How to repair, mend, and spruce up your home the eco-friendly way
Helping both the environment and your bank account, local repair cafés, bring-back centres, and libraries of things are a great first port of call.
Remember, the most sustainable items are the ones you already own.
Repair
When something breaks in the home, it can be hard to know who to call. Thankfully, RepairMyStuff.ie has the answers. This handy repair directory, run for free by local authorities, is a way to connect consumers with repair businesses, making the whole process of repair and reuse easier. Have a stopped watch in Sligo or a broken guitar in Meath? They've got you sorted.
Repair Café
Repair café's often pop up across the country so be sure to search your local area.
In Dublin, Harold's Cross Community Centre recently became home to a free repair café. Every Saturday and Sunday, from 1pm - 5pm, repair expert Andrew Wright offers up his services to repair that broken hoover, fix a squeaky bike, or bring your old kettle back to life. Message ahead of time so the right tools are available on the day.
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Salvagem
Based on Cork's historic MacCurtain Street, Salvagem is an antique store that offers fine furniture, Irish art, sculpture, antiques and collectables. Not only that, but they will breathe new life into your own pieces, with services including traditional repair and upholstery, french polishing, antique clock repair and servicing.
Based in Ballymun, Co. Dublin, Ireland's National Centre for the Circular Economy is a treasure trove of sustainable solutions. They provide workshops on home mechanics, bike repairs, foraging, furniture upholstery, lamp making, and more.
Zip Yard
Before you start scrolling online for your next shopping hit, consider investing in your own wardrobe. Your local tailor or seamstress may be able to transform your old reliables with some simple cinching, shortening, lengthening, or revamping. ZipYard is an award-winning alterations company with locations across the country, and a fantastic range of services for everyday wear and formal attire.
Library of Things
Based on Mud Island community garden in Dublin 3, ALLoT (Library of Things for ALL) is a community sharing and sustainability effort that aims to provide a space where people can borrow items they need for a short time. Rather than buying something brand new that will only be used once, this library will allow short-term rentals for all.
Belfast Tool Library
This library has a collection of items such as DIY equipment and tools. Members can borrow up to three power tools at any one time, plus hand tools. Items available to lend will be listed on the website so you can check ahead of time. The suggested membership fee is £30 for the year, but you can pay less if this is not affordable for you. The centre also hosts workshops and community classes.
Based in Kildare and Laois, Refillz is a refill shop founded by husband and wife team, Martin and Sinéad. Determined to provide an alternative and sustainable way to shop plastic-free, Reillz was born, offering cleaning products, personal care products, foods, and liquids. Bring your own containers or buy a paper bag or glass jar from the shop.
Based in Dublin's Rathmines, The Good Neighbour is a sustainable shop with a zero waste mission. Bring your own containers from home, and do a full shop with no single-use plastic in sight. The refill shop carries over 600 bulk foods, liquids, and cleaning products, as well as a selection of eco-friendly household products, and personal hygiene products.
Eco Kind
Found in Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford, Eco Kind is a zero waste refill shop with 300 bulk foods, liquids and cleaning products on offer. It's a simple process: weigh your container, fill with your product, re-weigh & pay. Don't forget to bring along your own containers.
Recycle
As well as recycling at home (remember the golden rule of keeping things clean, dry and loose in the green bin), there are plenty of ways to keep items out of the black bin.
Recycling and 'bring back' centres are fantastic ways to dispose of larger items such as bulky cardboard boxes, sheets of glass, beyond-repair electronics, broken lightbulbs, and green waste.
My Waste.ie has a long list of recycling centres available across the country, but be sure to check in with your local city council for more information.
Brown Bins
In Ireland, all households are entitled to a brown bin for food and light garden waste. Your waste collector must offer you a brown bin collection service (unless you live on an offshore island), so be sure to get in touch to organise yours.
Green Waste
If you don't have access to a brown bin, green waste (hedge trimmings, lawn clippings, small branches, and leaves can be brought to a number of locations across the country at a cost of €2 per bag. Get in touch with your civic amenity centre for more info.
Paint Reuse Network
If the paint is still fresh, offer it up to friends or put it on Freecycle or Freegle to see if anyone else can put it to use. Alternatively, it can be taken to your local civic amenity sites before it becomes out of date or hardened.
Please note that Civic Amenity sites each have their own criteria for paint donations, including a charge for paint donation. Some sites do not accept paint donations. Please check with your local civic amenity site for more information
WEEE
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment is anything that has a plug or a battery and is at the end of its useful life. Recycle your waste for free through authorised collection points. Use the interactive map to find your nearest local recycling centre. From fridges to phones, laptops to lawnmowers, toys to power tools and everything in between – every piece of e-waste matters.
Waste portable batteries can be recycled at your local newsagent. Large retailers like B&Q, Woodies, and IKEA also have some WEEE recycling opportunities.
The Recycle at Boots scheme will take care of the empties that you can't recycle at home. Visit select stores to recycle your product empties. The Boots will only accept items that can't be recycled at home - the app will help by validating your items or advising if they are not eligible for a reward.
Re-Turn
Ireland's Deposit Return Scheme means that when you buy a drink in a plastic bottle, aluminium or steel can that features the Re-turn logo, you pay a small deposit in addition to the price of the drink. When you return your empty and undamaged drink container to participating shops and supermarket, you get your deposit back in full. You can find your closest re-turn point here.
Old furniture
IKEA has partnered with a number of charities in an effort to give your old furniture a new life with local families in need of some support.
B&Q has been working to recover and refurbish more products, and now offers refurbished products to buy online.
Charity shops like Vision Ireland welcome furniture donations or you could offer your items up on Freecycle or similar sites.
The above are just a handful of suggestions when it comes to making your life a little more eco-friendly, but be sure to check your local community centres and contact your local council to see what is available in your area.
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