Repair & ReuseLeipzigAdvocate for a local repair bonusRepair before replace: with public support From May 2022, Stadtreinigung Leipzig and SMEKUL (Saxony’s environment ministry) ran a pilot Leipziger Reparaturbonus: residents received support to choose repair over new purchase. Evaluation: 682 products repaired; about 40% of participants said the bonus motivated them to repair. What you can do elsewhere - Map repair cafés and trusted craftspeople in your city. - Ask local government for voucher schemes like Saxony's follow-up statewide repair bonus. - Share success stories so repair stays visible in policy debates. Why it matters Small public subsidies tip the balance toward repair, the Leipzig pilot showed vouchers can motivate real fixes.repairpolicyadvocacy
CommunityKielFind swap, repair, and refill on the Zero Waste mapFrom A to Z in one city view Kiel maps Zero Waste-Orte, repair cafés, swap houses, refill taps, second-hand shops, library-of-things spots, and correct disposal points. Filter by “borrow”, “repair”, “buy used”, or “give away”. What you can do - Open the interactive map or table on the city site before your next errand run. - Suggest missing venues or corrections to zerowaste@kiel.de so neighbours benefit too. Why it matters When good options stay invisible, reusables and repairs lose to convenience. A shared map turns policy into everyday routes.maprepairrefill
Repair & ReuseMunichMend things at a Munich Repair CaféMend things at a Munich Repair Café Dozens of Repair Cafés across Munich and the region welcome toasters, bikes, laptops, textiles, and more. Skilled volunteers help you repair with, not for, you. How it works - Pick a nearby café from AWM’s curated list (city and surrounding towns). - Bring one broken item; register if the host requires a slot. - Email AWM if you know a missing venue to add. Why it matters Shared fix-it sessions keep appliances and textiles alive while passing skills person to person.repairskillscommunity
Repair & ReuseTallinnKeep materials circulating in TallinnFrom waste stations to circularity centres Environmental protection in Tallinn 2035 means minimising mineral inputs, recycling materials, and collecting environmental data so residents can act on facts, not guilt. The Tallinn Circular Economy Center is turning waste stations into circularity centres with reuse rooms and repair workshops for furniture, textiles, bicycles, and more. What you can do - Drop off still-usable goods at a reuse room or book a repair slot at a circularity centre. - Sort waste correctly at city stations so recyclables stay clean and valuable. - Support local pilots that keep construction materials, packaging, and goods in the loop. Why it matters Keeping materials in use shrinks landfill demand and gives residents concrete ways to act on climate goals.circularrepairreuse
LearnRepair & ReuseTallinnRepair furniture and wood at circularity centresFix before you discard Tallinn’s circular-economy pilot opened reuse rooms and repair workshops at waste stations: general repair at Pääsküla, wood restoration at Paljassaare, textile and furniture workshops at Lilleküla, and a free sewing room at Uuskasutuskeskus. What you can do - Bring broken furniture, windows, clothing, or bikes to the matching workshop rather than the bulk-waste queue. - Browse reuse rooms for free items before buying new. Why it matters On-site repair keeps bulky goods out of landfills and teaches skills neighbours can reuse at home.repairfurnitureworkshop
Starter ideaRepair & ReuseAmsterdamRepair CaféFix things together instead of throwing them away A free monthly gathering where neighbours repair electronics, clothes, and furniture alongside volunteer coaches. Skills are shared, waste stays out of the bin. What you can do - Bring one broken item and sit with a fixer who talks you through the repair - Offer a skill (soldering, sewing, bike tuning) even for a single afternoon - Partner with a café or library for tables, sockets, and tea Why it matters Repair culture builds confidence, keeps useful objects circulating, and turns consumption into craft.repairskillsmonthly
Repair & ReuseBrusselsSTICT: replicating textile waste prevention in BrusselsA city learning from the best textile programmes in Europe Brussels is participating in the STICT project (Sustainable Textile Innovation and Circular Transition), which compiles best-practice models for textile waste prevention and management and works with cities to implement and replicate them. Zero Waste Belgium leads the Brussels partnership, bringing evidence-based strategies to local authorities and businesses. What the project does - Documents the most effective textile collection, repair, and resale models from across Europe - Works with Brussels authorities to implement scalable textile waste prevention measures - Provides a replication toolkit so other cities can adopt proven approaches without starting from scratch - Connects local repair workshops, clothing swaps, and upcycling organisations into the city's circular textile network How to engage - Brussels residents: find local textile repair workshops and clothing swap events through Zero Waste Belgium - Textile businesses and retailers in Brussels: contact Zero Waste Belgium about participating in the STICT circular model - Other municipalities: request the STICT replication toolkit to adapt the Brussels approach to your context Why it matters Textiles are among the fastest-growing waste streams in Europe. Brussels joining STICT means a dense, fashion-forward city is building infrastructure for repair and reuse: sending a signal to the industry and giving residents real alternatives to disposal.textilesreuseprevention +2
Repair & ReuseNicosiaKourion / Ipsonas: municipal repair stations (LIFE Zero Waste Cyprus)A Zero Waste candidate city building places to repair, not replace Kourion Municipality (formerly Ipsonas, reformed under local government restructuring) is the only Zero Waste Candidate City in Cyprus: and part of its candidacy involves establishing municipal repair stations where residents can bring broken items to be fixed. The programme is part of the LIFE Zero Waste Cyprus project, coordinated by the Department of Environment, covering a range of waste reduction measures across the municipality. What the repair stations programme includes - Fixed repair points where trained volunteers or paid repair workers assess and fix household items - Links to the LIFE Zero Waste Cyprus programme infrastructure: hazardous waste collection points, tool libraries, and repair guides - Kourion's innovative approach to PAYT (a more digitally advanced system than other municipalities) runs alongside the repair infrastructure How to engage - Kourion/Ipsonas residents: find your nearest repair station and bring items that need fixing: contact the municipality for the current list of accepted items and opening times - Repair volunteers: contact Friends of the Earth Cyprus or the municipality to join the repair volunteer programme - Other Cypriot municipalities: follow the LIFE Zero Waste Cyprus project outcomes to understand how repair infrastructure can be integrated into a wider zero waste municipality plan Why it matters Cyprus's only Zero Waste Candidate City is proving that repair stations belong in municipal infrastructure, not just at volunteer pop-ups. Every item fixed at a council-run station is one fewer purchase and one less bin of residual waste.repairreusepolicy +2
VolunteerRepair & ReusePragueVisit Repair Cafe Holesovice in PragueVisit Repair Cafe Holesovice in Prague Repair Cafe Praha runs a community repair workshop and cafe at Holesovicka trznice. Bring something broken and learn beside volunteers. What you can do - Check repaircafe.store for hours - Visit the market venue with a mendable object - Ask about volunteer shifts if you want to help How it works Community workshop plus cafe. Hours can shift; confirm before travel. Why it matters Prague keeps repair culture inside a market people already walk.praguerepairmarket +1
VolunteerRepair & ReuseBernMend at Repair Cafe Bern workshopsMend at Repair Cafe Bern workshops Repair Cafe Bern hosts free repair events at Werkstatt Viktoria and PROGR. Volunteers welcome skilled helpers and curious neighbours. What you can do - Browse repair-cafe-bern.ch - Pick a listed venue date - Offer to volunteer if you can solder, sew, or diagnose How it works Free events rotate venues. Confirm which hall hosts the next session. Why it matters Bern keeps broken objects in circulation through friendly repair nights.bernrepairvolunteer +1
CommunityKievZaporizhzhia: zero waste community programme: podcast, workshops, local plansBuilding zero waste culture in a city close to the front Zero Waste Zaporizhzhia: a member of the Zero Waste Alliance Ukraine: promotes zero waste principles in the Zaporizhzhia community through local waste management plans, reuse/repair workshops, a podcast, and social media education. The programme deliberately keeps building skills and culture in a city facing severe disruption, demonstrating that zero waste work continues even under wartime conditions. What the programme covers - Local and regional waste management plans developed and submitted to authorities - Reuse and repair workshops open to residents: practical skill-building in mending, fixing, and repurposing - A podcast reaching Zaporizhzhia residents with zero waste content designed for the local context - Social media education campaigns tailored to community needs during the ongoing conflict How to engage - Zaporizhzhia residents: follow Zero Waste Zaporizhzhia on social media and attend workshops when they are running safely - International zero waste networks: amplify Zero Waste Zaporizhzhia's work: visibility and solidarity matter for a team working under difficult conditions - Podcast listeners: find and share the Zero Waste Zaporizhzhia podcast to extend its reach Why it matters Zero waste culture cannot wait for peace. Workshops, podcasts, and local plans keep repair and reuse skills alive in Zaporizhzhia, showing that community-led waste work persists even when cities are under severe disruption.educationpodcastworkshops +2
Repair & ReuseAthensJoin Kypseli Restart repair cafe, AthensJoin Kypseli Restart repair cafe, Athens Restart style repair parties at Kypseli Municipal Market invite the public to mend laptops and everyday tech with volunteers. What you can do - Read the Restart party page - Watch for the next public market repair date - Bring a laptop or small device if the call allows How it works Public repair parties recur when organisers list them. Confirm the next market date before you go. Why it matters Athens neighbours reclaim devices at a market stall instead of discarding them.athensrepairrestart +1
