In the UK, two million tonnes of electrical equipment are discarded each year, with much of it ending up in landfills. Our “throwaway civilization” is now being fought back by a burgeoning army of repairers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It can be tempting to throw away a damaged toaster, a broken kettle, or a laptop that has reached the end of its useful life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The staff at Stretford Repair Caf\u00e9 in Greater Manchester has offered to help in this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They will attempt to repair your malfunctioning electrical equipment in 15 minutes for the price of a drink.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Fix it before you throw it away,” their motto states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stitched Up, the company that runs the caf\u00e9, also runs sewing workshops across Manchester.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bryony Moore, co-director, described the concept of a repair caf\u00e9 as “simply basic logic.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“We live in such a disposable society,” she remarked, “and it bothers a lot of us.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“It’s quite simple with something like a phone, but there’s nowhere to get a toaster or radio mended, so you just get a new one.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The repair caf\u00e9 is a nice way to push back and say, ‘Actually, I don’t want anything new.’ “All I want is for my device to stay working.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2016, Stitched Up opened its first repair shop in Chorlton, Manchester.<\/p>\n\n\n\n