Switzerland holds first ‘Repair Day’

Bicycles were a popular repair item, as were smartphones and jewellery. Gaetan bally / KEYSTONE

On Saturday, Switzerland held its first ever “Repair Day” at 29 different “Repair Café” locations across the country. By the end of the day, participating volunteers saved more than 800 objects from the trash bin.

The event was organised by the Swiss consumer protection associations FRC/SKS/ACSI. In all, more than 2.4 tonnes of goods were restored to good working order, according to a press release from SKS, the consumer protection association branch for the German-speaking region of the country.

The tweet from the SKS below reads: “Intermediate record #1 #CHRepairDay: 17 Repair Cafés have saved 451 items and 1165kg from the trash!”

Rekord-Zwischenstand zum 1. #CHReparaturtagExternal link: 17 #RepairCafesExternal link (12 fehlen) haben bereits 451 Gegenstände & damit 1165kg vor dem Müll bewahrt! pic.twitter.com/VX0npssLy4External link

— Konsumentenschutz (@KonsumSchutz) October 29, 2016External link

The most common objects repaired were electronic devices like mixers, vacuum cleaners and hair dryers (42%). About 14% of objects were textiles. Other articles included smartphones, jewellery, bicycles, and toys.

The SKS stated that interest in Repair Cafés has been growing, particularly in German-speaking Switzerland, with workshops in the region doubling from 20 in 2015 to 40 this year.

According to the SKS website, Repair Cafés are for owners of products in need of simple repair and people with craftsmanship experience. The goal of the events is to “bring these two groups together to increase the life and service of products.”

Participants can bring their defective products from home, and fix them with the help of volunteers who provide expert advice. Tools can be borrowed and spare parts purchased locally.