The Deputy First Minister with responsibility for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies, has launched Fix-it-February in a pop-up repair café in Cardiff. The campaign is run by Repair Café Wales which runs a network of locations where people can take their items to be fixed free of charge. According to a statement by the Welsh Government these cafes have saved over a million kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions.
Repair Café Wales, which is a registered charity, received £14 million of investment through the Circular Economy Fund, and there are now 130 repair cafes across the country, where volunteers help repair items brought by the public.
In a statement the Deputy First Minister said:
“Wales is already second in the world for recycling, and now we are building a culture where repair and reuse become second nature. Reaching one million kilograms of carbon saved through our repair café network is an incredible milestone. When we repair rather than replace, we are tackling the climate and nature crisis and saving money. I am asking everyone in Wales to join Fix it February and give a broken item a second life for free.”
Phoebe Brown, Director of Repair Café Wales, said:
“This achievement reflects the dedication of volunteers and communities across Wales who are delivering real environmental and social benefits through repair. Repair cafés are about much more than fixing broken items. They help people save money, learn skills, and connect with their community whilst taking practical action on climate change. Fix it February is a brilliant opportunity for more people to get involved whether by visiting a repair café, learning new skills, or supporting a repair business in their local area.”
The Welsh Government also funds Benthyg Cymru, a network of libraries of things where people can borrow items rather than buy them.
To find out if there is a repair caf ein your area, follow this link. To learn more about libraries of things, follow this link.
