Don't bin it – mend it!

Many things we throw away haven't reached the end of their useful life. Before binning those items, think whether you can repair them yourself or get them repaired.

Challenge the throwaway culture and embrace reuse and repair. Reap the many benefits of repairing and:

Reduce the waste we produce

  • Repair helps us keep our items for longer. This means they can be reused by us or someone else, which prevents them being recycled, or disposed of in the general rubbish.

Reduce carbon emissions

  • Repairing items means lower carbon emissions caused by manufacturing processes. According to Community Repair Network: "Manufacturing and extracting resources for new products has a huge impact on the environment, making up around 50% of the total greenhouse gas emissions produced worldwide."

Save money

  • As well as helping the environment, it's nearly always cheaper to repair broken items than to buy new ones. You can save yourself some cash by repairing something yourself, using a repair café or getting a professional repairer to make good what you already have.

Keep much loved items in use

  • Treasure your trousers. Save your stereo. Keep your cake mixer. When things get worn or broken they are often repairable. Think before you throw. Repair whenever possible and keep the items you love.

Learn new skills

How to repair items

Some repairs are simple, like replacing a button or gluing the handle back on a mug. Why not give these a go at home? There are many helpful step-by-step videos available online to help you make a repair.

If you can't repair it at home, why not check out your local repair cafe? Cafes are currently running in South HerefordLedburyLeominsterMarden, and The Golden Valley which operates between Kingstone, Dorstone and Ewyas Harold (look out for information locally for dates and venues). Repair café also operate places near Herefordshire like Malvern Hills and Presteigne.

You may need a professional to carry out more complex repairs. A quick online search will help you find the help you need. Otherwise, ask a friend if they can recommend a local repairer.