Fix it, Cleveland!

Do you have something that is broken and you wish you could fix it? Look no further, there is a workshop for you! On the second Saturday and the fourth Monday of the month, Circular Cleveland, ThinkBox and the Cuyahoga County Solid Waste district have partnered to host Fix-It workshops to help people repair broken items.

Why is this important? Because when people repair things rather than discarding them and purchasing new, we are keeping items out of the landfill. I have written many, many times about simple steps each of us can take to live more sustainably. It is not sustainable behavior for our culture to encourage buying new, new, new all the time. We must shift our behavior to first of all really thinking about purchases and ensuring we need the item, and secondly researching to make sure the item is high quality and will last a long time.

Once we own items, it becomes our individual responsibility to make sure it has a long, useful life. This is the reason it is important that we are able to repair items as they wear out and break. Repairing and restoring keeps things out of the landfill and it also will save you money! 

I realize that for some of us, repairing things is natural and fun; for others it is a bit more daunting. I urge you to please give repairing items a shot before buying new!

If you feel you need extra assistance – good news! Help is here. Repair workshops will be held twice a month at two locations. The workshops are a fantastic opportunity to learn how to repair different things, learn new tips and tricks, or share the knowledge you already have. Bonus: you will realize the value of the items you already have as well as meet other people in our community with similar interests!

Fix-It workshops are free of charge! Workshops held on the second Saturday of each month from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. will be at the Cuyahoga Solid Waste District, 4750 E. 131st Street in Garfield Heights. Workshops held on the fourth Monday of the month from 3-7 p.m. will be held at Case Western Reserve ThinkBox at 11201 Cedar Road in Cleveland.

Visit sites.google.com/view/fixitcle/home for more information. This website also provides a way for you to sign up as an “expert” in an area if you have a repair expertise. What a wonderful way for the public to be able to contribute to the greater good.

Read More on The Green Report
Volume 14, Issue 15, Posted 10:05 AM, 08.02.2022