Somerset Waste Partnership (SWP) has this week given a first glimpse of its new four-wheeled recruit.
The blue ‘Fixy’ van aims to bring repair and reuse of electricals to all corners of the county.
Somerset has a flourishing network of Repair Cafes and similar groups. Fixy will be giving them practical support and helping them grow.
Fixy is about loving your stuff for longer – if it has a plug or takes batteries, the vehicle will aims to help give it new lease of life. SWP says that while recycling is great, repair and reuse is even better.
“On Somerset Day we can be proud of the county’s record on recycling,” said Mickey Green, Managing Director of SWP. “Now we want to make Somerset to be synonymous with repair and reuse.”
“It saves money, reduces waste and contributes to tackling climate change – why not give it a go?”
Carrying helpful tools and vital spare parts, the van – named Fixy McFixface in a public vote – boasts a solar-powered power supply and will offer a portable appliance (PAT) testing service to give fixed electricals a safety check.
The Fixy roadshow makes its debut this Saturday 14 May at the eat:Taunton event in the centre of Taunton.
Fixy will be attending events to promote repair and reuse, provide information about local repair cafes and groups, and encourage volunteers to get involved and share their skills.
And, by teaming up with Somerset-based Donate-IT, Fixy will be taking donations of broken or unwanted smart tech for repair to pass on to those schools, groups or individuals who need them.
For more information and the latest on Fixy, including where Fixy McFixface will be and when, and how to get involved in repair and reuse visit somersetwaste.gov.uk/fixy
Working electricals and electronics should always be passed on to others or donated to charity shops if they are no longer needed.
Broken items that cannot be repaired for reuse can be recycled from the kerbside as part of Recycle More collections. Items must be small enough to fit into a carrier bag (not a black sack) which should be left untied next to your other recycling.
Later in the year, Fixy plans to visit schools and businesses to discuss how repair and reuse could work for them.
The Fixy project is being delivered by SWP in partnership with Resource Futures and Donate-IT with grant funding from Ecosurety Exploration Fund.
