A broken toaster or hair dryer often ends up in the recycling or garbage and is replaced with a newly purchased one. It is a reason that contributes to us using more of the earth’s renewable resources than is produced.
But in a basement outside Stockholm, gadgets are made instead of being thrown away. Free.
Today, August 2, is “overshoot day”, i.e. the day when we have used the earth’s resources that would have lasted the rest of the year. You could say that from today we start to overconsume.
One solution to reduce resource use is to repair things instead of buying new ones. That’s what Erik Fröderberg does in the basement of the house where he lives, outside Stockholm.
– I do it partly because I think it’s a lot of fun to tinker, but above all to extend the life of the gadgets, so they don’t have to be thrown away and bought new. But also because everyone I manage to help is very happy and that makes me happy, he says.
Leaving the broken thing to a regular workshop can often be more expensive than buying a new one. Making gadgets is Erik Fröderberg’s hobby. His real job is restaurateur.
– Most of the time, these things can be fixed. These are simple mistakes that no one else cares to fix. And if I manage to fix it, I’ll save this gadget from recycling.
Free repair
Plus, he cooks it for free.
– The basic idea with this project is that I do not charge for my time. Just in case I need to buy some part or cleaning agent.
One reason for that is that cooking is his hobby.
– I am not trained, it may happen that I have broken the gadget when I try to fix it. It is a risk that both I and the customer take.
And if ErikFröderberg were to take payment, he would have to start a company and provide guarantees.
– Then I can’t do it cheaply, but have to start charging like other professional workshops.
On the basement wall are two large sheets of paper. where he puts a line for every gadget he has made. When TV4 Nyheterna comes to visit, he can set dash number 275, after getting a film projector to start spinning again.
– It was easy. A rubber band would be lifted back on two drive wheels. A simple operation that gives the projector a longer life.