RepairCafe: Public Welfare Life Product Repair Station

What is Repair Caf é?

Repair Caf é is a freely accessible gathering centered around repairs. At the location of the Repair Caf é, all possible repairs can be carried out using tools and materials. Expert volunteers are also present in areas such as clothing, furniture, appliances, bicycles, toys, etc., possessing various maintenance knowledge and skills.

Tourists bring broken items from their homes. At Repair Caf é, they can work with experts. So there is always something to learn. If you have nothing to repair, have a cup of coffee or tea. Or help others repair it. You can always find inspiration on the reading table, where there are books about repairs and gig work available for reading.

You can find Repair Caf é in hundreds of places in the Netherlands and Belgium. Visit one near you, or start one yourself! Please also read the house rules used in Repair Caf é.

Why Repair Caf é?

In the Netherlands and Belgium, we throw away a lot of things. There are also some almost problem free items that can be perfectly used again after simple repairs. Unfortunately, for many people, maintenance is no longer a part of the system. Especially the younger generation, they no longer know how to do it. Maintenance knowledge quickly disappeared. This is a threat to sustainable future and circular economy, where raw materials can be reused time and time again.

This is the reason for Repair Caf é! People with maintenance knowledge will receive the appreciation they deserve. Transferred valuable practical skills. Things have a longer usage time and do not need to be thrown away. The amount of raw materials and energy required to manufacture new products is limited. And carbon dioxide emissions. Because carbon dioxide is released during the manufacturing of new products and the recycling of old products.

At Repair Caf é, people learn to view their items in different ways. And see its value again. Volunteers from Repair Caf é also visit schools to provide repair courses. In both aspects, repairing a coffee shop can help change one's mindset. This is necessary to make people passionate about a sustainable society.

But most importantly, Repair Caf é wants to show that repairs are fun and usually easy. Come and give it a try!

Who did this idea come from?

Repair Caf é is an initiative of Martine Postma. Since 2007, she has been committed to sustainable development at the local level in various ways. Martine organized the first repair caf é in western Amsterdam on October 18, 2009. This is a huge success.

That's why Martine founded the Repair Caf é Foundation. Since 2011, the foundation, now known as Repair Caf é International, has been providing professional support to volunteers at home and abroad who wish to open their own Repair Caf é. Learn more? Read Martin's book! Or invite her to attend a lecture organized by your company or organization.

Global Sports

Repair Caf é s is now a global movement dedicated to preserving repair knowledge and products that are easier to repair in society. In addition to the Netherlands, dozens of countries around the world such as Belgium, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States also have repair cafes. The repair of coffee shops has even penetrated into India and Japan!

Repair Caf é International has two collaborating organizations in Belgium: De Transformisten supports the promotion of Repair Caf é in Flanders, and Repair Together carries out this work in the Walloon region. Two partners are working together in Brussels.

Not competing with professional maintenance personnel

Repair Caf é International is sometimes asked if free repair conferences are not a competition for professional repair personnel. The answer is: quite the opposite. By repairing coffee shops, organizers across the country hope to raise awareness about the possibility of repairs. Visitors are often referred to (a few) professionals who are still there.

In addition, people who visit Repair Caf é are usually not customers of professional repair personnel. They said they usually immediately throw away damaged items because they cannot find professional repairmen or because they feel it is too expensive to find professional personnel to repair them. At the repair caf é, these people learned that there are other options besides throwing them away, and repair is usually a good choice.