International Repair Day is all about celebrating the people, skills and communities helping us keep things in use for longer. This year, we’re joining in right here in Bristol… and we’re bringing the idea of borrowing into the conversation too.

On Saturday 17 October, International Repair Day will be celebrated around the world, with events encouraging people to repair, reuse and learn new skills.

We’ll be heading along to Sparks Bristol for their International Repair Day event, taking place from 11am-6pm – pop by our stand for a chat between 12 and 4pm. The free event will bring people together to learn new skills, share ideas and explore how repairing and reusing the things we already have can help reduce waste.

And, of course, we’ll be there to talk about another way of making things last: borrowing the tools you need, rather than buying them for a one-off job.

Why does repair matter?

It’s easy to fall into a buy, use, replace cycle. Something breaks, we decide it’s no longer useful and replace it with something new.

But often, a repair can give an item a whole new lease of life.

The Open Repair Alliance has recorded more than 441,000 repair attempts at community repair events across 32 countries. And their latest data shows that non-electrical items have an impressive 83% repair success rate. The most commonly seen non-electrical items include textiles, household items and bicycles.

Repair can mean fewer new things being bought in the first place. Research from WRAP found that for every five items of clothing repaired, four displace a new purchase. Repairing a cotton T-shirt rather than buying a new one could also save more than 7.5kg of CO₂e.

That’s a pretty good reason to get some thread out and borrow a sewing machine.

👕 Clothes: mend it, don't bin it

Clothes are a great example of where a relatively small repair can make a big difference.

A loose button, split seam, broken zip or small tear doesn't necessarily mean an item has reached the end of its life. In fact, WRAP estimates that repairing clothing can extend its lifespan from around 4 years to 5.3 years: a 32% increase.

And there’s still plenty of room for improvement. WRAP's research published in 2025 found that 49% of used textiles end up in the bin, with the average person throwing away around 35 items of clothing each year.

So before you give up on a favourite jumper or pair of trousers, why not see if you can fix it?

You don't even need to own a sewing machine to get started. Share Bristol members can borrow sewing machines, giving you access to the equipment you need for a repair or alteration without having to buy and store a machine that might only come out a few times a year.

What else could you repair with a borrowed Thing?

Clothes aren't the only things that can be given a second life. There are plenty of other repair jobs where having the right tool makes all the difference.

🔧 Soldering irons

A soldering iron can be used to repair and reconnect electrical components and wires, making it useful for all sorts of small electronics repairs. For example, soldering can be used to repair damaged cables or connectors and reconnect components on a circuit board.

Share Bristol has several soldering irons available to borrow, so you don't need to buy one just because you've got a repair job to tackle.

🔨 Fix those little jobs around the home

Not every repair needs a professional!  Sometimes you just need the right tool and a bit of confidence.

A drill can be surprisingly useful for giving things around the home a second life. Fixing a loose hinge on a cupboard door, tightening up a wobbly shelf, securing a piece of furniture or putting a new handle on a door are all jobs that might be easier than you think.

And if you don't already own a drill, there's no need to buy one for a single DIY job. Share Bristol has drills and other DIY tools available to borrow, so you can get the job done without filling your shed with equipment you'll rarely use.

Sometimes repair is as simple as tightening a screw, replacing a fixing or putting something back where it belongs.

🚲 Give your bike some TLC

Bikes are another great example of something where a little maintenance can go a long way.

From adjusting components and replacing a chain to fixing a puncture or carrying out general maintenance, the right tools can make those jobs much easier.

Share Bristol has various bicycle repair kits and toolkits available to borrow, containing everything from Allen keys and tyre levers to a chain tool, pedal wrench, spoke wrench and cassette puller. We’ve even got bike repair stands to make the job a little less strenuous!

So if your bike needs some attention, you don't necessarily need to invest in a whole box of specialist bike tools.

Save money and reduce waste

We love it when repairing and sharing come together!

When you borrow a tool to repair something rather than replacing it, you're not just saving yourself the cost of a new item. You're helping to keep useful Things in circulation, reduce waste and make better use of the resources that have already gone into making them.

Come and say hello at Sparks

We'll be at Sparks Bristol on Saturday 17 October for International Repair Day from 12-4pm, alongside other organisations and repair enthusiasts celebrating the skills and ideas that help us make things last.

Come along, get inspired, learn something new and have a chat with us about how borrowing could help with your next repair project.

International Repair Day at Sparks Bristol
Saturday 17 October 2026 | 11am–6pm (main event) 12-4pm (Share Bristol stall open)
Free and open to all

And if you've already got a repair project in mind, take a look at the Things you could borrow from Share Bristol!