SYRACUSE, NEW YORK — Broken lamps, torn clothes, a coffee machine that just won’t work — items like these are common in most households, and all too commonly wind up in the trash bin. Thanks to cheap replacements and a struggling repair economy, consumerism —and waste — is at an all-time high. In the wake of tariffs, climate change, and rapidly shrinking NYS landfill capacity, a rising repair movement in Central New York is pushing back against the status quo.
The Repair Cafe held on Saturday, May 10 embodies a social movement shaped by residents, activists, and community leaders who want to reduce waste through building strong community networks. The event was facilitated by Repair Cafe CNY, an organization established by the Institute for Sustainability Engagement (ISE) as an offshoot of the global Repair Cafe network. The group aims to reinvigorate repair in Syracuse and the greater CNY region by serving as a central coordinator for free community repair events in the area.
Repair Cafes are not a new concept to the area. The last known effort locally was that of the Syracuse Repair Cafe, which was operational for a few years before the pandemic halted operations. With repair energy now reinvigorated, organizers hope for the Syracuse Repair Cafe’s soon return.
The inaugural CNY Repair Cafe event brought together skilled volunteer repair coaches (“fixers”) to help 16 guests fix their broken commodities for free, with the support of the Keenan Center of Entrepreneurship at Le Moyne College providing space and necessary tools for specialists in electronics, sewing, bike repair, and more to facilitate the repairs.
Out of 24 items brought in for service (including knives, lamps, small appliances, electronics, and more), 19 were successfully fixed (a success rate of 79%), 3 were diagnosed but unfixable on-site, and only 2 were considered unfixable.
“This event not only diverted 19 items from landfill, but it also allowed people to share their skills and brought the community together. We hope this event can help shift the cultural narrative away from just throwing things away when they break,” explained Morgan Ingraham, ISE Program Associate leading the Repair Cafe CNY charge.
Getting items fixed for free can also be a lot of fun, an often overlooked but considerable benefit. “I didn’t realize the whole cafe would be so excited when something was successfully repaired,” shared front-desk volunteer Moriah Edwards, 33, of Outer Comstock. “Every time an item was completed, there were always other people joining in the celebration. Throughout the day, we would also be retelling stories of the toughest challenges that our repair coaches overcame, or the most sentimental items that people brought in. It made for a really wholesome experience.”
Thirty-six-year-old volunteer electronics specialist Jonathan Cormier from Liverpool agreed. “I really enjoy helping other people and getting to fix things. So it’s a win/win for me.”
And repair cafes go deeper than just repair, helping to build strong, resilient communities that can withstand natural disasters and revitalize their own spaces. Repair cafes also keep valuable knowledge alive across generations, as volunteers pass their knowledge onto residents, who may even become empowered to fix their items themselves (or become a future fixer!). Beyond providing free assistance, repair coaches can also refer residents to local repair shops when they are unable to make a repair, which can strengthen local small businesses.
To find out more about the next Repair Cafe event in CNY, follow Repair Cafe CNY on Facebook and other social media platforms (Instagram, Reddit, LinkedIn, and Bluesky) @repaircafecny. Those interested in joining the CNY community repair movement as a volunteer or coordinator can contact Morgan Ingraham at meingrah@syr.edu.
