London Repair Week: Find out how to repair your household items

There was a time when no-one dreamt of throwing away a broken or damaged item if it could possibly be repaired.

Holey socks were darned, plugs were rewired, and cars were tinkered with endlessly at a time when making things last longer was a national pastime.

These days, we’re more likely to replace items than to spend time fixing them, leading to ever-increasing quantities of household waste and its associated environmental problems.

To address this, London’s Repair Week, running from 2-8 March 2026, aims to help the city's residents sort out the repair projects they've been putting off with free drop-in events, online talks and other community services.

If you’re elsewhere, you can still pick up online tips and advice on fixing everything from electricals and homeware to textiles and bicycles.

Why repair?

There are two main benefits from repairing rather than replacing items: saving money and protecting the environment.

Saving money

A survey conducted for London Recycles in 2025 found that Londoners spent an average of £464.21 per person - a total of £3.24 billion - replacing damaged or broken items they believe could have been repaired over the previous year.

Households could save money by repairing broken items instead; however, many people don’t feel they have the skills to fix things themselves and are unaware of affordable repair options. 

Protecting the environment

Every item that’s thrown away must go somewhere. Although many products can be separated into their constituent parts and recycled, others are not easily recyclable and will end up as waste that is burned, buried in landfill or – in the worst case – fly tipped. 

According to government data, less than 50% of all household waste in England was recycled in 2023-24, while local authorities dealt with more than 1.2 million incidents of fly tipping in 2024-25. The UN’s Global E-waste Monitor reports that, of the 1.65 million tonnes of electronics discarded by the UK each year, just 30% is recycled.

Plus, every new item we buy comes with an environmental footprint caused by extraction of raw materials, manufacturing processes, packaging and transport. Extending the life of an older item is usually better for the environment than buying new.

Find free repair services

The Repair Week events calendar lists community events throughout London, including in-person Repair Cafes, bike maintenance, and sewing and upcycling sessions, as well as online mend-alongs.

There are hundreds of community repair groups throughout the UK. Often called Repair Cafes, they meet regularly in a local library or other community venue. They are run by volunteers who offer their time and skills to repair a wide range of items free of charge. Check the Community Repair Network map to find one near you. 

The Restart Project helps people to repair broken electronics. They run free community events, known as Restart Parties, where you can learn how to repair your broken or slow devices. Check out their upcoming Restart Parties and other events. 

You may also be able to find a skilled repairer at your local time bank – find your nearest time bank here. Timebanking enables people to swap their skills with others in the local community. Everyone’s time is valued equally, so each hour is worth the same amount; for every hour of help you give, you earn an hour’s credit from your time bank. Whether your skill is baking, ironing or IT, you can swap your time for help with repairs.

Some local council waste authorities also run repair events; check online or ask at your local library.

High street repairs

If you’re unable to repair an item yourself or find a local volunteer to do it free of charge, there are still some traditional repair shops on the high street, particularly for watches and jewellery, shoes, and clothing – ask your local dry cleaner about mending and alterations.

Thanks to a greater awareness of sustainability, some fashion retailers have begun offering repairs and alterations and, increasingly, there are also repair shops for broken tech, including smart phones, laptops and tablets.

Many retailers will also carry out repairs on their own products. It’s not difficult to find maintenance and repair services for bikes, white goods such as fridges and washing machines, sports equipment, musical instruments, and specialist tech such as cameras and hi-fi. 

Check Which? Trusted Traders for reliable professionals near you. You can also search We Are Repairs to find a specialist repairer skilled in anything from stained glass to soft furnishings.

Your ‘Right to Repair’

The Right to Repair Regulations, which came into force in Great Britain in 2021, were designed to extend the life of certain appliances, delay the need for expensive replacements and reduce e-waste.

The legislation is somewhat limited, however, as it only covers access to essential spare parts for certain household appliances, including washing machines, fridges, dishwashers and televisions. 

Furthermore, Which? research has found that, despite this legislation, repairs are often prohibitively expensive. Spare parts are also often expensive and hard to find, forcing many consumers to replace rather than repair appliances.

Read more: our investigation into the limitations of the Right to Repair rules

Top repair tips from Which?

If you have something that's not working as it should, check out one of our guides for a DIY fix, or find a repair cafe or shop near you, to help keep your stuff out of landfill and your money in your pocket.

• Discover the cheapest ways to fix common phone faults, and how to find a reputable service
• Our computing experts offer easy tips to fix a broken laptop and solve common PC problems
• Got a flat tyre? Our simple step-by-step guides show you how to change a car tyre and use a tyre repair kit safely and effectively
• Common dishwasher faults and how to fix them
• From double-glazed windows becoming tricky to open, doors sagging and window panes misting up, find out whether your double glazing should be repaired or replaced
• Fence repairs: how much does it cost, and can you do it yourself?
• Plus, we’ve surveyed Which? Trusted Traders to find out how much you can expect to pay for some common appliance repair costs