Our repair cafe saved 2,600kg of waste from landfill

Volunteers at a repair cafe say they have saved an estimated 2,670kg (420.4 stone) of waste from going to landfill since the project opened four years ago.

North Hampshire Repair Cafe is part of the international repair cafe community, made up of more than 2,500 groups worldwide.

The group aims to reduce the number of items thrown away by offering free repairs of sentimental, old or damaged household items.

Lead organiser Derek Prior said that the popular event is one of his "proudest achievements".

Each month, areas including Hartley Wintney and Rotherwick host the project's four hour repair sessions, involving more than 30 volunteers.

Members use their skills to restore teddies, stitch clothes, sharpen knives and fix electronics - often even taking items home to complete the repairs.

Other volunteers lend a hand with tasks such as running the website, greeting customers or even handing out chocolate biscuits.

Items are repaired for free - with donations requested only to cover the costs of operation.

As well as every day fixes, volunteers can transform sentimental items that have suffered wear and tear.

Annette Cotterill arrived with in a terrarium, bought 50 years ago as a wedding present from her late husband.

A volunteer was able to use a lead line to fix the glass and resemble what it once was half a century ago.

She said: "It's like bringing a memory of my husband back. I've been trying for years to get it repaired, and nobody will take it on because it's old and it was fragile, so it's lovely."

The group also works to inspire others to think about how much they are throwing away.

Gill Harden brought her two grandchildren to the event as a half-term activity, hoping to teach them about sustainability.

"I'm hoping to teach them that you just don't throw things away, and to value things really and see that you actually try to repair something", she said.

"If it doesn't work out, it doesn't work out, but you try."

Research for BBC Bin Day found that in 2023/24 Hart District Council collected 34,997 tonnes of waste, the equivalent of 342.9kg per person.

Every effort, from volunteers and customers alike, contributes to the amount of that household waste that can be saved from landfill.

"Everybody that comes to the repair cafe knows it's wrong to throw things away", Prior said.

"We're all just volunteers, giving up our time, and the best thing of all is seeing the smile on the customer's face when they walk out the door."