Time slots are now open for residents to sign up to have their items repaired at the Swampscott Solid Waste Advisory Committee’s upcoming Repair Café, set for October 25.

“We have recruited a very robust roster of volunteer repairers for the October 25 Swampscott Repair Café,” Committee Member Alix Smullin said.

The event will take place at the Senior Center from 9 a.m. to noon. Residents can bring broken household items to be assessed and, when possible, fixed by volunteer repairers. The event aims to foster a culture of sustainability and reduce waste in Swampscott, according to Smullin.

Repair Cafés began in 2009, when a Dutch journalist introduced the idea in Amsterdam to promote sustainability at the local level. In 2010, a foundation was established to help local groups around the world create their own Repair Cafés. Since then, the idea has spread, with more than 2,000 Repair Cafés held worldwide as of a 2021 estimate by the foundation.

For the Swampscott event, the Solid Waste Advisory Committee has recruited volunteers skilled in sewing and mending clothing, diagnosing electronic issues, repairing or rewiring small electric appliances, and fixing stringed instruments.

The repair services are free of charge, though full repairs are not guaranteed. Repairers will not have spare parts. 

Appointments are required and can be made at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScBefWULU1dGtqRWVzb8lc02LLjs8qJfISfojvvfGQvbFnpvQ/viewform.

All appointments will be confirmed by Thursday, October 23. 

For more information, contact the committee at swac@swampscottma.gov or reach out to Alix Smullin at alix.smullin@gmail.com.