Helping with a fix

Dozens of items were kept out of the landfill Saturday after volunteers spent the day fixing broken household items at Okanagan College.

A lineup had formed at the Repair Cafe event prior to the 10 a.m. start time, and the skilled volunteers quickly got to work repairing toasters, lamps, irons, couch cushions, iPads and everything in between.

The event is organized by the Regional District of Central Okanagan's Waste Reduction Office.

“We've really become a toss it, throw-away society, and there are a lot of items that are designed to break down, it's called planned obsolescence,” said Rae Stewart, waste reduction facilitator. “We're trying to encourage something a little different.”

This is the seventh time the RDCO has hosted the event, and Stewart says the idea originally comes from the Netherlands.

Volunteers at Saturday's event all have particular skill sets, and helped with repairs of electronics, computers, ceramics, fabrics, among others.

In addition to providing people with a fix, the volunteers also help educate.

“We're giving people the sense of knowledge and empowerment that with the help of volunteers and little bit of troubleshooting sometimes, that things can be fixed," Stewart said. "Walking away with some knowledge and skills that they didn't necessarily have when they came in the door.”