Electric.ie Nov Dec 2020

ELECTRIC.IE • The Magazine & Website for the Irish Electrical Industry • 53 C M Y CM MY CY CMY K Industry News Online Directory gives new lease of life to broken products R epairMyStuff.ie is an online directory of over 800 authorised repair professionals across Ireland who can repair everything fromwatches to washing machines, mowers to mobile phones. The directory aims to make the whole process of repair and reuse easier by connecting consumers with repair businesses. People can search Repairmystuff.ie website by category to find repair businesses in their area, as well as the business’s website and contact details. WEEE Ireland, in conjunction with the White Goods Association, is supporting the initiative with a new 2020 drive to register more authorised repair engineers for popular electrical brands used every day in households across Ireland. ർ WEEE Ireland is supporting an initiative that encourages people to reduce the amount of goods discarded every year. “For many of us it has, unfortunately, become the norm to replace a broken product with a new one without considering our repair options,” said Leo Donovan, CEO of WEEE Ireland . "However, we can extend the life of our products and save on the cost of buying new by tapping into a network of repair services in Ireland for our appliances and almost everything else". For electrical products alone every house has an average of 72 products, 11 of which are broken or not being used any more. People are often surprised by the vast amount of items that can be repaired and how much it costs versus purchasing something new. Not only is this kinder to your pocket but it’s also kinder to the environment.” As well as electrical products like PCs, mobile phones and appliances, RepairMyStuff.ie lists repair professionals for clothing and shoes, furniture and upholstery, watches and jewellery, musical instruments, garden equipment, sports and bicycle repairs. “The longer we can extend the life of our appliances and keep resources in circulation the more we can reduce waste. This, along with quality recycling and recovery, can then lower the demand for raw materials used to manufacture new goods, reducing related energy use and emissions and supporting a more circular economy,” said Mr Donovan. The RepairMyStuff.ie website is operated by local authorities, with Monaghan County Council the lead authority on the project and funding from the EPA through the National Waste Prevention Programme.