A REPAIR Café giving people an alternative to throwing items away when they become broken or damaged has opened in Pontypool.
The Torfaen Repair Café, run by Torfaen Council and Wastesavers Charitable Trust, officially opened at Pontypool Indoor Market last week as part of Recycle Week.
People will be able to take items for repair advice on Wednesdays and Thursdays between 9.30am and 12:30pm.
Cllr Mandy Owen, executive member for the environment, said: “We are thrilled to be working in partnership with Wastesavers Charitable Trust to offer this service to residents.
Cllr Mandy Owen, representatives from the Council’s waste and recycling team and Wastesavers. Picture: Torfaen Council
“Repairing and reusing items should always come first before recycling or sending them to incineration, so we really hope residents take up this offer.
“The café will only be able to take a look at small items, with the rule of thumb being, if it’s too big to carry they can’t fix it.”
Kettles, toasters, and small vacuum cleaners are some of the small items that people can take to the café – repairs will be made on site if the job is easy.
The council is aiming to recycle 70 per cent of all waste by 2024.
Alun Harris, Wastesaver Charitable Trust, said: “Repair and reuse is a growing factor in Wales’s aim to be net zero carbon by 2030, and Repair Cafés will be an integral part of this over the coming years.
“These will be a great facility for households to repair items they would otherwise throw out.
“Wastesavers are extremely grateful to be running the Pontypool Repair Café in partnership with Torfaen Council.”
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