In a world of disposable products, the Caloundra Repair Café is proving that broken doesn’t have to mean ‘bin it’.
This month, the community initiative celebrates a major milestone, marking the beginning of its sixth year of mending, stitching and soldering to keep cherished items out of landfill.
Launched in January 2021 by local residents Dorothy and Cliff Gillingham and held at the Caloundra Community Centre, the café grows from a shared desire to reduce waste and tap into unused skills to create a ‘fix-it’ culture.
Since its first workshop, the group has saved nearly 1000 items from being discarded.
Over the past five years, volunteers have diverted 2145kg of waste and prevented 51,513kg of carbon dioxide emissions from entering the atmosphere.
“Some volunteers have come and moved away, but all have contributed over the last five years,” the group shared in a celebratory message to the community.
Some volunteers travel up to 100km to offer specialised skills in sewing, electronics and mechanical repairs.
The team repairs a wide range of items, including clothing, electronics, small furniture, clocks, jewellery, ceramics and toys.
The Caloundra Repair Café runs on the last Saturday of every month from 9am to noon at the Caloundra Community Centre, 58A Queen Street.
For more information, visit the Caloundra Repair Café Facebook page or call 0450 062 543.
