It almost hurts to throw away broken appliances, clothing, and other things we need and are often fond of. There’s the cost of replacing them, the time and trouble needed to find substitutes, the regret about wasted resources — the raw materials, energy, and transportation that went into making them — and our growing awareness that landfills are filling up.
Enter the Reuse Alliance, a nonprofit whose lively band of volunteers fixes stuff for free. Based in Sonoma County, they recently showed up in force at Napa’s public library on a Saturday afternoon.
Walking into the library and finding the “Repair Fair” in full swing felt like the circus had come to town. More than 20 skilled volunteers joked around, traded tools and advice, and got things done. Along one wall, a phalanx of volunteers with sewing machines mended clothes. Around the room, toasters and electric fans were being restored. Outside on the terrace, a crew was repairing bicycles. When a repair was successfully completed, we rang a red bell and the room filled with cheers. More…
Thank you for your efforts to reduce climate pollution and create a safe and healthy home for all of us. Please see below for a pdf version of the article:
