1. What is a Restart Party?
A Restart Party is a free community event where volunteers help people learn how to fix their broken electronic devices and small appliances, to save them from going to waste.
We call them parties because they have a fun, spontaneous spirit, where participants bring food and music, and people can meet, mingle and share. Parties happen in different types of venue – from pubs to churches to art galleries – and typically last three hours.
Anyone can throw a Restart Party, anywhere. All we ask is that you stick to some simple guidelines:
- Offer free entry to the public (though a donation can be suggested).
- Promote a collaborative learning process (everyone can learn something - even the people doing the teaching!).
- Fix other stuff if you like, but make sure you have at least 3-4 electronics repairers.
- Tell us about it beforehand, and share the results.
- Be insured! The Restart Project is not liable for events we don’t organise ourselves. If you haven’t got Public Liability Insurance, please work with a group that has.
You don’t have to call them Restart Parties – people call them repair cafes, too. We just feel ‘Restart Party’ has a little more oomph!
1.b) Why host a Restart Party?
E-waste is one of the fastest growing waste streams across the world. We know the pace of our consumption has real social and environmental costs. And we know people are frustrated with the throwaway culture around them.
But we can do something about it. There are people in your community who already know how to fix these things – and other people who want to learn. By bringing them together in a Restart Party, you can have an immediate impact on e-waste in your area, as well as helping in the fight for more sustainable products in the long term.
We can’t just wait for greener, more ethical products to appear. Let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work!
