On October 30th, the MAKERS project collaborated with student start-up and device repair experts FixMyTek for a Tech Repair Workshop at UWE Bristol’s School of Engineering. The event aimed to empower students and staff to engage in hands-on repairs to reduce electronic waste.
The MAKERS Project, which stands for “Making and Knowledge Exchange for Repair and Sustainability,” serves as a unique initiative designed to foster repair skills and encourage the reuse of resources within the university community and beyond. Through workshops and collaborative activities, MAKERS creates an inclusive environment where students, staff, and members from the community can connect, learn repair skills, and ultimately embrace a more sustainable lifestyle.
The turnout for the workshop was fantastic, with a strong mix of students and staff bringing in personal devices that required fixing or rejuvenating. Attendees tackled a wide range of electronics, including the brush roll of a vacuum cleaner, a charging adaptor with a shorted circuit, a faulty iron, and a particularly stubborn hair dryer. In just a few hours, participants collectively saved an estimated 4.15 kilograms of electronic waste—showcasing the significant impact of choosing repair over replacement.
Training in electrical engineering is a core mission of FixMyTek, whose team of technicians comprises university students from UWE Bristol and the University of Bristol got to work alongside their peers as part of the workshop. It was also fantastic to see that one of last year’s MAKERS students had since joined FixMyTek as a member of their team, turning their repair skills into a paid role.
The workshop atmosphere was both relaxed and educational, with participants learning from each other, viewing tutorials, sharing repair tips, and enjoying refreshments.
This experience further underscores the potential for tech repair and upcycling workshops to make a measurable impact in reducing waste and encouraging sustainable habits.
MAKERS and FixMyTek are continuing to collaborate, with a similar workshop planned in the community of St Paul’s later this year.