Repair
Restoring the option for people across Canada to repair their things.
Repair has become expensive and inaccessible
Due to intellectual property laws and financial barriers, repair has become inaccessible to individuals and independent repair businesses. It is often cheaper to replace an item than to repair it. What’s more, products aren’t designed to last!
Our Approach
30+
stakeholders
Our goal is to make repair a normal, accessible and affordable way to deal with our broken belongings. This requires bringing all corners of the economy together.
We convened over 30 stakeholders in the Lower Mainland to co-develop a strategy for repair as the norm. Together, we mapped actions to change the system, focusing on people, producers and policy.
People
People in our communities want to be able to repair their things. Repair cafés and fix-it clinics are popular community-building events that help them do so.
We initiated, designed and facilitated a prototype for a collaborative repair café with the City of Vancouver and three external partner organizations, laying the foundation for Metro Vancouver's support of repair cafés across 21 municipalities.
We also served as advisors for a report by Equiterre that explored the barriers to repair for consumers and what they expect from government and industry to make repair more accessible.
Producers
Producers need support and incentives to design products that are more durable and repairable, as well as provide affordable spare parts and repair services.
We surveyed repair businesses across Metro Vancouver and British Columbia, and talked with larger businesses, to understand the obstacles preventing scalable repair. Product design, spare parts, tools and the profitability of repair were key barriers.
Policy
Policies such as Right to Repair incentivize more durable, repairable product design and affordable repair services.
We guided and informed a Union of BC Municipalities resolution for the Right to Repair. We also supported research around key aspects of Right to Repair nationally, including a report from Equiterre looking at policy and other solutions to scale repairable appliances and household electronics.
Repair Allies
There are more and more allies championing repair. Here are some that we’ve had the pleasure to get to know since 2019. They include non-profit organisations, social enterprises and large businesses - all part of the fabric of making repair the norm.
