Long Beach says its ‘Fixit’ repair clinics have diverted about 3,000 pounds of waste from landfills

In the past two years, Long Beach has held seven ‘Fixit’ clinics, where residents can bring things like toys, clothes, bicycles or small appliances to volunteers to be repaired.

The city says 3,000 pounds of waste has been kept out of landfills. It's a big victory, but that’s not the only reason the events are held.

“ This Fixit clinic really empowers people and shows them that …  you do have the ability to fix things and not trash them,” said Dalia Gonzalez, spokesperson from the Long Beach Energy and Environmental Services Department.

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She says that happens when volunteer fixers explain to people how their object works.

“If it's able to be repaired or not, they go home with some knowledge of what may be the problem or what part they need in order to then, maybe next time, come back and fix it,” Gonzalez said.

Long Beach says its Fixit Clinics have diverted nearly 3,000 pounds of waste from landfills.

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Courtesy Long Beach Energy and Environmental Services Department

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The event is scheduled for Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. at Sports Basement, a retail store at 2100 N. Bellflower Blvd. in Long Beach. This public event and others are part of a growing movement to counter the conventional idea that the best way to deal with a broken product is to throw it away and buy a new one.

What you can bring

Here's a list of what volunteers can help you fix:

• Electronics
• Bicycles
• Jewelry
• Toys
• Clothes
• Small appliances
• Anything else small enough to carry into the event

Cell phones, any item with a screen and large appliances will be turned away, say organizers — so leave your broken refrigerator in the garage.

Inspiration from expert tinkerers

The volunteers have a wide range of backgrounds. Some know a lot about how mechanical and electronic things work; others simply have a knack for tinkering.

But many times, it’s their problem-solving skills that get the job done.

Like Coby Skye, who’s volunteered at a couple of the Long Beach clinics and plans to help this Saturday.

"I'm not an expert in any of these things,” he said, adding that he'd recently helped a woman who'd brought in a clock that had been in her family for 80 years.

Fixit clinics are taking place all over the country and are part of a movement to reduce waste to landfills.

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Courtesy Long Beach Energy and Environmental Services Department

)

“ I opened it up, cleaned up some dust and made some adjustments and got it working again,” he said.

Being unafraid to look at something and try to figure out what’s wrong, he said, is one of the best things he can give someone who attends a clinic.

“The delight in seeing that kind of item being repaired again and brought back to life and functioning is really nice,” he said.

The Long Beach clinic isn’t the only one coming up in Southern California. The nonprofit Los Angeles Fixit Clinic lists an Oct. 18 event in Valencia and a Dec. 12 event in Rosemead. The group has a Facebook page and an Instagram account.

A Repair Cafe event also is scheduled in Arcadia on Oct. 25.