The Amsterdam meet-up that made repair social again
In 2009 Martine Postma held a free repair meet-up in Amsterdam. The idea of volunteers helping neighbours fix broken things has since spread to thousands of Repair Cafés worldwide.
The small thing
On 18 October 2009 she organised a single afternoon in Amsterdam where volunteers with repair skills helped people fix broken items for free.
The problem
Many household items are thrown away when they could be fixed, often because people do not know how to repair them or cannot find parts and information. This adds to waste and the demand for new products.
Why Martine started
Postma was a journalist writing about sustainability and waste. After covering an exhibition on repair in 2009, she told iFixit she wanted to do more than just write about it. She told AFP that people had lost the culture of repair.
What they did
The first Repair Café brought together volunteers with tools and skills and visitors bringing broken household items, with repairs done together so visitors learn as well. Its success led Postma to set up a foundation that offers a starter kit and advice so others can run their own events.
The foundation, which received Dutch government support in its early years, has also pushed for repair-friendly policy. The Christian Science Monitor reports that Postma and the foundation played a key role in the EU's 2024 right-to-repair directive, whose legal text mentions Repair Cafés.
What changed
AFP reported about 20 Repair Cafés in the Netherlands by March 2012. By January 2025, the Christian Science Monitor reported nearly 3,200 in more than 40 countries, and cited the foundation's annual report as saying Repair Cafés kept over 1.4 million pounds of broken goods out of landfill in 2023. These waste figures come from the organisation's own reporting.
What they learned
Postma has observed that many items brought in are not truly broken and only need cleaning or small fixes, and that people discard things because they do not know what else to do, not because they want to.
“People have simply lost the culture of repairs.”Martine Postma, as quoted by AFP (via Solar Daily)
Copy this idea
Practical guidance written by our editors from the sources below. Adapt it to your place, and check local rules and safety first.
- Problem addressed
- Usable items being thrown away for lack of repair skills.
- What to do
- A regular free repair session where volunteers fix items alongside their owners.
- Materials and resources
- A community venue, tables, basic tools, sewing kit, multimeter, safety equipment, tea and coffee.
- Approximate cost
- Low
- Skills
- Volunteers with sewing, electrical, mechanical or bike repair skills; an organiser.
- Time
- A few weeks to plan; a half-day session each month.
- People needed
- An organiser plus a handful of volunteer fixers.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Risks and limitations
- Electrical safety; agree clear house rules and check whether you need public liability insurance.
- How to adapt it
- Start with the skills your volunteers already have; link with local libraries or schools.
- Lessons learned
- Repairing with the owner, rather than for them, builds skills and confidence.
Why it matters
A monthly repair session will not change how products are designed. But Repair Cafés keep usable goods in circulation, pass on practical skills, and have given policymakers visible evidence that people want things that can be fixed.
What didn't work
Manufacturers initially distanced themselves, saying amateur repair was dangerous. Postma notes that the EU directive covers only a limited range of products, and that parts and repair information remain hard to obtain.
Editor's note
Postma was campaigning for repair policy as of a January 2025 report. Sources differ on when the Repair Café Foundation began (2010 per AFP and the Christian Science Monitor; the foundation says it has supported local groups since 2011).
Sources: how do we know?
Evidence level: Documented. Supported by reliable published sources such as UN agencies, award bodies and reputable journalism. Not yet independently re-verified by our editors. What the person says and what independent sources establish are attributed separately in the text.
- reputable journalism
The 'Repair Café' movement has become a powerful force for a fix-it culture — The Christian Science Monitor, 7 January 2025Supports: First Repair Café 18 Oct 2009; nearly 3,200 cafés in 40+ countries; 2023 waste figures from foundation report; EU 2024 directive; manufacturers' early resistance; current campaigning. - reputable journalism
Dutch 'Repair Cafe' give trash a new lease of life — AFP (via Solar Daily), 15 March 2012Supports: Postma a former journalist; foundation founded 2010 with Dutch state funding; about 20 cafés in March 2012; quote. - reputable journalism
The woman behind the Repair Café movement — iFixit, 17 October 2019Supports: Inspired by covering a 2009 exhibition on repair; many items need only cleaning; people discard items because they lack knowledge. - organisational
About Repair Café — Repair Café International Foundation, 2026Supports: Organisation's own account: first Repair Café 18 October 2009 in Amsterdam; support to local groups since 2011.