We’ve repaired for over five years in our communities. Now we are witnessing worrying developments, including the emergence of products that are simply — and unnecessarily — disposable. Some are even single-use.
Makers
We have a natural kinship with makers: people who like to create, assemble, and hack things. We want to help people making digital or electronic things to do so in more sustainable, open ways.
In near future, if funding allows, we will create a DIY kit for makerspaces, hackspaces and workshops to become hubs of repair and reuse. We see makerspaces as an integral part of local resource efficiency efforts.
Sustainable and equitable maker (and fixer) communities
We had a great opportunity to further reflect on what we’ve learned and the challenges we face during the past couple of days at two excellent events, The Maker Assembly and an event on makerspaces and sustainable development.
3D printer-salvage pancakes
Recently we’ve been talking with neighbour business 2052 Props about a reuse project – where we would pull parts from commonly failing electronics and repurpose them creatively into new products. For Pancake Day we took the heated bed from a 3D printer and made some pancakes.
An inspiring DIY workshop
We visited the London Bike Kitchen – a very special DIY Bike Repair Workshop in east London. We had felt a certain kinship with this project for a long time. What is for “sale” is empowerment, community and resilience.
Dear makers
We see a danger of the multiplication of disposable, use once and throw-away gadgets, treating electronics-intensive projects like sand castles. As one-offs, where everything will end up in the scrap-heap – only the scrap-heap does not wash away.
#Mozfest pt 1: The politics of making the future
At an event where rapid innovation (“fuck it, ship it”) is the central driving force, questions about green credentials could be deemed a buzzkill – but surely an eye for sustainability tradeoffs could become one of the many “ninjaskills” of the future?