Repair before recycling
Repair is usually better than recycling: it keeps the whole product in use and avoids manufacturing a replacement. Use the evidence below to see which product types community repair events often fix, then find a mapped repair shop near you.
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What community repair data shows
“Fixed” and “repairable” are encouraging outcomes, not a promise that every item can be repaired. Product condition, parts, skills and safety all matter.
| Product category | Attempts | Fixed | Repairable | End of life | Fixed or repairable |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vacuum | 546 | 325 | 99 | 100 | 78% |
| Hi-Fi separates | 493 | 284 | 95 | 104 | 77% |
| Coffee maker | 415 | 223 | 88 | 93 | 75% |
| Portable radio | 398 | 235 | 62 | 89 | 75% |
| Power tool | 392 | 229 | 65 | 91 | 75% |
| Lamp | 390 | 279 | 61 | 45 | 87% |
| Food processor | 366 | 203 | 49 | 107 | 69% |
| Small home electrical | 316 | 180 | 40 | 91 | 70% |
| Small kitchen item | 309 | 164 | 53 | 79 | 70% |
| Sewing machine | 283 | 222 | 30 | 24 | 89% |
| Decorative or safety lights | 280 | 209 | 27 | 42 | 84% |
| Laptop | 218 | 137 | 41 | 32 | 82% |
| Watch/clock | 191 | 133 | 11 | 43 | 75% |
| Mobile | 158 | 92 | 30 | 32 | 77% |
| Hair & beauty item | 149 | 85 | 23 | 36 | 72% |
| TV and gaming-related accessories | 143 | 79 | 24 | 36 | 72% |
| Toaster | 140 | 82 | 11 | 44 | 66% |
| Printer/scanner | 137 | 70 | 23 | 39 | 68% |
| Large home electrical | 135 | 73 | 31 | 27 | 77% |
| Kettle | 134 | 67 | 10 | 53 | 57% |
| Battery/charger/adapter | 133 | 64 | 16 | 47 | 60% |
| Iron | 126 | 65 | 24 | 33 | 71% |
| Toy | 117 | 83 | 6 | 26 | 76% |
| Hi-Fi integrated | 109 | 55 | 27 | 23 | 75% |
| Flat screen | 108 | 26 | 36 | 45 | 57% |
| Hair dryer | 90 | 62 | 5 | 22 | 74% |
| Handheld entertainment device | 86 | 38 | 24 | 21 | 72% |
| Headphones | 71 | 35 | 13 | 20 | 68% |
| Tablet | 67 | 31 | 18 | 14 | 73% |
| DSLR/video camera | 52 | 23 | 9 | 17 | 62% |
Source, licence and interpretation
Contains data from the Open Repair Alliance, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. The source-separated table above is offered under CC BY-SA 4.0. Counts aggregate repair-event data and should not be treated as controlled reliability testing. Latest central refresh: 2026-07-23 16:29:34.
Repair-place locations are separate OpenStreetMap records, © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Always verify services and opening hours before travelling.