New Repair Café Charleston hopes to give broken household items a second life
from Staff Reports
A broken toaster, a lamp that no longer lights, or a bicycle with a wobbly wheel might normally be destined for the trash. A new Charleston organization is hoping residents will give those items one more chance.
Repair Café Charleston will hold its inaugural event Saturday, Oct. 17, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Bees Ferry West Ashley Library, 3035 Sanders Road.
The free event will bring together volunteer “fixers” with residents who have household items in need of repair. Tools and basic materials will be available, and guests are encouraged to bring small appliances, lamps, clothing, bicycles, toys, cookware, and other items.
The idea is simple: Before throwing something away and buying a replacement, see if it can be fixed.
“We throw away far too many things that still have life left in them,” said Repair Café Charleston founder Bill Laughlin. “A lot of items can be repaired with a little time, the right tools, and a bit of know-how. Repair Café Charleston is about keeping useful things out of the landfill and helping people rediscover their repair skills.”
Laughlin, a retired architect who recently relocated to Charleston from the Charlotte area, previously participated in Repair Café Charlotte. After moving to the Lowcountry, he decided to bring the concept with him.
Repair Café Charleston is partnering with Charleston County Public Library for the local program. The Bees Ferry branch’s Creative Studio and emphasis on hands-on learning and STEM programming made the West Ashley library a natural fit.
While reducing waste and saving money are major parts of the mission, Laughlin said Repair Cafés are also about neighbors sharing practical skills.
“When you repair something with someone you did not know before, it changes how you see your community,” Laughlin said. “You are not just fixing a lamp or a bike. You are sharing knowledge, meeting neighbors, and proving that repair can be both practical and fun.”
The first Repair Café was organized in Amsterdam in 2009 by Dutch environmentalist Martine Postma. The idea quickly caught on, and Postma established the Repair Café International Foundation the following year to help communities around the world launch similar programs.
Repair Cafés generally follow the same model: People bring in broken items and work alongside volunteers with the tools, knowledge, and experience to try to repair them. Along the way, experienced fixers can pass along practical skills that might otherwise be lost.
The October event is expected to be the first of many in West Ashley. Repair Café Charleston plans to return to the Bees Ferry West Ashley Library on the second Saturday of even-numbered months.
And if something can’t be saved? At least it will have gotten one last shot.
Repair Café Charleston will hold its inaugural event Saturday, Oct. 17, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Bees Ferry West Ashley Library, 3035 Sanders Road.
