Residents across West Sussex are being encouraged to cut down on waste by repairing and reusing everyday items instead of throwing them away.
Throughout May, The Big Fix campaign has been highlighting repair cafés across the county, raising awareness of how fixing broken or damaged belongings can help keep items in use for longer.
The campaign promotes a simple message: throwing something away does not just waste the item itself, but also the land, energy and raw materials used to produce it. By extending the life of products through repair, residents can help protect limited natural resources and reduce the amount of waste sent for disposal.
West Sussex County Council is supporting this year’s Big Fix by sharing details of local repair café sessions and promoting the environmental and financial benefits of repair. It is also hosting an online space where cafés and residents can exchange advice, ideas and practical know-how for fixing everyday items.
The Big Fix was first launched by Recycle Devon in 2019 as a national pushback against throwaway culture. It encouraged people to take broken household items to local repair cafés rather than discard them.
The campaign has since grown significantly. In 2020, volunteers across the UK repaired more than 2,500 items in a single day. By May 2024, that figure had risen to 3,177 repairs completed during the month, including 132 in West Sussex across four cafés.
In May 2025, 2,358 items were repaired nationally. In West Sussex, volunteers fixed 154 items, welcomed 155 visitors and supported repairs ranging from lawnmowers and jewellery to clocks and textiles across five cafés.
The county council says the campaign supports its aim of reducing waste, encouraging reuse and increasing recycling, while also helping residents save money and learn new repair skills.
Residents can find details of repair cafés and repair tips at www.westsussex.gov.uk/thebigfix
To find the nearest repair café, visit the Community Climate Map at yourvoice.westsussex.gov.uk/community-climate-action-map
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