Can We Fix it? Yes We Can
When your household items stop working, do you simply throw them away? Well, you’re not alone. In the UK, roughly 155,000 tonnes of smaller household electricals end up in our bins every year which, once in landfill, can release toxic substances that are damaging to the environment.
With shows like BBC’s The Repair Shop bringing fixing-up and reusing old items back into the mainstream, volunteer group Upcycle Kernow in Redruth have decided to offer a similar service to Cornwall.
Their Repair Café encourages Redruth residents to bring in their broken household items and electricals to be fixed for free by their skilled volunteers.
This can include such items as hairdryers, hoovers, sewing machines, hedge trimmers and much more. It is open once a month, and I went along earlier in the spring to speak to the volunteers about why we should be repairing more and buying less.
Volunteer Director Dawn Thompson says:
“Old stuff rocks. If you can find a skill to remake something – whether that’s through embroidery, or sewing, or whether it’s through woodwork or joinery – then remake everything as much as you can.”
She encourages people in Redruth to consider the benefits of repairing broken items:
“Think how much money you’re going to save, think about the individuality of that item. You’re going to save the planet. All of those resources can be reused and repurposed.”
“I always liked the idea of fixing something. By my very nature I don’t like throwing things away,
I think it’s quite wasteful.”
Mark Griffin
Redruth’s Plastic-Free Mission
Plastics-Free Communities is a Surfers Against Sewage campaign in which cities, towns and villages around the UK are taking action — and Redruth is proud to be one of them.
Working with businesses and other key stakeholders, Redruth Town Council wants to reduce the amount of needless plastic used every day — much of which ends up in the environment and, as we all know, takes years to break down, if at all.
The council is also working with an amazing voluntary group called the Cornish Plastic Pollution Coalition to be part of a wider voice hoping to make a huge difference through lobbying and education.
In 2019, the town council declared a climate emergency, putting the drive to protect the environment at the heart of its policy-making.
8 Ways to Go Plastic-Free
Help Redruth lead the fight on plastics
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Reusable water bottles
Carry a reusable water bottle and look out for ReFill stations around Redruth to get your bottle filled up for free. Check out the ReFill app.
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Shopping Bags
Bring your own bags shopping, whether a canvas tote or a bag for life, instead of environmentally unfriendly plastic ones.
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Plastic Straws
Say no to plastic straws. Use paper ones instead.
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Shop Independent
Buy from places reducing and removing needless plastic, of which there are many in Redruth.
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Tea & Coffee
Bring your own reusable coffee cup rather than a takeaway one – you often get money off if you do.
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Parties
Refuse that balloon – there are other ways to celebrate like paper decorations which you can buy or make yourself.
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Shop Smart
Shop smart and think about the plastic you are buying, avoiding anything that can’t be recycled.
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Recycle
Recycle what plastic you do use. Take part in litter picks and encourage others to join you, even if just around your local area.
Redruth’s Food Troops: Reducing Waste, Feeding Families
Around one third of all food goes to landfill. Redruth’s Food Troops aim to significantly reduce this and feed local families.
It is a non-profit community kitchen and garden initiative dedicated to tackling food waste and hunger. They now have two poly tunnels up, bursting with vegetables, and have been collaborating with their partners, Cornwall Neighbourhoods For Change (CN4C), to ensure surplus food is redistributed to the community.
Based in Victoria Park, they’re passionate about surplus food redistribution, fostering a sense of community through shared meals, and empowering families with food education. They believe having access to healthy, nutritious food is a fundamental human right. Children and their families should not suffer because of a lack of education, skills, finances or confidence to prepare their own meals from fresh food at home.
Exciting and diverse workshops have proved very popular, with people learning a wide variety of skills — from festive baking to pickling and preserves, kombucha making and creating their own natural sustainable beauty products.
The Family Foodie Fun sessions have been well attended, with parents, carers and young people all learning together and enjoying the community and support of each other. These have been led by one of their wonderful volunteers, a qualified primary school teacher.
Regular attendance from teenage volunteers has meant many tasty meals, lots of useful carrying and organising, and a wonderful opportunity for young people to demonstrate their willingness to learn new skills and gain work experience.
You can find out more on the Food Troop Facebook group, where they share surplus food and cooking tips, showcase the impact of Food RescU packs through photos, and publicise the latest events and services. They also offer online cookery classes and workshops to further enhance your culinary skills and knowledge.
Join the Food Troop Community in making a positive difference.