REPAIR
Repairing your phone, lamp or dishwasher and keeping it longer is one of the best things you can do. For example if people in the US held onto their phones 1 year longer on average, the emissions reductions would be equivalent to taking 636,000 cars off the road each year. Also repair jobs can't be outsourced and are local jobs in your community.
The Problem: it's not easy to fix things
If you tried to fix your computer, mixer or lawn mower or looked for someone to help you, you know how complicated it is. How do you find instructions and tutorials? Where can you find the parts? Who can help you beyond the official retailers if it gets too complex? In fact, many manufacturers make it difficult for individuals or businesses to access the knowledge and parts to fix their own belongings. Fortunately the right to repair movement has been fighting for your right to fix everything you own by pushing new legislation in most states. There are also many forums where you can find information, and some websites can supply parts. Yet there is still no easy way to find someone near your home who can help you fix most things.
The Solution: A digital repair café
Repair cafés where people with broken equipment can meet with people who can fix them have been around for some time. It’s a great solution to help people fix their electronics or equipment in the community, but they are not very common in the US. Also “fixers” are volunteers and can’t make a living from this activity. At the same time, there are people in your neighborhood who can fix things or need your help fixing something.
Can we set up a digital marketplace where “fixers” can offer their services to people who need something fixed? This new solution will help keep things running for longer instead of going to waste and provide some additional incomes to fixers.