Hackney (Parliament Politics Magazine) – A new Fixing Factory has opened in Hackney, offering community-led electronic repairs to combat e-waste and promote sustainability through reuse initiatives.
The “Fixing Factory” has been established in Hackney to increase the repair capacity and address the growing volume of waste electrical and electronic equipment.
The proposal builds on the success of other London Fixing Factories in Brent and Camden, where citizens could get the appliances mended, acquire repair skills, and participate in weekly repair workshops.
The Hackney location is the first of three new factories set to operate in London because of £1.27 million in support from the National Lottery Community Fund.
The program is being run by climate charity Possible and the Restart Project.
The factories are intended to empower local communities by teaching repair skills and save them money by reusing broken things.
According to the organizations, even a small amount of repair experience leads to increased awareness and confidence in fixing goods.
Over the previous two years, the project has engaged approximately 1,000 individuals in community repair sessions, saving more than three tons of e-waste and 53 tonnes of CO2e.
Shelini Kotecha, Fixing Factory lead at Restart, said:
“We are thrilled to have launched another Fixing Factory, building on the success of the Fixing Factory in Camden.
We are especially delighted that this is just the first of three new locations due to open, ensuring that people who want to fix their electricals rather than throwing them away can do so.”
He added that the level of community interest we’ve seen already has been huge, and the ability to bring affordable repair to London’s streets is key to tackling the growing e-waste within the UK.
Their vision is to have a Fixing Factory on every high street in the UK, making repair accessible, affordable and the new normal.
Councillor Sarah Young formally launched the Hackney Fixing Factory today (April 23, 2025), with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by local residents, volunteers, and community groups.
Young said:
“I am so pleased to welcome a brand new Fixing Factory into Hackney.
We all need to do more to reduce our waste and offer more opportunities to fix our broken appliances rather than just throwing them away and this project is the perfect way to do that.
I have no doubt that many Hackney residents will be making good use of this new Fixing Factory location and hopefully there will be a number of budding fixers in the borough in no time.”
WEEE is the world’s fastest growing waste stream, with the UK being the second largest producer per capita.
How does the Hackney foxing factory support the local community?
The factory provides workshops and hands-on sessions where customers may learn how to repair their own electrical devices.
This provides inhabitants with practical skills and confidence in repairing rather than replacing, increasing self-sufficiency. Residents can bring in faulty appliances and devices to be repaired at a low or free cost.
This service saves people money and makes repairs more accessible, particularly to those who cannot afford commercial repair services.
By repairing and reusing devices, the Fixing Factory helps divert e-waste from landfills and reduces carbon emissions.
In the last two years, similar programs have saved almost three tonnes of e-waste and 53 tonnes of CO2e.