Repair cafe offers a new approach to recycling

PENTICTON – A Penticton group hopes a European recycling idea will turn Penticton's trash back into treasure today.

Okanagan Upcycle Resource Society is hosting a Repair Cafe at their centre located at 180 Industrial Ave.

Laurel Burnham with the society is enthusiastic about the opportunities offered by things people throw away.

Burnham says the repair cafe idea comes from Holland and is based on the premise every household has an item that needs repair, whether it’s an electrical appliance, a bicycle or a piece of clothing.

“All we can think of is to throw them out, but there are people in the community who have the skills, the ability to repair these things on a small scale," she says. "The idea is, people can bring these objects down here, and sit with the people who have the skills and tools to do it, and learn how, develop a relationship. We’re talking about community building here as well."

She feels society needs to create more self sufficiency and sustainability as government continues to divest itself of support to the populace.

“This is what sustainability looks like."

Saturday will be the society’s first repair cafe, with more planned for later in the year.

Burnham says the idea is catching on, noting a repair cafe took place in Kelowna last week, sponsored by the Central Okanagan Regional District at the Kelowna Okanagan College campus.

The organization has an agreement with the regional district that allows them to salvage things from the Campbell Mountain Landfill and sell at deeply discounted prices from their store.

“What you see is just a tiny fraction of what gets thrown away everyday,” Burnham says, pointing to the hundreds of recycled items in the shop. “We are an unbelievably wasteful society, and we have to stop.”

The society has only been operating out of the Industrial Avenue address since November, but Burnham says expansion plans are already in place. “We’re looking for an operations manager and a bookkeeper. This is turning into a nice little business.”

The repair cafe operates from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 25.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad at sarstad@infonews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community? Create a free account to comment on stories, ask questions, and join meaningful discussions on our new site.

4 responses

  1. Lynda Pickrell

    I just saw this a daytoo late.Will have to come and visit at the Industrial Ave. site.

  2. Grate IdeaI,for one can’t stand to

  3. good for you Laurel I am proud of you.

  4. Great idea.I hope it really catches on.I’ll be looking at my stuff with an eye towards this.

Leave a Reply

Steve Arstad

I have been looking for news in the South Okanagan - SImilkameen for 20 years, having turned a part time lifelong interest into a full time profession. After five years publishing a local newsletter, several years working as a correspondent / stringer for several local newspapers and seven years as editor of a Similkameen weekly newspaper, I joined iNFOnews.ca in 2014. My goal in the news industry has always been to deliver accurate and interesting articles about local people and places. My interest in the profession is life long - from my earliest memories of grade school, I have enjoyed writing.
As an airborne geophysical surveyor I travelled extensively around the globe, conducting helicopter borne mineral surveys.
I also spent several years at an Okanagan Falls based lumber mill, producing glued-wood laminated products.
As a member of the Kaleden community, I have been involved in the Kaleden Volunteer Fire Department for 22 years, and also serve as a trustee on the Kaleden Irrigation District board.
I am currently married to my wife Judy, of 26 years. We are empty-nesters who enjoy living in Kaleden with our Welsh Terrier, Angus, and cat, Tibbs.
Our two daughters, Meagan and Hayley, reside in Richmond and Victoria, respectively.

Steve Arstad's Stories

More Articles