Repair & Reuse
The Economics of Repair Versus Replacement, Honestly
Repair is not automatically cheaper and the comparison is frequently framed dishonestly in both directions. The numbers depend on…
Repair & Reuse
Mending, lending libraries and keeping things out of the skip.
20 articles · updated August 11, 2026 · page 1 of 2
Repair & Reuse
Why a Repair Café Works Socially Before It Works Materially
The number of items mended at a repair session is modest. The reason the model has spread across dozens of countries is not the repair count.
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Repair & Reuse
Tool Libraries and the Items People Actually Borrow
Most households own tools they use once a year. Lending libraries exist because that pattern is obvious and the logistics of fixing…
Repair & Reuse
What Makes an Appliance Repairable and What Makes It Disposable
Two machines doing the same job can differ entirely in whether a failure ends them. The difference is visible in the design before…
Repair & Reuse
Right-to-Repair Rules and What They Have Changed So Far
Legislation requiring manufacturers to supply parts and information has arrived in several regions. The effects are real, uneven…
Repair & Reuse
The Few Skills That Fix Most Broken Household Things
A small number of techniques account for a large share of successful domestic repairs. None of them takes long to learn.
Repair & Reuse
Why Giving Something Away Is Harder Than Throwing It Out
The friction in passing on a usable item is almost entirely logistical. Understanding where it sits explains why so much reusable…
Repair & Reuse
Giveaway Group Etiquette and Why Collections Fall Through
Local giveaway networks move enormous volumes of usable goods and fail in one consistent way. The fixes are all about how the…
Repair & Reuse
Textile Recycling Is Not What Most People Picture
Clothing put into a collection bank enters a sorting and trading chain that spans continents. Very little of it becomes new…
Repair & Reuse
Furniture Reuse Organisations and the People They Actually Serve
A network of organisations moves used furniture into homes that have none. The referral structure behind it explains what they can…
Repair & Reuse
When Repair Is the Wrong Answer
The case for mending things is strong and it is not universal. A few situations make replacement or disposal the better decision.
Repair & Reuse
Spare Parts Are the Real Bottleneck in Household Repair
Most failed repairs are stopped by a missing component rather than by a missing skill. Where parts come from decides what can be…