Why repair?

We throw away vast quantities of things in our county every year! Many of these items could be repaired but sometimes it is cheaper, easier and quicker to throw them away and replace them with something new. 

In the UK we waste many items that could be repaired, we are the second highest producer of electronic waste in Europe – we throw away electronics worth £370 million a year.

Repairing is often a more environmentally friendly option than recycling. This is because recycling requires energy and infrastructure to break down an item and remake something new.

There are many benefits to repairing:

• You can save money
• Reduce carbon emissions
• Reduce plastic waste
• Reduce resource use 
• Many people enjoy the process of fixing things! 

If everyone in Gloucestershire repaired one item a year we could save 600,000 items from being wasted, that's the equivalent of 125 lorries full of recycling. 

Find out more about why repairing is becoming more popular.

Watch this video from Zero Waste Scotland to find out more about how repairing, as part of a circular economy, can help the environment: