After a bit of a hiatus, our podcast is back and we were honoured to be joined by Mark Miodownik for a chat about researching and communicating around repair. Mark is not only an author, engineer, Professor of Materials and Society at UCL, and a director of the Institute of Making but also the newly appointed Royal Society Professor for Public Engagement with Science — meaning that he’s really good at turning people who think they are apathetic about the material things (less in the Madonna sense and more like Aluminium honeycombs and Nano Fibres, to name a couple) in our world, into enthusiasts. 

Mark shares with us how he got into public engagement around engineering and repair. It turns out that it’s out of love and a personal passion for the subject! He believes that engineering should be as revered as much as art, music, and movies because it is, and has long been, a really integral part of human culture. We learn that a key part of effectively communicating about repair,  in Mark’s opinion, is to play on your own enthusiasm about the subject, finding commonality, and an in-road to make the topic just as exciting to them — one of the ways that he does this is by talking about his bike. An example of this is the Materials Library at the IoM, making it a tactile and real experience that people can engage with.

And as much as it’s important to get the general public interested in repair, we need to also be communicating its impact to funders and the government. One way that we can do that, Mark says, is by talking about its social value and the impact it has to strengthen our communities, and on our mental and physical health. 

Recently, Mark was part of a team that undertook a wide-spanning piece of research called the Big Repair Project, where they looked into repair habits in the UK, what influences them, and most importantly what is stopping people from repairing their stuff. When it came to barriers to repair, some of the main ones included cost, how long repair takes, the societal norms of consumer culture, apathy of the general public towards saving their stuff, and discouragement from manufacturers. 

“By and large people don’t enjoy throwing things away. It’s not something that gives them a kick, mostly people just want it to work and they actually appreciate the objects…we found that they felt like they had no choice, because buying new is the cheapest option in many cases.”

He shares some other major findings from the study, including what surprised him. It turns out that people expect their small electricals to last an average of five years and bigger white goods to last for ten — and this simply isn’t happening. So next they thought, how can we make this the reality? That’s what their next study is about. 

Mark shares his vision of a world where a washing machine was so repairable, so long-lasting that it could be passed down from generation to generation. So in the upcoming study, they’re going to find out what would be needed to make that happen. Part of it, he says, comes from utilising the technology that is now starting to be built-in to our white goods — technology that to most of us currently seems a bit unnecessary. But they are wondering if solutions like prompts for maintenance could prolong the life of these machines significantly. 

“They’re making a machine that starts out as rocks in one part of the world, gets made into steel, gets made into all sorts of copper windings for the motor, adds plastics and rubbers, and then it ends up in your hands. And they do all of that for 250 quid. That’s quite a remarkable engineering achievement. But the truth is…by having it so finely attuned to the price point, they’re prone to failure.”

It’s a difficult balance. Under our current system, manufacturers struggle to produce these machines while also hitting profit margins and encouraging new sales. He shares a few possible solutions, ones that would likely be very effective. But ultimately, it’s an issue that is bigger than any one company. Instead, it requires an overhaul of how governments and policy makers think about our economy and more sustainable models. 

We couldn’t end our conversation without bringing up the concept of self-repairing materials. So, Mark gives us a run-down of what progress has been made so far including self-repairing cement and paint, that are already being used in our day-to-day lives. The idea, he says, is that these materials will be able to mimic the repair mechanisms inside our own bodies, monitoring for when work is needed and acting on that without our intervention. 

It’s a necessary technology to ensure that we become more resilient against the effects of climate change, keeping infrastructure like bridges and roads in good condition. But it’s also a technology that could be applied to our devices. Though at the moment we haven’t quite gotten there, Mark explains how he sees ‘animated’ self-repairing phones could be in our future. 

Links:

[Photos courtesy of Mark B and Marianne Cornelissen-Kuyt licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0]

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Spring has sprung in London and so have new repair initiatives! We sat down with Shelini and Fiona to have a chat about two exciting projects that have just kicked off in the capital.

First, Shelini told us about the launch of the brand new Hackney Fixing Factory that happened in April. As we waved goodbye to the historic Hackney Fixers group, a more permanent space has taken root right off the high street. Friends and project partners joined us to cut the ribbon and celebrate our third Fixing Factory.

We spoke about some of the fresh ideas that we’re bringing to this space and the activities that are going on including: community repair events (à la Restart Parties), Fixperience Workshops, a Future Fixers course, and a Repair Club. We’re also planning to open two more sites in the near future, one in Haringey and one somewhere else in London. If you have a suggestion for where we should go next or want to get involved as a volunteer – get in touch!

Then, Fiona introduced us to the repair voucher scheme that we are running across North London, in partnership with North London Waste Authority, ReLondon and FixFirst. The trial follows examples in Austria, France and Germany and is the first of it’s kind in the UK. In practice, it means that residents in North London can register for a voucher which gets them 50% (up to £50) off a repair at a participating repair business.

Repair vouchers totally resonate with what we’re asking for in the Repair and Reuse Declaration. Fiona talks us through how we hope that the scheme will help push for policy change on a big scale in the UK. And the public are in support of it too! Our initial data shows that ~48% of those that signed up for a voucher would not have considered repairing their item otherwise, signalling that this could have huge ripple effects on reducing e-waste.

We also spoke about the challenges to repair businesses and how this scheme could hopefully help bolster the repair economy in London. We’re still looking for repair businesses to participate in this trial, so if this sounds interesting you can learn more here.

Links:

[Feature image courtesy of Mark A Phillips]

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We can’t believe that we’ve already reached episode 100 of The Restart Podcast! We launched this show a decade ago to explore the world of repair, connect with others in the space, and think about how our work fits into the wider world of sustainability and circularity, autonomy and ownership, and education and accessibility. And we’re so proud of what we’ve managed to produce and the conversations that we’ve had over the years. 

To mark the occasion, we wanted to speak to a few notable people that haven’t featured on the podcast yet. These are people who you might have thought would’ve been in the first handful of episodes. But right now, is actually a perfect time to reflect together and think about what comes next for the repair movement. In this episode, Ugo got back behind the mic to connect with contemporaries and old friends. He spoke to Martine Postma, Kyle Wiens, Cristina Ganapini, and Mathew Lubari about their unique takes on repair. 

Martine shares with us her memories of setting up the first repair cafe back in Amsterdam in 2009 and how community repair has blossomed since then. From those humble beginnings, there are now over 3,500 repair cafes around the world. And that number doesn’t even include other community repair initiatives like Restart Parties, Fixit Clinics and more – showing just how far the roots of her idea have spread over time. We reflected on their 15 year anniversary event last autumn and what the future holds – or at least Martine hopes – for community repair. 

Kyle had some interesting takeaways from last year’s Open Repair Alliance report that Ugo was eager to dive into. What resulted were some recommendations for how community repair events can really thrive as solutions to people’s everyday needs and integrate into our existing ways of living. They also speak about the end of iFixit! But don’t worry, it’s not happening anytime soon. Rather, as we continue to make gains towards achieving the Right to Repair, they ponder where iFixit would sit in a world where manufacturers make repair manuals and spare parts readily available. It turns out, there will always be a place for conveners of experience and knowledge – something that we know a lot about!

Next, Ugo catches up with Cristina about Right to Repair policy, mainly in Europe, over the last decade. She shares her feelings as someone who is campaigning day in day out for a real Right to Repair. One thing to be particularly proud of, she says, is the Right to Repair Directive and she’s also hopeful about new changes to battery regulation coming into force in 2027. They discuss how although we have a long way to go and new legislation doesn’t include all electricals yet, it’s a clear sign that repair is on agenda and has new visibility that was not the case a decade – or even five years – ago. 

Finally, Ugo speaks to our only return guest of the episode, Mathew from Community Creativity 4 Development. He shares with us how their work has evolved over the last few years and the work that they are doing to involve new communities and improve real people’s lives on the ground through repair. It’s inspiring work that has not only caught our eye but the eye of those in surrounding countries. Mathew shares his recent collaborations with repairers in Kenya and posits a new idea for a Right to Repair convening forum in Africa that will help them spread their love for repair even further. 

And that’s episode 100! We want to give a huge thank you to everyone who has been involved in the podcast (and over 140 episodes of Restart Radio) in the last ten years. That includes all of our past guests, Optonoise, Cassini Sound, the team at Resonance FM, all of the Restart volunteers who have hosted radio takeovers, and of course, Dave Pickering who produced this show for many years. We’re excited to see what comes next and hope that you will keep listening and learning with us.

Links:

[“Screwdriver, Ratchet, A.wav” by InspectorJ (www.jshaw.co.uk) of Freesound.org; Photo of Cristina by Mark A Phillips]

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A transcript of this podcast is available

Sitting nestled in the mountains of France sits a small building buzzing with activity. Backdropped by the snowy Alps, signs on the building read “where borders meet”, “welcome” and “repair station”, a perfect summary of the Low-tech & Refugees project run by EKO!. In this episode, we speak to Marjolaine Bert, founder of EKO! about how repair and ingenuity can give vulnerable people life saving solutions, learning from each other, and building empathy between communities. 

The Low-tech & Refugees project aims to help refugees, migrants and exiled people with low-tech solutions to basic needs like food, water, shelter, communication materials and so on. Through a combination of trainings and workshops, volunteers and beneficiaries work together to repair, upcycle and share skills. Marjolaine has brought this work to hotspots like the Mória refugee camp in Lesbos, Marseilles, and now her hometown of Briançon where she is helping those making the treacherous crossing across the French-Italian border. 

We asked Marjolaine about the reasoning behind the low-tech approach that they take. She says that low-tech solutions come with the territory for their work. For the most part, the people who arrive at EKO! have very little means and from this, springs creativity and a make-do-and-mend attitude. Marjolaine shares some examples of ingenious inventions that they have made over the years. This includes hand warmers made out of discarded baby food pouches, portable lamps made from empty disposable water bottles, and tent insulation made from life jackets. 

And while this approach is a necessity when you have such little means and materials to work with, it doesn’t mean that it should only be used in these scenarios. We talk about the need for those who have the power to choose a more sustainable way of life to do so. Especially, as the reason many displaced people are in this position is due to our changing climate. 

Marjolaine runs us through the impressive number of activities going on every week at EKO! including bike fixing, clothes mending, woodworking and beekeeping! In their workshops, EKO! have an approach to teaching that hits close to home for those of us familiar with Restart Parties. Marjolaine explains that these sessions don’t have a ‘teacher’ per say but rely on everyone in the room sharing their own unique experiences and knowledge so that they can work out solutions together. She shares that for some migrants this can be an incredibly grounding experience, allowing them to reconnect with the life that they may have left behind and their autonomy as people. 

“And it’s really interesting because then people that are usually just learning, in the position of the one that doesn’t know, can be in the position of the one that knows the best. Maybe he knows how to use a sewing machine because before in his life, he was a tailor…

And that’s really interesting to see self-confidence and dignity coming through that kind of relationship where everyone’s equal and we all have something to learn from each other. Maybe the one that knows how to sew doesn’t know how to speak the local language. So, everyone has to learn something in the meeting.”

EKO! also run repair cafes every week where refugees and migrants, locals and even tourists come to fix together. It’s a unique opportunity for collaboration between groups that have much working against them. Especially, Marjolaine points out, with the way that the media portrays migrants in France. 

All in all, the project has a far-reaching impact on not only the beneficiaries but the local community and volunteers as well. We like to bring this ethos to our own community repair activities, knowing that people from all walks of life have skills and knowledge to share. EKO goal! really take this to an inspiring new level that we can all learn from. 

If you’d like to donate or get involved with EKO!’s work, take a look at the following links:

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Have you ever binned or recycled something that was still working, or could have been repaired? Our new report says that the answer is likely, yes. Did you want to do so? Our polling suggests, no!

Last year, we conducted a small study on rates of reuse and repair at a waste and recycling centre in London and found that almost half of the small electricals that went to scrap, could have been either repaired or directly reused. We had our suspicions that this wasn’t a stand alone occurrence, so we set our sights on something bigger. In this episode, we talk to Restart’s own James Pickstone about our new BREW (Beyond Recycling of E-Waste) report into reuse at UK waste facilities, and Sarah Ottoway, Sustainability and Social Value Lead at SUEZ about their new report into uptake of reuse options at their own facilities.

The main – unfortunate but compelling – takeaway from the BREW report shows that there is nowhere near enough of this activity happening. In fact, we found that only around half of waste facilities in the UK have any kind of reuse stream and only around a fifth offer reuse for small electricals. It’s a shockingly low statistic that desperately needs to change. If you want to dive deeper, you’re in luck. James takes us on a journey through our findings and what they mean. Including an even more appalling figure on repair at waste facilities.

For SUEZ, their findings are looking a bit brighter. They found that the majority of visitors to the HWRCs were already users of the on-site reuse shop and regularly so. Furthermore, those who weren’t using the shop were already engaging in similar activities eg. charity shopping and buying second hand. It’s a welcome insight into people’s mindsets and a positive sign that more people are picking up sustainable habits.

James and Sarah run us through what reuse options really look like at these facilities. One of the most impressive perhaps, is Suez’s 6,000² foot ‘renew hub’ in Manchester which caters for upcycling and repair for everything from bicycles, to fabric and upholstery, to woodworking. She is clearly immensely proud of what they have built there and recounts to us the inspiration that she feels just by walking through its entrance. It’s the kind of facility that we want to have in every area of the UK and its the kind of inspiration that we need to make it happen.

As well as the reuse initiatives at council run sites, James points out that there are also many grassroots initiatives spread out around the UK. These are a more than worthy alternative but they also still need funding.

Our polling showed that 85% of the British public think items brought to waste facilities should be kept in use through being repaired/refurbished or donated/sold. And the same percentage support government-set targets for reuse. So what’s stopping that from happening? We talk to both of our guests about the barriers and solutions to encourage more reuse options. Sarah says that a lot of the time, the barriers are actually quite practical. Issues of too little space, too little time and too little funding are preventing more options like reuse hubs or refurbish and repair programmes from popping up. These are problems that occur on a case by case basis and while reuse could use more funding as a general rule, its a tricky issue to solve.

But there is action that policymakers can be taking. Sarah and James both run us through some of these potential options including new reuse targets, removal of VAT on repairs and spare parts, and financial incentives for manufacturers to provide longer repair support for products. It’s exactly the kind of thing that we’re asking for in the UK Repair and Reuse Declaration – which has already proven popular with citizens and MPs alike.

Links:

[Images by Mark A Phillips, licensed under CC BY 4.0.]

The Beyond Recycling of E-Waste (BREW) project was supported, in part, by IMPETUS.

IMPETUS is funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement number 101058677. Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency (REA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

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For our August episode, we spoke to professor and writer, Shannon Mattern about her writing on the history of repair and repair manuals. It’s a theme that she has almost unknowingly been pursuing in her work for many years, bringing it to areas of thought that we haven’t yet explored on the show. 

The repair manual brings into play lots of elements that fascinate Mattern including graphic design and instructional media but perhaps what stands out most is her belief that the genre isn’t always so straight forward in its pedagogical nature. In fact, in classes she often encourages students to use the repair manual as a lens through which to reinvent objects in a more considered way.

The modern repair manual – the one that Right to Repair activists across the world are fighting against – commonly tells us not to even open our devices instead of to repair them. But how did we get here? Mattern takes us through a brief history of the repair manual in its various iterations. From handwritten and drawn examples centuries ago, to the first printed manuals, and then the boom of private goods (and the means to repair them) in the 1950s. She points out that repair manuals have always had a complicated relationship with their reader and this approach is not wholly new. Thats why collectives like Videofreex found a need to produce their own literature on repairing equipment, just one example of the many responses to the genre.

We also touch on the need for oral histories and manuals, rather than the published ones that we are used to seeing from manufacturers. Its a practice particularly common in places like Cuba where getting your hands on a written manual can be prohibitively expensive, if they exist at all. But this also rings very true when considering Restart’s own network of community repairers today.

As has become clear, the repair manual will never be the be all end all of repairing an object – or our world. Mattern shares some more inventive ways that repair manuals have been used as a ‘boundary object’ in order to encourage conversation and cooperation, especially in the community action space. Rather than being only used as instructive pieces, the manual can actually be a tool in itself. And in fact, this resonates deeply with us, as Restart would not be what it is today if not for the wonderful community of people sharing their skills, their knowledge, and collaborating to make a change.

Links:

[Photos courtesy of Internet Archive,  London Community Video Archive and the Experimental Television Centre]

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We spoke to Restart’s own Pascale Hall and James Pickstone, and Dr Kersty Hobson from Cardiff University about the Student Repair Revolution project and their learnings and hopes for the future of student repair initiatives. 

We know that engaging young people in repair is no easy task which is partly why the Student Repair Revolution project was set up in the first place. So, we discuss the main challenges that were found when trying to set up initiatives in universities. Kersty stresses that it really is dependent on the unique situation of each institution. Campus layout, student extracurricular culture, and the types of courses offered can all affect how easy it is to establish repair groups at a university. Students are also time poor, which means that accessibility and visibility of these repair activities is vital. 

But as Pascale and James point out, not all the barriers that they found are unique to university students. There are also the all too recognisable challenges of obtaining insurance for events and finding the volunteers to run them – issues that any repair group organiser will recognise. What seems to be clear is that the ‘traditional’ repair cafe model does not suit universities… especially when it falls on a hungover Sunday morning. 

Pascale says that one of the most exciting parts of working on this project has been seeing the knowledge and experience sharing between student groups. With such a daunting task, it’s clear that we need to be fostering collaboration between those who are really motivated to establish repair on campuses. And working with local groups is important also. Not only because community repairers can share their experiences in organising events, but they can also pass on their fixing skills which are sadly being lost between generations. 

Kersty stresses throughout our conversation that students also need encouragement to get involved in repair. 

“I don’t think we can assume that we’ve got a young generation of repairers waiting in the wings. I think we need to be part of the change to facilitate and empower them to be able to do repair.”

While young people are interested in repair – whether for environmental or financial reasons – it’s not enough to expect them to become leaders of the movement on their own. There is a wealth of knowledge on technical skills, Right to Repair policy, and community organising that is just waiting to be shared with the next generation of repair rebels.

Links:

[Feature image courtesy of University of Leeds]

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This month, we spoke to Libby Peake, Head of Resource Policy at Green Alliance about their work on waste and resources, and how we can get the UK government to act urgently to tackle these issues. 

Libby begins by giving us a rundown on government resources policy over the last decade and how it stacks up to the measures that have been put in place in European countries. As she says, ‘bits and bobs’ have been done including on resource and energy efficiency, but it’s not what we need to make a major difference.

“The UN has been raising alarms about the amount of resources that are extracted from the earth. It’s nearly quadrupled since the 1970s and the UN has estimated that that’s driving 50% of global emissions and 90% of biodiversity loss and water stress. So, the planet cannot handle it if we keep extracting resources to this extent.”

We also touch on the UK’s shocking production of electrical waste (e-waste):  The 2024 Global E-Waste Monitor was published soon after our interview and the UK are still number 2 on the leaderboard of the world’s highest producers of e-waste per person. It’s a leaderboard that we’re not happy to be near the top of, but there are things that we can do to change this. 

One way we’re going about this is with the UK Repair and Reuse Declaration. We talk to Libby about Green Alliance’s involvement in shaping and promoting the declaration and how it could be used as a political tool in the future – including at our joint parliamentary event in May!

Now, while recent movement on Right to Repair and waste reduction policy has been slow, Libby is far from pessimistic about the future. She believes that momentum on these issues is ramping up, and as long as we – along with our amazing community and partners in the space – keep putting on pressure, changes will be coming soon. It’s the type of insight and optimism that reminds us why community repair culture is so important.

Links:

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Do you know the most effective way to reduce our waste? If you’re a regular listener, then probably yes. But it may  surprise you to find out just how many people believe that recycling is the answer to our climate crisis. 

This February, Keep Britain Tidy released a report on how to talk about  avoiding waste more effectively with the general public. We spoke to Anna Scott about their main findings and how we can better explain the waste hierarchy. 

Before we dive into the research, we caught up about how the recent Buy Nothing New Month campaign went. For the last two Januarys, KBT has encouraged people to challenge themselves to a month of not buying anything new. This means participating in activities like reuse, repair, and buying second hand. Anna shared some of her own experiences participating in the challenge and navigating the ways that overconsumption has been ingrained into our societal norms. 

From KBT’s research, it turns out that the majority of people don’t quite understand the best ways to minimise waste. Anna shares that only 4 in 10 people were able to identify that reduce and reuse should come before recycling. This means that it’s important to be as specific as possible when talking about ways to cut waste.

“It feels like people don’t really seem to understand waste prevention. It feels like the ‘reduce, reuse’ part of ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ has got lost along the way somewhere. People don’t seem to understand that reduce and reuse are better than recycling.”

Other communication tips that Anna shared include: giving people practical solutions; explaining why these behaviours are beneficial; and using more active and specific terms such as, repair, mend, share, rather than words like reuse and reduce. They also found that these communications need to be tailored depending on who you’re trying to reach and at what point in their waste prevention journey they are at. 

A statistic from the report that shocked us is that only 30% of people surveyed by KBT have heard of renting initiatives like lending libraries, and even less at 27% have heard of repair cafes. While in our own communities, community repair is always top of mind, it’s important to remember that it is still quite a novel concept to most of the British public. 

Anna says that in order to really get waste prevention in the public consciousness and cut through the barrage of advertising people see every day, we need major collaboration between organisations to get these messages amplified. It also turns out people are more likely to listen to charities than the government on these issues – so I guess it’s our job to get this done! 

Links:

[Graphics courtesy of Keep Britain Tidy]

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For our final episode of the season, Ugo and Fiona sat down for a chat about the year that was 2023. From launching the Repair and Reuse Declaration to the biggest Repair Day ever to some major wins for Right to Repair across the world. It’s been an amazing year and we couldn’t have done it without our community here in London and further afield.

Ugo talks us through the long list of upcoming legislation that is set to be up to bat next year. This includes new rules surrounding smartphones and tablets; consumer rights; and a repairability index for vacuum cleaners. He notes that its going to be a busy year as campaigners try their best to get legislation passed before the elections shake everything up.

While progress on legislation is slow in the UK, Fiona points a few opportunities in the next year for action. This feels especially possible because of the strength our movement has gained in the UK this year. We’ve spent the year connecting and brainstorming with stakeholders and organisers to develop the Repair and Reuse Declaration which now has over 240 signatories!

Our allies in the US have been making major waves this year – especially when it comes to state-specific legislation in California and Minnesota. Ugo also covers some developments backed by our friends at U.S. PIRG. They’ve been facing up to huge names like Google and Microsoft. Despite all this success, we’ve got plenty more to do!

In London, our network continues to grow with new groups popping up all the time. Fiona shares some examples of unique events that have happened this year. We also look back on the Fixing Factory project which we continued to learn from and hope to develop even further.

Our Fixing Factory work in Brent also allowed us to undertake some exciting research. We worked with West London Waste Authority to investigate the e-waste that was brought to a recycling centre. The results were shocking but also inspired us to find solutions.

Fiona and Ugo share their hopes for the future and our work next year. We foresee some ripe opportunities for campaigning in the UK, with the looming general election. Further afield, Ugo is especially excited to see the repair movement grow across the world – with developments already happening in Taiwan, Columbia, and more.

Links:

[Feature image by Mark A Phillips, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0]

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