Repair Starts Here
Across Sussex, people are proving that repair is not a thing of the past but part of the future we need to build. From Storrington to Horsham, Lewes to Brighton, Repair Cafés show what a circular economy looks like in everyday life: people coming together to fix broken things, share knowledge and stop waste before it starts.
Last weekend marked International Repair Day, but for the volunteers and visitors at Repair Cafés across Sussex, repair is not just a day, it is a habit that keeps growing. These monthly meet-ups are practical and sociable. A kettle, a radio or a pair of trousers comes in broken and often goes home working again. What stays behind is something less tangible but just as valuable: connection, confidence and community.
Repair matters because the bigger picture still is not good enough. According to government figures highlighted in March by Environment Secretary Steve Reed, our household recycling rates have not improved in 15 years. Less than 60 percent of waste electricals are collected for reuse or recycling, and four in five plastic products in the UK are still made from virgin materials. Landfill sites now cover an area almost as large as Greater London, and 12 million tonnes of council-collected rubbish is burned every year.
Although West Sussex performs above the South East average, these national figures show that recycling alone will not solve the problem. We still need to design waste out of the system, keep products in use for longer and make repair the easy choice rather than the exception.
That is exactly what local repair groups are working towards. Across Sussex, volunteers with practical skills sit alongside those who simply want to learn, repairing toasters, lamps, radios, clothes, toys and bikes. Every fix prevents waste and passes on knowledge that might otherwise be lost.
Groups such as The Restart Project are calling for wider change at national level, including fairer design standards, easier access to spare parts and repair information, and a stronger Right to Repair so that everyone can maintain and mend what they own. You can help by asking your MP to sign the Repair and Reuse Declaration, which calls for stronger rights for consumers to repair what they buy and own.
At Sussex Green Living, we see these actions as part of a bigger story: moving from a throwaway culture to one that values what we already have. Repair is one of the simplest and most hopeful ways to start. You do not need to wait for policy or permission, just curiosity, a bit of time and someone willing to show you how.
Find your nearest Repair Café and drop in next month. Whether you go to get something fixed, to volunteer or simply to see how it works, you will be helping to keep skills, materials and community spirit alive right here in Sussex.
