Central Bedfordshire Council and Alex Mayer MP both endorse and sign the UK Repair and Reuse Declaration as part of International Repair Day

To coincide with the eighth annual International Repair Day that is marked nationally and internationally on Saturday 19 October 2024, Totally Leighton Buzzard (who run the monthly community pop-up Repair Café Leighton Buzzard) are pleased to announce that Central Bedfordshire Council and Alex Mayer, the new Labour MP for Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard have both signed and endorsed the UK Repair and Reuse Declaration – see here at repairreusedeclaration.uk

Central Bedfordshire Council is only the second council to sign the declaration and Alex Mayer is the 40th MP or former MP from all political parties to sign the declaration. In total there are now more than 360 individuals, organisations or businesses have now signed the declaration.

The UK Repair and Reuse Declaration was originally developed in the summer of 2023 by a collective of community groups, national NGOs and businesses, led by The Restart Project who campaign for action on repair and reuse.

The declaration aims so to raise the profile of issues about waste, repair and reuse and changing mindsets. The declaration calls for politicians to support repair and reuse. It calls for measures to make repair affordable and expand the UK’s right to repair regulations to cover all consumer products. It also calls for measures to help people choose repairable products, prioritise reuse when waste is processed and support repair training and apprenticeships. The aim of the declaration is to encourage the UK government and UK society to move away from a throwaway economy by making it easier for people to repair products and pass them onto others for a second life.

Support for repair and reuse is even more vital than ever. The UK is the second highest producer of electronic waste in the world per capita. A YouGov poll commissioned for Repair Day in 2023 found that only 28% of people in Britain were able to successfully fix or have fixed their last electrical item that broke.47% of people didn’t try to repair the item or were unable to do so. The main reasons preventing repair were due to cost – too expensive (38%) or that it was quicker to replace (33%). The poll also showed strong support for the government to act on repair, with 85% support for the UK’s Right to Repair regulations to be expanded to all appliances and devices.

Two years on, this problem is not diminishing. According to the UN, electronic waste is rising five times faster than documented recycling. It is estimated, by the non-profit organisation, Material Focus, that over 880 million unused electronic or electrically items can be found hoarded in UK homes, which is ripe for being reused – whether through repair or reuse initiatives.

Incorporating repair and reuse practices into our everyday lives creates huge environmental and economic benefits by cutting down on waste, reducing the climate and resource impact of buying new products and saving people money by getting the most out of the items they already have.

Alex Mayer MP said: “Repair and reuse services could become an important part of our local economy as we look to reduce waste, promote green jobs and tackle the climate crisis."

Cllr Tracey Wye, Executive Member for Sustainability and Climate Resilience at Central Bedfordshire Council said: "Repairing and reusing items for as long as possible is crucial—not only does it help conserve the earth's limited resources, but it’s also often a more affordable option for individuals, saving money on replacements. When repair or reuse isn’t an option, we should turn to recycling—with disposal as a last resort.

I want to give a huge shoutout to the Repair Café in Leighton Buzzard. I was truly inspired by the dedication and organisation of the volunteers. It’s a model project I’d love to see replicated. If you're interested in getting involved email [email protected]."

If you also believe in the power and importance of repair, then you can also sign the declaration. Also don’t forget to attend the next Repair Café Leighton Buzzard on Saturday 26 October from 10.30am to 1.30pm at the Royal British Legion, West Street, Leighton Buzzard. We will also be joined by Buzz Cycles who will be fixing bikes. Book to attend at https://repaircafe.leightonbuzzard.org (for electrical, mechanical or sewing repairs) and https://cutt.ly/lbdrb (for bike repairs) or turn up. Free to attend. Donations welcome. Refreshments provided. It might soon be Halloween but the Repair Cafes witches and wizards will once again be working their repair magic to try and fix Leighton Buzzard’s broken items.