WAIT BEFORE YOU BIN IT! KEEP REPAIRING AFTER REPAIR DAY
Repair Day on 17 October has passed, but objects still deserve another chance. Italy’s new repair decree has been in force since 22 October.
A flickering lamp, a broken zip, a silent toaster. Before throwing it away, pause! Saturday 17 October 2026 was International Repair Day: an opportunity to give objects another chance and learn together.
Repairing brings people together
This was the tenth international celebration. Its theme, Repairing Unites People, highlights shared skills and human connections. At Repair Cafés, visitors and volunteers investigate faults together rather than simply dropping off an item.
Pavia’s programme for 17 October
The University of Pavia’s programme included the Repair Day Festival in its Cortile Sforzesco, organised with Repair Café Pavia and the university’s Office for Sustainable Actions. Visitors were invited to bring lamps, small appliances, laptops, vacuum cleaners and coffee machines.
From 10am to 1pm, a bicycle workshop and a textile-repair station were scheduled to offer help with bikes, hems, zips and tears. Beginners’ soldering workshops required booking. These 17 October activities have ended.
Italy’s right-to-repair decree
Legislative Decree 176/2026 has been in force since 22 October. For goods covered by European repairability requirements, manufacturers must provide requested repairs outside the seller’s liability, free of charge or at a reasonable price, unless repair is impossible. This does not make every repair free: the conditions applying to the particular product must be checked.
Start with one item
Looking for another opportunity to repair? The Repair Day website has an events map. Or choose a garment with a small tear and ask someone who can sew to show you how to mend it. Electrical faults, batteries and appliances that need opening should be handled by competent people.
Caring for creation can begin with using what we already have for longer, instead of replacing it at the first problem.
