If you guys can remember Dave Hakkens, he was the brainchild who started this project to replicate industry standard machinery to start recycling and producing plastic locally. Now he is at it again, this time repairing things.
Repairing things, used to be a way to keep our products longer. Adding a new shoe sole, use some glue to fix broken ceramic, stitch the hole in your shirt. Professions like shoemakers are slowly fading away and we, well, we just became to lazy to fix it ourselves. Broken baskets, fans, clothes, coffee machines, toys all end up on the junkyard. Just because they are a bit flawed.
So with this partner in crime Luc van Hoeckel, they created a project called “Proud to Repair” to inspire people to repair their stuff. The objective is not to make these broken objects work again. Instead making it personal and adapt to one needs. A little customisation to satisfy your needs makes a long way for these second life objects. In order to try out this project, they held a workshop for a group of people and searched for broken products from a local workshop. They started off by selecting a broken product, look where it’s broken, brainstorm on how to fix it, and started making. For more complicated parts, they had 3D printers to print right on the spot.
Not just a great initiative to help the environment, but also it satisfies the social aspect of object making. The scars on these second life objects also tells stories that are unique to them and to the owners. This project truly reminds me of the many little repairs that my great grandmother and father has taken to make their objects last longer. From a tree branch to replace a missing handle on a pot lid to adding random stainless steel joints onto the stove. These acts of repair even though may seem a little haphazard but they also embodies the Asian values that we have. Being frugal and resourceful.
#proudtobeasian
Image Source: davehakkens.nl