafe will be opened from October 9 following a special ‘repair skills day’ event held on September 25 marking the advent of the repair cafe for the new academic year.

The initiative was first launched in 2023 as part of the Royal Academy of Engineering-funded MAKERS Project (Making And Knowledge Exchange for Repair and Sustainability). It is estimated that in its first year alone, the scheme prevented some 248kg of waste going to landfill and saved 1.5 tonnes of CO2 emissions—the equivalent of growing 26 tree seedlings for 10 years.

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The initiative offers staff and students of UWE Bristol and members of the public the chance to have their broken items fixed for free at the university’s School of Engineering at Frenchay campus.

The MAKERS project hopes to foster a sense of belonging among diverse engineering students by engaging them in sustainability and repair initiatives. Additionally, it expects to address the climate and ecological emergency in collaboration with local communities.

The Repair Cafe, held every second Wednesday of the month during term-time in the atrium of the School of Engineering building, is run by students and community and industry repair volunteers. Items that can be repaired may include electricals and small appliances, clothes, and anything that can be glued, soldered or stitched.

Kat Corbett, UWE Bristol’s MAKERS project coordinator, said: “I am thrilled to see the return of our Repair Café with the added excitement of the repair skills day. It’s heartening to witness the community coming together, sharing their expertise, and promoting sustainable practices through hands-on learning.

“This initiative empowers individuals to gain confidence in repairing items while fostering collaboration. The positive energy around these events reflects our collective dedication to reducing waste and embracing a circular economy. I’m very excited about the skills we’ll continue to build together.”

The Repair Cafe is held every second Wednesday of the month during term-time in the atrium of the School of Engineering building

Volunteer repairers of electrical and electronic items will receive guidance and support from the School of Engineering’s skilled technicians, ensuring all repairs are done in a safe manner and to a high standard. Also, the repair volunteers will receive ‘skill badges’ and repair kits to enhance their career prospects.

More information and further details on how to sign up, visit www.uwe.ac.uk/about/values-vision-strategy/sustainability/reduce-reuse-recycle/repair-cafe

All photos: UWE Bristol

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