Nowadays, few people consider making repairs on broken items when it’s so easy to just go out and buy something new. However, if you take a few extra minutes to sew the hole in the shirt or repair that broken mug, you’re not only saving yourself money and learning useful skills, you’re also preventing more waste from ending up in landfills.
In a previous post I discussed minimalism and cleaning out all the items you want to sell, donate, recycle, or repair. Now is the perfect time to accumulate all the items that need to be fixed, mended, or repaired. I have a pile of clothes with holes and stains to tend to, for instance. If you’re not sure how to go about fixing your broken items, here’s a list of some of my favorite websites for making repairs.
Ifixit specializes in mostly electronics such as iphones and computers and other items, but it also lists household items, apparel, and other common items.
Got ripped, torn, or stained clothes that need repairing? Consider these simple steps from Wikihow
The Green Optimist gives a list of some of the most common items in need of repair and how to repair them.
Tree Hugger has a handy list of 10 items you can repair in 10 minutes including useful everyday items such as eyeglasses and zippers.
Sometimes when an item is beyond repair, it’s more eco-friendly to just replace it. Earth 911 covers the basics for when to put in the work for repairs and when an item is a lost cause.
You might not be able to fix every broken item in your home, but for every item you can salvage, that’s one less piece of trash ending up in the landfill.
Happy Mending!
Nice article. Recycling should be out and “reuse it” needs to be in. I started recycling aluminum cans with junior high school students in 1974. We were getting a penny for each can from Reynolds Aluminum at the time. We used the money for a field day at a Lake Pearl at the end of the year. But; recycling paper and plastics are especially not cost effective anymore. Much of it gets buried or burned anyway. “Reuse it” should be in. One of our wealthier neighbors had a 30 pack of bottled water in the back of her SUV and I said to myself, “why do educated people not get it”. They are not going anywhere during the pandemic.