7 R'S- REPAIR Our Products as a Radical Act

Photo by Jennifer Burk on Unsplash

Would you like to have FUN acting sustainably, responsibly AND increasing your prosperity? If your answer is YES, read on and find out how repairing is a radical act. Radical? Yes, it is radical to REPAIR our stuff instead of throwing it away and replacing it. It is radical to break the throwaway and replace mentality. It is revolutionary change to our habits.

REPAIR and be a radical!
Rose Marcario, President and CEO of Patagonia, tells us when we repair instead of replace " . . . the impact is enormous! We have a society of product-consumers, not owners. Owners are empowered to take responsibility for their purchases—from proper cleaning to repairing, reusing and sharing.” Read "Why is repair such a radical act"

Why REPAIR?

1. SAVE money AND prosper ourselves.

2. Interrupt the TAKE-MAKE-WASTE mentality.

3. GAIN satisfaction of being creative and doing the right thing.

1. Keep new resources in use longer -- and old resources from entering the waste stream.

Before purchasing, ask:

1. Can I REPAIR the item instead of replacing it?

2. How can I buy better quality, fewer items and stuff I love?

3. Is this product easily repaired? Is it durable?

4. Does it have repair instructions?

Take ACTION!

1. Congratulate yourself for items you already REPAIR: shoes, purses, clothes, leaky faucets.

1. Commit to a REPAIR mindset. It may seem cheaper to buy new. However, considering the externalized costs that we are not paying – it costs less to get it repaired.

2. Gather tools into your tool box, such as a hammer, screw driver, pliers, wrench, glue. Use your tools to hang a picture, fix a leaky faucet.

3. Collect items for your sewing box: needles, scissors, threads. Mend those rips.

Ways to REPAIR our products:

1. Discover REPAIR Clinics

2. Take a sewing class to have fun as you learn to sew and REPAIR.

3. Find your local shoe repair shop. I've been fixing my shoes and sandals for years. Sometimes the price seems high until compared to the price of a new one.

4. Locate electronics and appliance repair shops.

My Radical Acts to REPAIR

1. When I set up my own home, my dad suggested a toolbox. He gave me essentials: hammer, screwdrivers and pliers. I see it as a bit of gender equality. It contains hooks, nails, extension cords -- items related to caring for a home / office.

2. I have to be honest with you -- when my sock got a hole in it, I did not darn it like I’d seen my grandmother do. However, when my glasses case started to rip, I got the glue out of my tool box and fixed it.

3. I love cleaning my tea kettle. It's over a year old AND it still looks and feels new.

4. My goal with this is for you to feel empowered to do little things that make a BIG difference. What are you going to do?

YOUR NEXT STEPS

1. Select easy and fun actions are you ready to take on.

2. Determine items are you going to REPAIR instead of replace?

3. Survey your home or office and find items that need your loving attention or just a cleaning.