The Tool Library will be celebrating International Repair Day this Saturday October 21st by hosting a Dare to Repair Cafe at the Orchard Park Public Library. Dare to Repair Cafes are pop-up community events where individuals can bring broken items (lamps, small electronics, vacuums, toys, clothing, etc.) to the repair cafe and have volunteer “fixers” try to repair the item alongside them for free! This volunteer-powered event puts tools and talents to use in the community in an effort to reduce waste by diverting usable items from landfills.
“Repairing the things we already own is one of the simplest ways we can take action in creating more sustainable, affordable, and resilient communities” said Darren Cotton, Executive Director. “We’re excited that this month’s event coincides with International Repair Day, a celebration of the economic and environmental impact repair can have on our world.”
Since Dare to Repair Cafes kicked off in 2017 as a partnership between The Tool Library and the City of Buffalo Recycling Department, they’ve had the following impact:
698 items successfully repaired
6,218lbs of items diverted from landfills
$24,943 in replacement costs saved
For those unable to make it to October’s event, there will be two more Dare to Repair Cafés in 2023: Saturday, November 18th at UB Allen Hall and Saturday, December 9th at the North Park Branch Library in Buffalo. Anyone interested in bringing appliances or household items to be repaired are strongly encouraged to fill out the registration form in advance.
Repair categories at Saturday’s event include: clothing and textiles, small appliances, small electronics (please no TVs, cellphones, or tablets), lamps, vacuums, and toys.
Those who might be interested in volunteering as a fixer for a Dare to Repair Cafe can fill out the instructor sign up form online. Dare to Repair Cafes are made possible with community partners Buffalo Recycles, the city of Buffalo, and the Buffalo and Erie County Public Libraries and sponsors M&T Bank and the Third Generation Fund of the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo.
The post The Tool Library Celebrates International Repair Day with FREE Dare to Repair Cafe appeared first on Buffalo Rising.