IC Repair tackles sustainability, consumer empowerment

Four times a year, IC Repair volunteers gather in Iowa City to fix a wide range of household items. At the East Side Recycling Center, 2401 Scott Blvd., the repair station fills with everything from lamps and furniture to computers, smartphones, clothing, and — depending on the season — snow blowers and lawn mowers. “It's a wide range of things, and I think maybe lamps are the biggest one,” said IC Repair communications person Laura Crossett, in an April interview. “But it also kind of varies sometimes from event to event.” This year’s event will be held Sunday, July 20 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Formerly known as Iowa City Repair Café, the gathering gives attendees the opportunity not only to have their items fixed for free, but to learn how to do it themselves – provided the needed materials are on hand. “Giving people that ability encourages them to keep on mending things,” Ms. Crossett said, adding that “it makes them see new possibilities.” Learning to independently repair items promotes sustainability and helps keep waste out of landfills, and IC Repair organizers hope the event will inspire others to adopt environmentally conscious habits. “I like to believe that if you come to the event, if you learn a little bit about repair, that (it) helps change your mindset,” Ms. Crossett said. “I think that many big changes in the world start with those small things.” In addition to repair and mending, the event also offers free recycling for electronic cords, cell phones and batteries for residents of Johnson County, Kalona and Riverside.

Volunteers bring diverse repair skills

During the event, approximately 20 to 30 volunteers are posted at stations dedicated to specific types of repairs, such as small electronics, sewing, furniture and more. IC Repair volunteers have a wide range of skills, acquired through various means – some learned from family members, some are self-taught, while others are experts in their field or occupation, Ms. Crossett said. “We have people for whom this has been – either currently or was – a professional occupation,” she said. “But also people, invariably, for whom this is an avocation and a hobby, (it's) something that they've learned about through doing a little of everything.”

Sustainability and The Right to Repair

In an age of fast fashion, planned obsolescence and two-day shipping, the old adage of “use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without” has been replaced with a disposable mentality that has sobering environmental consequences. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 292.4 million tons of generational municipal solid waste was disposed of in 2018. Of that number, approximately 69 million tons were recycled and 25 million tons were composted. The agency uses this information to “characterize the national waste stream” and measure the success of materials management programs nationwide, the EPA’s website stated. Keeping items from the landfill is important to IC Repair, which weighs every item exiting the event to estimate how much is saved from going to waste. “I think after the first year, we had saved over 1,000 pounds of stuff (from the) landfill,” Ms. Crossett said.

The act of repairing and mending not only contributes to sustainability efforts, it also empowers others to be self-reliant. As fixing devices – especially those relating to technology – becomes trickier with digital copyright and intellectual property (IP) laws, the Right to Repair movement has emerged as a pushback against corporate restrictions – advocating for consumers' ability to access parts, tools and information needed to fix their own equipment. Smart phones, automotive diagnostic tools that use encrypted software, medical equipment and new appliances are some examples of items that increasingly call for brand-specific authorized dealers or repair professionals, because some IP restrictions prohibit third-party or independent repairers from accessing the special tools needed to fix the item. Ms. Crossett said these restrictions raise broader concerns about consumer rights and control. “In an increasingly digital world, (ownership) is something that’s being taken away from many of us,” she said.

Electronic repairs usually not an issue for IC Repair

Turning away electronic devices for repairs due to proprietary issues isn’t a common occurrence for IC Repair, however, Ms. Crossett assured. “We do occasionally have things that we aren't able to repair due to just a lack of expertise because (the items) are too broken,” she said. The closest parallel is what happens when attendees are forced to recycle aging devices that can no longer be updated, she added. “Sometimes what we’re helping people do with old electronic devices and phones and whatnot is wipe them for recycling because they’ve become obsolete,” she continued. “It’s not so much a legal issue as it is planned obsolescence,” she added, pointing to the end of support for certain Apple products and Windows operating systems as examples. One of the ramifications of planned obsolescence is the rise of e-waste, which is estimated to reach 82 million metric tons by 2030, according to the latest stats from The Global E-Waste Monitor. As concerns about electronic waste grow, more people are seeking out local solutions, and Ms. Crossett said attendance at IC Repair has gone up since the event began a few years ago. “My hope is that someday (IC Repair) will become an institution,” she said. IC Repair is co-sponsored by the City of Iowa City, Iowa City ReStore and University of Iowa Office of Sustainability and the Environment. For more information, visit IC Repair’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/icrepaircafe or email [email protected]. Fast Facts: What: IC Repair Where: East Side Recycling, 2401 Scott Blvd. in Iowa City When: Sunday, July 20 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.