Benefits of Repair Cafés

allows people to stay within their local areas with everything at their fingertips. Moreover, it has 168 been said ‘introducing new homes close to local transport links will create a thriving, sustainable community that encourages people to spend time here’, the core argument is the easier it is for people to travel to the high street, it will in turn perform better , also supporting the 'build build 169 build' law of 2020. By providing planning around everything being in close proximity it 170 coincides with the suggestions and findings proposed by Shaw and the House of Commons, as 171 well as the importance of community that continues to be reiterated.

In 2009, Marine Potsdam launched Repair Cafés the ‘community driven’ initiative in 172 Amsterdam, with its essence ‘rooted in old- style skills’. There is a relatively small body of 173 literature concerned with Repair Cafes but what is available is paramount to understanding their future role. This is a refreshing movement towards community cohesions as Kannengießer expressed ‘while repairing is an old practice, what is new is that the act of repairing becomes public in repair cafes’.174 The core ideals are translated by Hickman, being ‘a place where locals can sit back, relax and enjoy a coffee or tea while they have their toaster oven fixed’, additionally, Hickman considers the initiative a hybrid between beloved European Café culture and repairing, a

168

‘Health on the High Street: Embedding healthy living into urban regeneration after the pandemic’, Social Market Foundation, 2021, https://www.smf.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/ 2021/01/Health-on-the-high-street-January-21.pdf (Accessed 21st June 2021)

169

‘New firm launches with vision to 'save UK high streets’’, Property Funds World, 2021, https:// www.propertyfundsworld.com/2021/05/24/300731/new-firm-launches-vision-save-uk-highstreets (Accessed 17th June 2021) 170 Build, Build, Build, GOV.UK, 2020, https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-build-build-build (Accessed 7th June 2021)

A, Shaw, ‘How to save the UK's crisis-hit High Streets’, BBC, 2020, https://www.bbc.co.uk/

171 news/business-51094109 (Accessed 7th June 2021) and ‘Where will the high street be in 2030?’, House of Commons, 2019, https://houseofcommons.shorthandstories.com/hclg-committee-highstreets-2030-report/index.html? utm_source=twittercard1&utm_medium=twitter&utm_content=paid (Accessed 21st June 2021)

T, Coggins, ‘In Amsterdam, Repair Cafés are a Thing', The Culture Trip, 2017, https://

172 theculturetrip.com/europe/the-netherlands/articles/in-amsterdam-repair-cafes-are-a-thing/ (Accessed 17th June 2021)

173

F, Harari, ’Serving up old-school skills’, The Australian, 2019, https:// www.theaustralian.com.au/weekend-australian-magazine/repair-cafes-serve-up-oldschool-skills/ news-story/bb0188113abb3ed3512191cf3df0dac4 (Accessed 17th June 2021) 174 S, Kannengießer ‘Repair Cafés as Communicative Figurations: Consumer-Critical Media Practices for Cultural Transformation'. In: A, Hepp A, Breiter U, Hasebrink (eds) Communicative Figurations. Transforming Communications – Studies in Cross-Media Research. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham 2018, . https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-65584-0_5

no brainer for creating a tight nit community. Bassam mentions as repairing an item at the cafés 175 carries no charge it ‘opens new opportunities for those who might otherwise be unable to afford to go to them’, promoting the health of the community and high street.176 Madon argued, whilst observing Repair Cafés launched in France, where they have been greatly supported, they hold the purpose of acting as a ‘role of an environmental organisation, an alternative to the capitalist economy and a place for mass education’.177 This argument links to initiatives suggested by those such as Shaw178 and Portas merging elements of society, bringing them to the high street to 179 create excitement and an experience which in turn would reward the high street financially as it attracts footfall. Additionally, Madon reveals another benefit, ‘helping to transform the relationship to objects’, providing evidence that they carry the potential of much more than fixing a broken item they could change consumer shopping habits, adhering to the shift towards more ethical 180 shopping choices as communicated by Iqbal and Deloitte. 181 Charter illustrates besides their main purpose they ‘provide a friendly place that contributes to a sense of community’, something the high street is currently devoid of. Pesch (et al) concurs with other scholarly arguments on its 182 social advantages, reinforcing they create ‘social cohesion’.183

175

M, Hickman, ‘Repair Cafes: A Place to Meet Up and Mend’, Treehugger, 2021, https:// www.treehugger.com/repair-cafes-place-meet-up-and-mend-4865905 (Accessed 11th June 2021) 176 E, Bassam, ‘THE REPAIR CAFÉ: WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM IT?’, Rethinking Poverty, 2021 https://www.rethinkingpoverty.org.uk/local-initiatives/the-repair-cafe-what-can-we-learn-from-it/ (Acessed 10th June 2021) 177 J, Madon, ‘Free repair against the consumer society: How repair cafés socialize people to a new relationship to objects’, Journal of Consumer Culture, 2021, https://doi.org/ 10.1177/1469540521990871

A, Shaw, ‘How to save the UK's crisis-hit High Streets’, BBC, 2020, https://www.bbc.co.uk/

178 news/business-51094109 (Accessed 7th June 2021) 179 M, Portas, ‘The Portas Review’ 2011, https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/ uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/6292/2081646.pdf (Accessed 7th June 2021) 180 J, Madon, ‘Free repair against the consumer society: How repair cafés socialize people to a new relationship to objects’. Journal of Consumer Culture, 2021, https://doi.org/ 10.1177/1469540521990871

N, Iqbal, ’Don’t save the high street – change it completely, says retail guru Mary Portas’, The

181 Guardian, 2020, https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/dec/06/dont-save-the-high-streetchange-it-completely-says-retail-guru-mary-portas (Accessed 8th June 2021) What next for the high street? Part two: A revival, Deloitte, 2021, https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/ uk/Documents/consumer-business/deloitte-uk-what-next-for-the-high-street-part2.pdf (Accessed 18th June 2021)

182

M, Charter, ‘REPAIR CAFES’, Journal of Peer Production, 2018, https://research.uca.ac.uk/ 3920/1/jopp_issue12_vol3of3-Charter-repair-cafes-article.pdf (Accessed 4th June 2021) 183 U, Pesch, W, Spekkink, & J, Quist, ‘Local sustainability initiatives: innovation and civic engagement in societal experiments’, European Planning Studies, 27:2, 2019, 300-317, DOI: 10.1080/09654313.2018.1464549

Repair cafés have gained interest from academics, government and private investors alike who are witnessing how they can aid ‘sustainability transformations’ people are starting to pay attention to. Meibner states academic discussions surrounding repair tend to be dominated around the 184 theme of allowing individuals to take accountability or ‘developing an awareness’ for the world we live in, at times omitting their social benefits. In most scholarly articles and comments 185 surrounding this topic, the link between Repair Cafés and a circular economy is recurring, demonstrating their inherent connection. Currently, we operate in a predominantly ‘linear economy’, following the ‘model of buy-use dispose’186 how most of the general public spend their money and why high streets have been dominated by large chains, profiting from this way of consumption. However, we are slowly seeing the move towards a ‘circular economy’ which maintains ‘resources moving around in the economy, rather than shunting them through it to a dead end’. Van de Velden establishes repair exists ‘as one of the phases in a circular economy and 187 supports product lifetime extension’. Furthermore, Stahel and MacArthur argue a circular 188 economy is the ‘most sustainable post - production business model’ as it ‘introduces an attitude of ‘caring’’, in line with the ethos of Repair Cafés. Stahel and MacArthur also state ‘in the circular 189 industrial economy, the decision takers are the individual object owners’, which can also be facilitated through Repair Cafés.190 Further confirmed through analysis conducted by the Repair

184

M, Meibner, ‘Repair is care? - Dimensions of care within collaborative practices in repair cafes’ Journal of Cleaner Production, 2021 https://reader.elsevier.com/reader/sd/pii/ S095965262101132X? token=D31BA73722183AB5FCF1A02FBD1C7F056FC089E4E4E8162140FF2B39E6133E880F5F DAFA9994887F45A784BF2F41FC64&originRegion=eu-west-1&originCreation=20210609200417 (Accessed 9th June 2021) 185 M, Meibner, ‘Repair is care? - Dimensions of care within collaborative practices in repair cafes’ Journal of Cleaner Production, 2021, https://reader.elsevier.com/reader/sd/pii/ S095965262101132X? token=D31BA73722183AB5FCF1A02FBD1C7F056FC089E4E4E8162140FF2B39E6133E880F5F DAFA9994887F45A784BF2F41FC64&originRegion=eu-west-1&originCreation=20210609200417 (Accessed 9th June 2021)

J, Herriman, ’Repair cafés' are about fixing things - including communities’, The Ecologist,

186 2015, https://theecologist.org/2015/apr/07/repair-cafes-are-about-fixing-things-includingcommunities (Accessed 7th June 2021)

J, Herriman, ’Repair cafés' are about fixing things - including communities’, The Ecologist,

187 2015, https://theecologist.org/2015/apr/07/repair-cafes-are-about-fixing-things-includingcommunities (Accessed 7th June 2021) 188 M, Van der Velden, “‘Fixing the World One Thing at a Time’: Community repair and a sustainable circular economy”, Journal of Cleaner Production, Vol 304, 2021, https://doi.org/ 10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.127151

189

W.R, Stahel, & E, MacArthur, The Circular Economy: A User’s Guide (1st ed.) Routledge, 2019, https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429259203

190

W.R, Stahel, & E, MacArthur, The Circular Economy: A User’s Guide (1st ed.) Routledge, 2019, https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429259203

Monitor who found, ‘a visit to a repair cafe makes the circular economy tangible in one go’, making them even more valuable.191

In todays ‘linear’ culture, with the rise of the internet alongside market domination of fast production and affordable prices, fixing an item may feel foreign to consumers, an argument established by König, ‘availability of cheap, mass-produced fashion has contributed to a decline in everyday domestic mending skills’. Charter and Keiller concur, stating ‘consumer culture fuelled 192 by cheap credit and low cost products is driving the consumption of materials by western economies’ and volunteers often believe there is ‘in-built obsolescence’ in majority of products, which further contributes to this way of consuming. Fischer argues in the same vein, claiming a 193 large amount of what is purchased, online or in person, is ‘designed to be discarded’, but Repair Cafés offer an opportunity ‘to change our lifestyles’ and reject these damaging consumer habits.194 In 2018, during an American Repair Café, where 254 million tonnes of waste was generated in 2013, attendees were made aware some products are ‘built to fail’ in accordance with Charter and Keiller and Fisher, this encourages consumers to repurchase items that could be fixed in 195 moments because we are trained to think it is easier to buy a new one. Alongside the progression 196 towards a circular economy the benefits of rejecting ‘the throwaway culture’ emerges and repair cafes are a ‘deliberative attempt’ against this way of living, whilst learning new skills and creating bonds with people.197

191

‘Analysis results 2019’, Repair Monitor, 2020, https://repaircafe.org/en/wp-content/uploads/ sites/2/2020/05/RepairMonitor_analysis_2019_05052020_ENGLISH.pdf (Accessed 4th June 2021) 192 A, König, ‘A Stitch in Time: Changing Cultural Constructions of Craft and Mending. Culture Unbound': Journal of Current Cultural Research, 5 (33). 2013, pp. 569-585. https://doi.org/ 10.3384/cu.2000.1525.135569

M, Charter,S, Keiller, ‘The Second Global Survey of Repair Cafés: A Summary of Findings’,

193

The centre for Sustainable Design, 2016, https://research.uca.ac.uk/3140/1/ The%20Second%20Global%20Survey%20of%20Repair%20Cafes%20%20A%20Summary%20of%20Findings.pdf (Accessed 9th June 2021)

194

M, Fisher, “Reviving the Art of Repair.” Sanctuary: Modern Green Homes, no. 39, 2017, pp. 78–80. www.jstor.org/stable/90009782. (Accessed 4th June 2021) 195 M, Charter, S, Keiller, ‘The Second Global Survey of Repair Cafés: A Summary of Findings', The centre for Sustainable Design, 2016, https://research.uca.ac.uk/3140/1/ The%20Second%20Global%20Survey%20of%20Repair%20Cafes%20%20A%20Summary%20of%20Findings.pdf (Accessed 9th June 2021) and M, Fisher, “Reviving the Art of Repair.” Sanctuary: Modern Green Homes, no. 39, 2017, pp. 78–80. www.jstor.org/ stable/90009782. (Accessed 4th June 2021)

C, Mele, ‘At Repair Cafes, ‘Beloved but Broken’ Possessions Find New Life', New York Times,

196 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/18/us/repair-cafe.html (Accessed 9th June 2021)

J, Herriman, ’Repair cafés' are about fixing things - including communities’, The Ecologist,

197 2015, https://theecologist.org/2015/apr/07/repair-cafes-are-about-fixing-things-includingcommunities (Accessed 7th June 2021)

Adopting this way of consuming could result in a decline of online sales, potentially returning the business to physical stores as one would be thinking more about their next purchase not just buying a top because it is discounted. Graziano and Trogal continue to detail how repair initiatives can benefit the environment and societies wasteful habits by stating ‘repair practices of goods that are emerging as a transnational form of resistance to the dominant ‘throwaway paradigm’’. Also 198 adding they show ‘a great demand for public sites of learning that are free and accessible’, encouraging the consumer to get involved with no catches.199 Arguments found in literature continue to recognise society currently disposes products without thinking and welcoming Repair Cafés and similar initiatives to be accessible to encourage this more thoughtful way of living.

Their prevalence continues to be reinforced by Yeung as ‘nearly two thirds of europeans would rather repair their products than buy new ones’ confirming launching initiatives alike to Repair Cafés would not be wasted. There are over 2000 worldwide and 125 cafes in the UK200 , in 201 addition to various pop up locations such as Bristol who have been running their Repair Café every month since 2013202 as well as Cornwall council recently announcing their enthusiasm to introduce Repair Cafés by developing the Repair Café network.203 Besides the social benefits there are great environmental benefits, in 2019 it was reported 222.9 million tonnes a year in waste is generated by the UK, with under half being recycled, therefore, this initiative is great to encourage the average consumer to think about purchases and what they throw away. Considering the vast amount of 204 waste produced by the UK, in 2018, a Repair Café in Reading redirected 24kg of waste from

198

V, Graziano, and K, Trogal, ‘The politics of collective repair: examining object-relations in a postwork society’. Cultural Studies, 31, (5), 2017, pp. 634-658 (doi:10.1080/09502386.2017.1298638) 199V, Graziano, and K, Trogal, ‘The politics of collective repair: examining object-relations in a postwork society’. Cultural Studies, 31, (5), 2017, pp. 634-658 (doi:10.1080/09502386.2017.1298638)

P, Yeung, ‘The country rejecting throwaway culture’, BBC, 2021, https://www.bbc.com/future/

200 article/20210128-right-to-repair-how-the-french-are-fighting-avoidable-waste (Accessed 7th June 2021) 201 E, Bassam, ‘THE REPAIR CAFÉ: WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM IT?’, Rethinking Poverty, 2021, https://www.rethinkingpoverty.org.uk/local-initiatives/the-repair-cafe-what-can-we-learn-from-it/ (Accessed 10th June 2021)

202

Repair Cafe Bristol, https://bristolrepaircafe.wordpress.com/about/ (Accessed 22nd June 2021)

203

Cornwall Council, https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/environment/climate-emergency/community/ (Accessed 17th June 2021)

A, Hartley, ‘Repairing rather than recycling – the rise of the Repair Cafe’, Solution, 2019,

204 https://www.solution-loans.co.uk/blog/repairing-rather-than-recycling-the-rise-of-the-repair-cafe/ (Accessed 4th June 2021)

landfill alongside 284kg of Co2, and another repair event saved 55lb of waste during one 205 congregation at a Café in London , this alone proves devoid of social benefits and community 206 enhancement they are valuable. Furthermore, the concept of repairing proves to be of interest to the UK general public, the BBC television programme ‘The Repair Shop’ has been indicative of change, with the Christmas special attracting 5.5 million viewers and the BBC One afternoon showing reaching 2.9 million viewers, illustrating it would not be a wasted initiative.207

The success of Cafés around the world have given the confidence to expand the initiative in the United Kingdom, the majority (600) remain in the Netherlands, where the concept was born, as Coggins reported on Amsterdam Cafés in 2017 reiterating that they ‘help to create and maintain local social networks’.208 Schmid reported on Repair Cafés and similar initiatives in Germany, where they have also been welcomed, expressing they ‘function as social catalysts putting people in touch with other subjects and different worldview’, regardless of the item you bring in, you have the opportunity to connect with likeminded people. Belgium have also experienced a large 209 amount of support after adopting the concept, with 35,807 people attending different locations throughout 2015. Lastly, Australia have adopted the idea and launched 40 cafes across the 210 country running weekly workshops to continually provide the service after positive feedback.211

Although literature concerning Repair Cafés is predominantly positive, some may be critical arguing they are removing business from professional repairers who rely on people without skills, despite this, according to CAG the target audience for the cafés seem to be those who would not

205

K, Lyons, ‘Can we fix it? The repair cafes waging war on throwaway culture’, The Guardian, 2018, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/15/can-we-fix-it-the-repair-cafes-wagingwar-on-throwaway-culture ( Accessed 4th June 2021)

S, Zhuravlyova, ’The return of make do and mend’, The Oldie, 2021, https://

206 www.theoldie.co.uk/blog/what-are-repair-cafes (Accessed 7th June 2021) 207 ‘Award-winning restoration show The Repair Shop moves to evenings on BBC One this spring’, BBC, 2020, https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2020/the-repair-shopmoves-evenings-bbc-one (Accessed 22nd June 2021)

T, Coggins, ‘In Amsterdam, Repair Cafés are a Thing’, The Culture Trip, 2017, https://

208 theculturetrip.com/europe/the-netherlands/articles/in-amsterdam-repair-cafes-are-a-thing/ (Accessed 17th June 2021) 209 B, Schmid,‘Repair’s diverse transformative geographies: Lessons from a repair community in Stuttgart’, Ephemera Journal, 19 2019, pp, 229-251.http://www.ephemerajournal.org/sites/ default/files/pdfs/contribution/19-2schmid.pdf (Accessed 20th June) 210 S, Arslanian, ’ Belgium’s Repair Cafés. Where you can recycle your favourite objects while making new friends’, Lifegate, 2016, https://www.lifegate.com/belgium-repair-cafe (Accessed 17th June 2021)

211

F, Harari, ‘Serving up old-school skills’, The Australian, 2019, https:// www.theaustralian.com.au/weekend-australian-magazine/repair-cafes-serve-up-oldschool-skills/ news-story/bb0188113abb3ed3512191cf3df0dac4 (Accessed 17th June 2021)