Repair Café offers free repairs at Campus De Nayer
Students, lecturers and researchers from Thomas More University of Applied Sciences welcomed members of the public to a Repair Café at Campus De Nayer in Sint-Katelijne-Waver
Visitors were invited to bring along broken electrical appliances and bicycles to be assessed and, where possible, repaired free of charge. Each item was first examined to determine whether it could be fixed before repairs were carried out on site.
Addressing the growing e-waste challenge
The event highlighted the importance of repairing and reusing electrical equipment rather than replacing it.
Around 62 million tonnes of electronic waste are generated worldwide each year. In Belgium alone, approximately 252 million kilograms of e-waste are produced annually – around 100 times the weight of the Atomium.
By demonstrating that many broken products can still be repaired, the Repair Café encouraged people to consider a more sustainable alternative to throwing devices away and buying new ones.
Changing attitudes towards repair
Research undertaken at Thomas More suggests that decisions to discard electronic devices are often influenced by consumer expectations. When a product breaks earlier than anticipated, confidence in it can be lost, making replacement appear more appealing than repair.
The Repair Café aimed to challenge this perception by showing that repairing a faulty device can be a practical, reliable and environmentally responsible option.
Combining learning, research and community action
The event also provided Thomas More students with an opportunity to apply their technical knowledge in a practical setting. For researchers, it offered valuable insight into how people respond when their devices break and what influences their decision to repair or replace them.
By bringing students, researchers and members of the community together, the initiative demonstrated how practical repair services can extend the life of products, reduce e-waste and help build confidence in repair and reuse.