Repair Café

Organised by the Norbert Francis Attard Foundation (NFA Foundation), in collaboration with Friends of the Earth Malta (FoEM), is hosting a Repair Café which will take place on 21 November 2026 at FoEM’s space in Floriana. The initiative aims to challenge the current culture of overconsumption by encouraging people to repair rather than consume. Taking place during the European Week for Waste Reduction and in the lead-up to Black Friday, the timing is particularly relevant. The event will bring together skilled volunteers and members of the public to extend the life cycle of everyday objects such as clothing, bicycles, household appliances or even small pieces of furniture.

 

By bringing together practical skills, creative solutions and knowledge about material sufficiency, the Repair Café will help participants recognise that repair is not only accessible but also a collective practice. Participants can have their items repaired for free on the day, which will save them from going to landfill and increase the lifespan of the object.

 

Moreover, the Repair Café is not an isolated initiative but forms part of an ongoing commitment. Our series of workshops titled ‘Ecologies of Art in the Circular Economy’ seeks to encourage both new and returning participants to develop a more sustained engagement with repair and reuse. 

 

Promoting the event across both organisations’ digital media (newsletter, facebook & instagram) channels will further extend its reach, allowing its message to circulate beyond those physically attending. In addition to social media, a press release will be released to promote the Repair Café. The activity will also be documented by a professional photographer, and the photos will be shared on social media as well as being printed in the NFA Foundation’s annual catalogue. 

 

The NFA Foundation will also be collecting participant feedback to understand whether the objectives and aims of the project are being achieved, and to examine impact. The following methodology will be followed:

 

Accurate data will be recorded during the repair cafe, through a google form filled in after every repair: recording the item category (eg clothing, electronics etc…); if it was fully, partially repaired or not repairable, and a section for notes will be made available. When an item could not be repaired, the following data will be recorded: Brand; Model; Reason Repair Failed. By the end of the repair cafe, we will report on the amount saved, type of repairs which were presented and in cases where the object could not be repaired, the data will be passed on to Friends of the Earth Malta to support future advocacy for Right-to-Repair policies or will inform the types of repairs to be expected during such events. The data will also be communicated through NFA Foundation & FoEM’s social media to raise awareness of repairing to reduce waste and encourage a change in the mindsets of people.

 

The core aim of the event itself remains enhancing the Foundation’s dedication to strengthening critical thought, moving away from the idea that everything is replaceable, to reminding people that what we already own still has value and ultimately reducing waste.