Restart Project

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10 and 20 years on …

Mark Phillips News, Opinion March 23, 2023 Leave a reply

This year, 2023, marks the 10th anniversary of the Restart Project and Hackney Fixers. It is also the 20th anniversary of iFixit. Groups that have been battling for decades (literally) to give us all a right to repair and the capability to do it.

In 2003, Kyle Wiens and Luke Soules found themselves with a broken iBook G3. Their attempts to repair it led to what is now iFixit. iFixit was actually born PB FixIt after the preeminent Mac notebook of the day: PowerBook.  Today iFixit offer online repairs guides for lots of different products. They offer spares and the all important tool kits. A special mention goes out to their security drivers allowing you to access product that manufacturers make difficult to open!! In October 2013, iFixit Europe was born with Stuttgart in Germany as a central European location, which I visited in October 2019.

Since 2015, they’ve worked to support Right to Repair laws, with partners like USPIRG and partners in Europe from the Right to Repair Europe movement.

Restart Project and Hackney Fixers

The Restart Project started in 2013. Although based in London their reach is much wider with Restart groups and parties across the UK, in Europe and further afield. They collaborate with other groups, particularly in Europe to advocate for our Right to Repair.

Ugo Vallauri and Nathan Proctor – Restart Project and US PIRG

The Hackney Fixers, promote electrical and electronic repair in Hackney as an alternative to growing mountains of waste and consumption and work closely with the Restart Project. Like many communities repair groups they hold local events to help people repair their things. Many of the original founders are still volunteering.

James Diamond, Hackney Fixers

Images from Hackney Fixers repair event at Woodberry Down Community Primary School, London in March 2023.

Happy Anniversaries

All of these groups are battling against waste by making better use of things. They support communities with real solutions. Solutions that we need to adopt, adapt and accelerate. Keep supporting them!

time to step up

Mark Phillips Opinion January 3, 2023 Leave a reply

Limited legislation has been passed to provide our Right to Repair, but there is still much more we can do. We can all take better care of our things. Make them last longer. We can learn to repair them, or find someone who can.

We already have lots of potential solutions. Community repair groups like Repair Cafe’s and the Restart Project can help us make things last longer, but ultimately we need to build much more capability.

In the short term our local Council’s and Waste Authorities can help make a real difference.
Some already do, but they can all do more.

Councils could enable more access to unused shops for community repair groups to use (like Share and Repair in Bath, Re:Make in Newport or the Fixing Factory in Camden).

They can also help with consumer awareness and education. They can help shift the culture from recycling (which is wasteful) to reuse and repair. Adding facilities to HWRCs (like the Fixing Factory in Brent). They can work in partnership with repair groups, charities and local independent repairers.

All the areas highlighted in the diagram above are opportunities for local authorities to help make more of a difference.

Second ‘Fixing Factory’ in London

Mark Phillips Events, News October 28, 2022 9 Comments

The second Fixing Factory was opened by the mayor in Camden.

The Restart Project in partnership with climate charity Possible, Ready Tech Go, West London Waste Authority, and Mer IT, and with National Lottery Community Funding is creating new ‘Fixing Factories’ in London.  For more information see the dedicated Fixing Factory website.

Camden Fixing Factory was officially opened after Camden Mayor, Nasim Ali, cut the ribbon. There were also a number of other local politicians plus representatives from a number of local stakeholders and community groups. In addiction to the opening of the Queen’s Crescent Fixing Factory, the local community was also invited to take part in some hands-on fixing.

The final touches to the signage at Camden Fixing Factory

The aim is for these to become a ‘blueprint’ for Fixing Factories around the country, emulating the success of Kierrätyskeskus in Finland.

At the launch event there were demonstrations from Mer-IT of how to open your laptop, change hard drives, memory cards and batteries.

Mer-IT explaining the insides of a laptop and how to upgrade parts, extending its life.

Volunteers at opening event

Whilst the main goal is to make electronics last longer, to prevent unnecessary e-waste and the huge amount of carbon emissions involved in the production and transport of new devices, such facilities also provide wider community benefits – they help increase high street activity, create local community events, training and potential job opportunities, improve local environmental performance and help with the cost of living crisis.

Sian Berry AM (London Assembly Member – Greens) and Dermot Jones (Camden Fixing Factory in conversation

you can hear more about the Camden and Brent Fixing Factories are the Restarters Podcast.

Self-repair and the Right to Repair

Mark Phillips News April 18, 2022 Leave a reply

Despite the recent claims made, most products are still made with deliberate ‘anti-repair’ designs.

Two phones – one uses 8 simple Phillips screws. The other 2 security screws, 55 Phillips screws in 6 different sizes, a glued screen and glue strips to hold the battery.

Apart from the security screws and fixings, and glued in parts, there are other challenges. First, is access to affordable parts. Software and serialised components can cause the replacement part to not be recognised by the device and will not work. Or may have some features disabled.

Then there is the challenge of how comprehensive the self-repair program is. Apple’s repair program has only been launched, and only in the US. Samsung’s program is currently limited to a few models (Galaxy S20, S21 and Tab S7 devices).

There is a danger that such programs simply buy manufacturers more time. Then continue their current practices and defer the adoption of real right to repair. It is good news that manufacturers are, at last, collaborating with repair experts at iFixit. But advocates for repair are not yet out of a job.

So, whilst, the proposed moves are a step in the right direction, it’s a small step. Without continued pressure little real progress will be made.