Why Repair Cafés are becoming more popular amid the anti-consumerism movement

# Repair Cafés: Free Community Fix-It Events Growing Worldwide People are increasingly choosing to repair broken items instead of buying replacements, driven by rising costs and a shift away from throwaway culture. Repair Cafés—free community events where volunteers help fix everything from lamps to zippers—have exploded from a single event in the Netherlands in 2009 to nearly 4,000 locations worldwide that fix almost a million items annually. The movement reflects growing frustration with expensive consumer goods and a desire to reduce waste while building stronger local communities.