Repair Café The Gap

Join Repair Cafe The Gap: Be Part of the Climate Solution!

Did you know that by changing your consumer behaviour, you can reduce your carbon footprint, and thereby help reduce the frequency and intensity of extreme climatic events right here in Queensland, and all around the world?

Every product we purchase has its own carbon footprint, comprising the emissions from the energy used at each stage of the manufacturing, transportation, and disposal processes. The longer a product lasts, the lower its average emissions become over time, and the more slowly our aggregate carbon emissions accumulate. Unfortunately, as the saying goes, “they don’t make them like they used to”, and society’s growing demand for cheaper products has led to lower quality and durability. This often makes it easier and cheaper for people to toss broken items and replace them than attempt to repair them, even though it may only require a simple fix, as we’ve found during our Repair Cafe events.

What is the solution? We can all help by changing our consumer behaviour: REFUSE things we don’t need; REFRAIN from purchasing new items, opting instead for second-hand or even borrowing rarely-used items; RESEARCH items before you buy to find the most durable item you can afford; and also REPAIR the things we already own!

Community-driven Repair Cafes throughout the world, including Repair Cafe The Gap, are doing just that – helping communities to reduce their carbon footprint by encouraging changes in individual consumer behaviour, repairing household goods, and lobbying for more durable and repairable products to be manufactured. Their mission is to change the way people value their possessions, by fixing or teaching people how to repair their items rather than throwing them away and buying replacement items.

Repair Café The Gap is run by volunteers, who offer their time and skills to repair your consumer goods for free. Since its inception in March, over 180 items have been brought in for repair by around 100 community members, and attended to by at least 15 volunteers each month. Experienced repairers come with their tools to help repair your clothes, furniture, electrical appliances, bicycles, camping equipment, tools, toys – the list goes on! In the eight months of operation, over 56% of the items brought in were electronic/electrical goods. Around 60% of all items were successfully repaired! Unfortunately, about 25%, particularly electrical items, could not be repaired, either because the item could not be opened, or they required parts that were not easily sourced or would have been more expensive to obtain than a new item! This is why Repair Cafe The Gap is also working with the Griffith University and other Repair Cafes in southeast Queensland to lobby for “right to repair” legislation in Australia.

So get involved! Bring your broken items along – the chances are good that they can be fixed, which will help save our precious planet, and also save you some money! Why not volunteer? If you are great at fixing things, we are always happy to welcome new repairers, particularly licenced electricians. We also welcome general volunteers to help with the smooth running of the event on the day. In return for just 4 hours each month, you will experience the joy of volunteering, find that bit of ‘me time’ and meet like-minded people from the community. We meet on the third Saturday of each month (except December) at The Gap Scouts den, Paten Rd, The Gap . Facebook: Repaircafethegap Instagram: repaircafethegap Email: thegaprepaircafe@gmail.com.

Photographs with permission

Ange Costes Photography