Menu
International Repair Day is an awareness day that takes place every year to celebrate the act of repair and its role in edging us closer to a circular, sustainable economy. This year, International Repair Day takes place on 19th October 2024.
Repair, as an activity, is perhaps best known for its positive environmental impact and helping to reduce waste. We repair our clothes, by patching holes and mending tears, to extend their life cycle. We repair bicycles, furniture and electronics to prevent them from ending up in landfill.
At its most basic, repair is an effective waste reduction measure. But this year’s theme for International Repair Day, ‘Repair for Everyone’ recognises that repair is much more than about resource efficiency. Repair is also about bringing people together, it’s about learning new skills, local job creation, collaborating and facilitating knowledge exchange.
‘Repair for Everyone’ is a theme which brings the topic of social and economic inclusion to the fore. There is no denying that repair needs to be made cheaper. Cost is a reason why people do not buy reused, repaired and refurbished items. Why would I repair the big gaping hole in my jeans when I could buy a brand, new pair for the same price? In Europe, cost is often cited as a barrier to getting stuff repaired, with 77% of people saying that they would be willing to have their goods repaired but hardly ever do because it is too expensive for them to do so.
Using economic instruments to encourage repair is an important step in making repair more accessible and affordable, and repair groups and organisations have been campaigning for these interventions. The UK Repair Reuse Declaration talks about making repair more affordable through the context of tax reductions and repair vouchers.
These kinds of economic instruments poll well with the UK public at large. A recent study by Green Alliance showed 54% of people surveyed in the UK support green measures like cutting VAT on repairs. Only 12% oppose.
Repair vouchers have already been seen to work in other countries. In 2023, the French government introduced repair vouchers for repairing shoes and clothes. The scheme, funded by Extended Producer Responsibility income, aims to increase from 16 million pieces repaired in France in 2019 to 21.6 million by 2028. Citizens receive an immediate discount when going to an authorised repairer to have clothes or shoes repaired. The discount varies according to the type of repair: €7 for patching a hole, snap or tear in clothing or €8 for sewing or gluing work on shoes.
In the UK, some effort has already been made to reduce VAT on second-hand goods. Currently, donated items that are re-sold are VAT exempt if sold by a registered charity or by a person (or company) who has agreed in writing to give all profits to a charity. However, this still means that any organisation that is not a charity (either registered or exempt) has to charge VAT at the prevailing rate on all donated items.
Instead, repair groups recommend that 0% VAT rates are applied on all sales of second-hand goods, as VAT was already paid once during the purchase of a new product. The same 0% VAT should also be applied on the cost of the labour of repair, maintenance, upgrade services on products such as furniture, electronic and electrical equipment. Tax deductions like this would incentivise people to have goods repaired.
Sue Bamford, Education Officer at Tools for Solidarity, talked about repair as “a radical act” at the NIRN Vision for Reuse and Repair event that we hosted in Stormont Parliament Buildings in July 2024. International Repair Day reminds us that the radical act of repair is for the many, not the few. Repair is not yet mainstreamed, it’s simply not the norm. It goes against our culture of rampant consumerism, our obsession with things, our need for new.
This October, what better time to be reminded of the powerful, yet mindful, act of repairing? A time when we approach Halloween and gear towards Christmas, two events in the calendar year that are at risk of becoming more about consumption than they are about community and celebration.
Ripped seams or torn fabric? Repair an old Halloween outfit or swap with a friend, neighbour or colleague. Broken lights or cracked ornaments? Patch up last year’s decorations.
Resist the supermarkets awash with plastic, and find makers, repair businesses and fixers near you. Why not start with finding your local repair café in Northern Ireland? There are currently 12 repair cafes operating in Northern Ireland, and lots of ways to join in.
