Stuffed toys, a wooden carving, a suitcase, a chainsaw and a spatula were among the 58 items given a new lease on life at Taupō’s first Repair Café.

The concept behind the Repair Café, held earlier this month, was to help people who wanted to save their items from the landfill while bringing back a culture of fixing rather than throwing.

Taupō District Council waste minimisation officer Shannon Hanson said she was thrilled with how the first event played out.

“My goal in bringing a Repair Café to Taupō was to encourage people to repair their broken items rather than sending them to landfill, but it turned into so much more than that. It was such a beautiful day of skill sharing and community building.

“We had lots of clothing and bicycles come in, but our volunteers also repaired items like stuffed toys, a wooden carving, a suitcase, a chainsaw, a spatula and shoes.

“There is a real joy in being able to fix something for someone and showing them how to do it.

“One family left with their three bikes and a scooter fixed. It’s great knowing that those kids can now safely enjoy their time outside.

“One of the highlights for me was seeing a special teddy bear from a loved one who had passed, that was able to be repaired and loved again.”

Some items required replacement parts that were able to be 3D printed by one of the repairers on site.

“There were so many lovely moments at the Repair Café and we can’t wait to host another one”, Shannon says.

Keep your eye out on the Taupō District Council website and Facebook page for information on the next event.

The Taupō Repair Café was supported by Taupō District Council, Project Tongariro, Volunteer Great Lake Taupō, Bike Taupō, Taupō Timebank, and Taupō Climate Action.

© Scoop Media