Repair it. Applying Additive Manufacturing.

When we buy a new product, it comes with something we can’t see or feel: embodied energy. Its manufacture takes tons of raw materials, consume huge amounts of energy and produce emissions which damage the environment. According to the circular economy, the best solution we have to deal with the environmental impact of our products’ carbon footprint is to keep them in use as long as possible. That’s why to repair is the smartest way to deal with waste in the first place. With the help of digital manufacturing and rapid prototyping tools we are able, to easily design broken or missing pieces which are not more available in the market and extend the life of products. That means not only less waste in landfills but also it holds the energy and material resources used during the manufacturing process.

The circular economy proposes to repair as a fastest and most effective way to get more value out of our resources. “Waste and pollution are not accidents, but consequences of decisions made at the design stage”. As designers, we have a great responsibility to design out waste and production but also to think in creative ways of extend the products (and materials) life.

We invite you to join the Repair it stegreif where we are going to creatively design solutions for products out of order, prototype the missing pieces and give them a second chance.