Aiming To Reduce Waste, Hennepin Co. Holds 'Fix-It' Repair Clinic
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Hennepin County is trying to cut back on how much stuff is tossed in the trash.
The county held a "fix-it clinic" Saturday to teach valuable repair skills, and restore broken household items we would otherwise throw away. Volunteer "fixers" teach people how to take apart these items-- and help build the skills and confidence it takes to fix things the next time something breaks.
"We fixed their grandfather's antique fan, really old clocks," volunteer fixer Dave Blackburn said. "One time I helped a woman who had a Christmas decoration that she put out every year, for years and years, and then she put it away. When she had grandchildren, she wanted get out for them, and it didn't work. We got it going again, so she was very happy about that."
The county says these fix-it clinics have kept over 26 thousand pounds of household items out of the trash. The next clinic is scheduled for August 12 at St. Anthony City Hall.