International Repair Day takes place on the third Saturday of October every year. Started in 2017, this global day celebrates fixing broken goods instead of throwing them away. People gather at local events to fix clothes, tools, electronics, and home items while supporting the Right to Repair movement.

What is International Repair Day?

International Repair Day is a global celebration focused on the power of fixing things. Held each autumn, it brings people together to mend broken items instead of tossing them in the trash. It highlights simple ways to care for everyday goods while building a greener world.

The day covers all kinds of household goods. People bring kitchen tools, jackets, bikes, lamps, and phones to local workshops. Volunteer fixers help neighbors mend their items for free. These open events turn quick fixes into fun social meetings for everyone.

Fixing items keeps useful materials out of local landfills and saves energy. Learning to mend a zipper or fix a power cord gives people real confidence. It changes how we view the things we own every single day.

Anyone can join in on this special day. Whether you fix a chair at home, sew a button, or visit a local repair shop, every fixed item helps keep our planet clean and green.

History and origins of Repair Day

International Repair Day began in 2017 through the work of the Open Repair Alliance. This international team brings together key repair groups, including the Repair Café Foundation, The Restart Project, iFixit, Anstiftung Foundation, and Fixit Clinic. They ran the first global event on 21 October 2017.

The idea for this global day grew from the Repair Café movement started in 2009 in the Netherlands. Community repair events soon spread across Europe and North America. Group leaders saw that a shared global day would help connect fixers everywhere.

Organizers set the third Saturday of October as the fixed annual date. This moveable schedule ensures that local workshops can run on weekends when volunteers and families are free to join in.

Earlier web records sometimes listed a fixed date of October 16. However, official rules from the Open Repair Alliance confirm that the event always moves with the third Saturday of the month.

By 2018, over 150 repair groups across 21 countries took part in events on 20 October 2018. In 2022, celebrations took place on 15 October under a shared theme. Today, hundreds of events run worldwide each October.

Why fixing items helps our planet

Fixing broken goods brings big wins for nature. When we mend a gadget or patch clothes, we stop trash from entering landfills. Dumps release harmful gases that harm our climate and polluted air.

Making new products takes lots of energy, water, and metal. Choosing to repair cuts the need for new factory runs. This simple choice saves natural resources for future generations to enjoy.

Electronic waste is one of the fastest growing trash streams on Earth. Discarded phones and laptops carry toxic metals. Repairing devices keeps harmful materials safely in use without causing harm.

Choosing repair also saves money for families and schools. Repairing a classic tool or home item costs far less than buying brand new goods during tight financial times.

How communities celebrate around the world

People join in International Repair Day in fun ways worldwide. In New Zealand, volunteers have fixed items outdoors under trees. In Germany, repair tables have been set up near spots like the Brandenburg Gate.

Local workshops called Repair Cafés and Restart Parties form the heart of the day. Skilled volunteers bring tools to help visitors check and fix broken household goods.

Many groups also host repair marathons called repairathons. People work together to fix dozens of items in one afternoon while teaching tool skills to younger guests.

Fixers also join in online by sharing photos of their completed work on Twitter and Instagram with hashtags like #RepairDay. Sharing success stories inspires neighbors to try fixing things too.

The Right to Repair and future tools

International Repair Day plays a big role in the global Right to Repair effort. Campaigners ask product makers to design goods that are easy to open, fix, and upgrade with simple hand tools.

Supporters ask makers to offer fair access to spare parts, manuals, and software tools. Giving people the right to fix their own goods creates fair choices for consumers and local shops.

New tech is also making repairs easier than ever. 3D printing lets fixers make custom spare parts for old items that factories no longer build.

Smart test software helps fixers spot electronic faults quickly. As tools improve and legal rights grow, the culture of repair gets stronger everywhere.

How to mark the day