From toasters to torn jeans, Repair Café Hobart volunteers have spent eight years fixing broken items and helping a growing number of people keep them out of landfill.
The group said 2,727 items had been brought in over the past seven years.
Of those, 1,624 were fully repaired and 524 were partly repaired, while 579 could not be fixed.
Convener Lesley Southwell said the Repair Café idea began in the Netherlands and aimed to keep things out of landfill as part of the circular economy.
“Every repair is a small victory,” she said.
“It’s not just about fixing a toaster, a lamp or a piece of equipment. It’s about changing the way we think about the things we own and showing that broken doesn’t always mean finished.”
Felting, a repair on clothing that is meant to be seen, was one of the new trends coming through in fabric repairs, Southwell said.
She described it as “almost like a tattoo in cloth”.
Other common jobs include fixing household items, electric lawnmowers and clothing.
Recent visitors have brought in a Santa with a broken light and a child’s pretend toaster with a face on the front.
The group has about 100 volunteers on paper, with 25-30 turning up to each monthly session.
They include IT workers, carpenters, people with electrical backgrounds and sewers.
Around 60 members of the public come through each session and Southwell said interest had grown since a low turnout in the first year.
Repairs are free, with gold coin donation encouraged to cover things like stationery and rent.
Sessions run on the third Saturday of every month except December.
The next community repair event will celebrate its eighth birthday on October 17 at Kickstart Arts in New Town, from 1pm to 4pm.
