Originally published at: https://therestartproject.org/right-to-repair/tedx-right-to-repair/
Recently, @ugo gave a TEDx Talk on our journey through repair, and the importance of repair communities in raising awareness, championing repair, documenting repair barriers, and pushing for system change.
At a time when manufacturers are starting to wake up to the inevitability of a right to repair, we’re proud to be making progress on a set of issues that was completely ignored by the policy agenda just a decade ago. Yet, we’re aware that the throwaway economy is still strong, greenwashing is thriving, and recycling is still celebrated as the main pillar of the “circular economy” – while repair and reuse are barely taken into account. We need to profoundly rethink the way products are manufactured, consumed and reused if we are to truly slow down the global use of resources and embrace a just transition.
Policy improvements are urgently needed, and they’re not coming fast enough, in the UK, Europe or elsewhere. We will continue to raise awareness and demand a real and universal right to repair, and to put an end to planned obsolescence. But none of this would be happening without the efforts of tens of thousands of repair volunteers around the globe, bringing back hope and sharing skills through community groups. Restart Parties, Repair Cafes, Fixit Clinics, and all other types of groups promoting repair are at the heart of making this movement stronger and more effective. Will you join us?
