Quick tips for fixing broken items and keeping them out of landfills
Sandra Goldmark is Senior Assistant Dean for Interdisciplinary Engagement at the Columbia Climate Institute and Director of Campus Sustainability and Climate Action at Barnard College. She is also an associate professor in the Barnard Department of Drama.Photo courtesy of Sandra Goldmark
What do you do when your shoes leak, your toaster doesn’t work, or your window sashes stop turning? Chances are, you’ll struggle with guilt and then eventually let it go. Unfortunately, in our society, it is almost always easier and cheaper to order a replacement than to hire someone to fix it.
Sandra Goldmark supports a better system – one in which we as a society focus on making stronger items, produced in a sustainable way, that can be repaired and circulated for a long time, and then regenerated when they are useful Use or recycle life.This concept is called circular economy, she talk about it In her 2020 book, Fixed: How to have stuff without destroying the planet.
Restoration is probably the trickiest variable in the circular economy formula for most of us. Finding a local expert who knows how to repair your item isn’t always possible, and even if you do, it may not be an affordable solution.Since Goldmark was established and operated Maintenance service, we decided to ask her for meaningful tips on how and when to find a repairman, as well as how to do some basic and common repairs yourself. She shares tips in the Q&A and video below.
First, can you tell us more about how fixing things relates to sustainability?
Currently, we live in a largely linear system of production and consumption. We extract resources from the earth. We make them into products that usually don’t last very long, and they go almost straight to incinerators or landfills—often within a year. This results in massive emissions – the Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimates that as much as 55% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from the “production and use of everyday objects” such as food, cars, and clothes. It also affects land use, habitat degradation, and thus biodiversity. It pollutes waterways and airways and negatively impacts manufacturing communities where people do not always earn an adequate living wage.
Circular systems are necessary as part of a global transformation because it means extracting fewer resources from the earth. In a circular system, the materials we extract are renewable and ethical. This means designing products that last a long time. That means continuing to manufacture, but also developing systems for collection, remanufacturing and redistributing—essentially using materials for as long as possible. That’s where the repairs come in. If you have a corrupted object, it should be very simple and logical to fix it. The problem, of course, is that today in the United States and in many parts of the world, it is very difficult to fix something. The product is not designed to be repaired, so it is very difficult to repair. New products are artificially cheap, so paying a local craftsman to fix your product is sometimes more expensive than buying it new.
How did you learn to fix broken items?
I worked as a set and costume designer in theater for many years. So I learned to craft, fix and paint. They call it upcycling now, but in the theater it’s more like Frankenstein – we do it all the time. You’ll only be very happy with the vast array of materials and tools. Plus, I grew up with a sewing mom who was super handy around the house and would fix all sorts of things. My whole family is a bunch of tinkerers, really.
For someone who doesn’t have that upbringing and experience, where would you advise them to start?
Well, the nice thing about fixing something is that it’s hard to screw it up because it’s already broken. This is a really good place to start tinkering and working with your hands.There are tons of YouTube videos, especially from i fix it, which can teach you how to fix almost anything in your home. There are repair cafes all over the country where you can go and volunteers will fix your stuff and teach you how to do it. There are maker spaces where you can practice fixing things with people who know how to use tools.
It’s okay if you don’t have time to fix it yourself. do not be sad. Go fix it. See if you can pay someone to do it. Go to your local cobbler. Nothing to be ashamed of – quite the opposite, in fact. I think the more we do these things in our homes and spend money on them in our communities, the more we can develop an ecosystem around restoration.
What is the most common item you come across in your repair service run through 2019?
We have a lot of lights – that’s why we wanted to show you how to rewire them [see video]. We have a lot of small appliances and jewelry. Not fine jewelry, just cheap necklaces and earrings and stuff that people love and want to keep. We have a lot of chairs, tables and other small furniture. There are also some quirky items like ceramics and toys.
Interestingly, people bring us mostly everyday items rather than heirlooms and antiques. It’s not that people only keep special items for repairs. What’s more, they can’t do repairs, and they can’t fix these mundane items until we open our little shops.
One of your videos shows us how to mend a sock. Why did you choose to show restoration?
I chose a sock because it’s simple and satisfying. You don’t need many skills. You don’t need complicated tools. You don’t even need electricity. And you can really extend the life of a nice pair of socks by this long. Also, selfishly, I have a hole in my sock and I want to fix it!
Let’s take a quick look at the items we probably throw away on a regular basis. Is it worth trying to fix these problems?
- shoe?
- For me, getting off at a cobbler is always a “yes, go.” It has to be a good shoe, though — just like you can’t really fix the soles of sneakers. The cobbler will let you know if they can fix it.
- What to do with a sticky non-stick pan?
- I stopped using non-stick a long time ago because of the chemicals. We switched to cast iron and never looked back. If you season it properly, it’s the ultimate repairable pan, because if it starts to stick, you just have to season it again. You put it in the oven with oil and then it becomes non-stick again. This is great.
- toaster?
- This one you can forgive yourself for throwing away — or hoping for recycling. It’s hard to find parts to repair your toaster, and it’s hard to find someone who will actually fix it for you. But some toasters and microwaves are recyclable in New York City, especially if the casings are metal.
- electronic product?
- With electronics, sometimes you can fix them, sometimes you can fix them yourself. Fix it if you can. If you can’t, recycle it and buy a used one, be aware that the global statistics on e-waste recycling are really poor. But until that bigger system gets better, you’ve done what you can.
One of my big philosophies is that you don’t have to feel guilty if you haven’t fixed everything that’s broken in your house, or if you haven’t fixed your shoes. My philosophy is that I just do my best and work with others to make it easier for companies and policy makers to do the right thing.
Any other suggestions for those who are just doing their best?
On a personal level, I’ve found that the areas where I can pull together the most are actually buy moment. When I buy something, I want to buy something that is sustainably made and can be repaired. Can you buy quality, used, repairable stuff? That’s when you really have the ability to influence the end of that product’s lifecycle. On a larger level: advocating, advocating, advocating. We have to push for a system where repairing various items is as easy and easy as pressing a “buy now” button – as easy as darning a sock!
