Hi Reader,
Did you know that over 60 tons of household waste is thrown away each second globally?
I’ve gone through my purge phases before. Once, I lived in a condo-townhouse complex with a large dumpster nearby and I took full advantage of it. I went through my belongings with determination, throwing out anything broken. The rest I either donated or sold.
What I didn’t realize at the time, though, was that many of the things I threw away were not really at the end of their life. Some could have been repaired, and others could have been taken apart to help fix similar items.
It wasn’t until late 2018 that I saw a documentary at a film festival about something called a Repair Café that changed the way I think about broken items.
Repair Cafés are community events where volunteers fix broken items for free. Globally, Repair Cafés prevent hundreds of tonnes of waste each year, adding up to several thousand tonnes diverted from landfills since the movement began in 2009.
A volunteer project
As part of our new article series, Projects Pivot Hits the Road, I wanted to highlight a place I visit often: a local Repair Café where I volunteer to fix broken items.
At our latest café, I chatted with one of the organizers Lindsay Knight-Pfiffer, who plans the Dundas Ontario Repair Café, a project of Action 13. Besides Repair Cafés, this group of community members, who are focused on climate action, hosts educational events where local land stewards share their experiences.
Behind the scenes, a Repair Café runs much like a well-organized project. A typical event relies on 30 to 35 volunteers, each playing an important project role such as welcoming visitors, tracking items, diagnosing problems, and repairing.
Every fixed item is documented, entered into a spreadsheet, and uploaded to the international Repair Café database. Success is measured through donations, grants, and even weighing repaired items to better track landfill diversion.
But the real highlights often come from the stories behind the items people bring. Lindsay shared a memorable repair involving a lamp a man had made in Grade 9 shop class for his wife, perhaps when they were still high school sweethearts (or maybe he just hoped they would be).
My primary focus is fixing jewelry, including delicate pieces passed down through generations that require a careful touch. Each item carries a bit of history, making every event both practical and human, and I love hearing the stories behind each piece.
Although, the most unusual item I’ve seen so far was a broken barbecue that arrived with a mouse tucked inside. The mouse made its presence known soon after the repair started, sending everyone scattering while we tried to escort our uninvited guest back outside.
Get project experience
I’m often asked how people can gain experience managing projects. My answer is simple: volunteer!
Organizing a Repair Café is a great place to put your skills into practice. You get to apply project management in a hands-on setting, and it can be a valuable addition to your résumé if you’re pursuing a project management role.
Repair Cafés are global, so you don’t need to be in North America to get involved. In fact, one European Repair Café even created an online exhibition video series called Ode to the Repair, celebrating the art and impact of fixing things.
Each repair tells a story, every volunteer contributes a skill, and every item saved keeps waste out of landfills. So roll up your sleeves, dive in, and discover how much fun and meaningful “fixing stuff” can be.
|
Barbara Kephart, PMP
Founder and Chief Project Officer
Projects Pivot
|
|
How We Can Help
Be sure to add our email address to your contacts to stay updated on all the good PM stuff we’re doing.
Another great way to keep us out of your spam folder is to reply to this message with your favorite emoji!
|
Recent Articles
Bird On Your Shoulder: Gut check
Please share with your colleagues!