SAN DIEGO and AMSTERDAM – May 8, 2024 ― WD-40 Company, a global marketing organization dedicated to solving problems in workshops, factories, and homes around the world, and Repair Café International Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to spreading repair expertise worldwide, today announced that they are teaming up to raise awareness around the economic and environmental benefits of repairing over replacing.
“Repairing items instead of replacing them is a simple yet impactful way for people to preserve resources, address climate change and save money,” said, Martine Postma, director of Repair Café International Foundation.
Repair Cafés are free meeting places where doers, makers, and fixers can find tools, materials, and expert volunteers to help them fix and repair clothes, furniture, appliances, toys, bicycles, and more – keeping them in circulation longer and out of landfills.
“Most people nowadays have never learned about repairing and professional repairers are harder to find every day, whereas new products are available everywhere. As a result of this situation, many people have forgotten that repair is a perfectly good option when an item breaks. At the Repair Café you are reminded of the possibilities and positive sides of repairing. We make repairs easier and more cost-effective for product owners and do our part to combat the throwaway culture,” said Postma. Teaming up with WD-40 Company, an organization well-known for solving problems, making things work smoothly and last longer, was a very natural fit for the nonprofit organization.
In 2021, WD-40 Company launched ‘The Repair Challenge,’ an online contest that inspires millions of doers, makers, fixers, and builders across more than 40 countries to show how they extend the lifespan of their tools, worn down equipment, bicycles, cars, or just about anything else, to keep them in circulation for longer.
“We're delighted to be teaming up with Repair Café International to help raise awareness around the economic and environmental benefits of repairing over replacing,” said Wendy Kelley, WD-40 Company’s vice president stakeholder and investor engagement. “By joining forces, we can amplify our “Repair Don’t Replace” message and inspire individuals around the world to embrace repair as a solution to reduce waste and help combat the throwaway culture,” concluded Kelley.
For more information about WD-40 Company’s Repair Don't Replace Challenge, visit https://wd40company.com/repair.
For more information about Repair Café International Foundation and to find a Repair Café near you, visit https://www.repaircafe.org.
About WD-40 Company
WD-40 Company is a global marketing organization dedicated to creating positive lasting memories by developing and selling products that solve problems in workshops, factories, and homes around the world. The Company owns a wide range of well-known brands that include maintenance products and homecare and cleaning products: WD-40® Multi-Use Product, WD-40 Specialist®, 3-IN-ONE®, GT85®, 2000 Flushes®, no vac®, 1001®, Spot Shot®, Lava®, Solvol®, X-14®, and Carpet Fresh®.
Headquartered in San Diego, California, USA, WD-40 Company recorded net sales of $537.3 million in fiscal year 2023 and its products are currently available in more than 176 countries and territories worldwide. WD-40 Company is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the ticker symbol “WDFC.” For additional information about WD-40 Company please visit http://www.wd40company.com.
About Repair Café International Foundation
Repair Café International Foundation, based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, is a non-profit organization which provides professional support to local groups around the world wishing to start their own Repair Café: free repair meetings where expert volunteers help less handy neighbors to fix beloved broken items. The foundation supplies a Repair Café starter kit in five languages, for worldwide use. With result! At this moment there are more than 3,000 Repair Cafés in 43 countries around the world. The number of Repair Cafés still grows every day.
In October 2024, Repair Café celebrates its 15th anniversary. On this occasion, the foundation organizes a Repair Café XL with 100 repairers in The Hague. In the city where the Dutch government is housed, Repair Café volunteers from all over the Netherlands will show what Repair Café is all about: we’re for repairing, but also for collaboration, volunteering, and a shared commitment to a sustainable future.
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