“Fix What Breaks, Don’t Throw” — How Dutch Parks Are Leading a Repair Revolution

 

Something abnormal is occurring in the Netherlands, not in factories or laboratories, but in the open parks. Repair Corners are small wooden booths which are sprouting up in cities having simple repair tools, which anyone can use.

The Concept

Indoors, there are mini tool sets such as sewing supplies, glue and screwdrivers among other stuff that anyone can use when they would rather not drop stuff and instead reuse it by fixing it.

From Waste to Wisdom

This project addresses one of the largest issues in the world the throwaway culture. With a world that has turned to be a place in which everything can be substituted, the Dutch people are reviving the forgotten art of mending.

It is a silent yet radical shift to sustainability whereby individuals are taught that little things can have an enormous impact.

Empowering Communities

These repair spots are maintained by local municipalities with the assistance of sustainability volunteers in many cases. Such volunteers control the tools, clean the areas and, sometimes, even arrange mini-workshops on how to repair broken zippers, furniture or parts of bikes.

The Psychological Impact

Restoring creates trust and independence. It provides individuals with the pleasure of saving rather than wasting. And, in the process, it builds community relationships people get to know each other, tell stories, and support each other.

Reasons why it works in the Netherlands.

The Dutch have been practical, minimalistic and responsible to the community. Their culture of reuse, recycle and social cooperation falls right into the Repair Corner concept idea.

It is also very scalable - cheap, simple to serve and all community-based.

Environmental Impact

Suppose such repair booths were in every city, there would be millions of objects that would not go into landfills each year. The idea could be expanded easily to the developing countries where waste and unemployment are high with offering jobs and skills training in an environmental-friendly manner.

A Lesson for the World

The Repair Corner is not merely a Dutch hit, but an example of how it can be changed all over the world.

Summary: The New Revolution Is Repair.

However, when you repair something, you are not merely saving a thing but you are preserving a part of the planet. The Repair Corners of the Netherlands show that the instruments of change are already in our hand literally.