A man named Leung was disappointed to find his electronic massager wouldn't work after he didn't use it for several months.
He didn't want the nearly new piece of machinery to go to waste, so he turned to Repair Cafe for help. "I wanted to be more environmentally friendly. Throwing it away seemed very wasteful," says Leung.
He went to a place in San Po Kong, where seven expert volunteers work to repair broken electronics. Two of them took Leung's massager, examining it with different tools and equipment. As of now, it is still being fixed.
The Repair Cafe idea started in Holland in 2009. It encourages people to bring in their broken items - such as bicycles, appliances and furniture - and work with a team of repair experts to bring them back to life.
"People think that they just need to buy less and recycle," says Kayley. But while these are good steps to take, people can do more - such as repairing the items they already own.
The group holds a weekly repair workshop for people to bring in their glitchy gadgets for inspection and repair.
The most common things people bring are appliances such as electric stoves, fans and rice cookers. But some items have sentimental value. "Especially clocks and watches, they often mean a lot to their owners ... it might have been a gift that holds dear memories," says Jacky.
Another example is the simple electric fan one couple brought in. "They were so happy to have it fixed because they bought the fan when they first got married," he says.
It can be satisfying to help people fix their possessions.
Five things to know about
1. Home appliances are electric machines which help us perform some household tasks, such as cooking and cleaning.
2. Small appliances include kettles, electric stoves and toasters.
3. Large appliances include washing machines, dishwashers and fridges.
4. Some appliances are now connected to the internet, so they can be switched on when you are not at home. But the more complicated they become, the harder it is for us to repair them when they go wrong.
5. Some appliances are often recycled. These include TVs, fridges, air conditioners, washing machines and computers. To recycle them, they must be taken apart, and hazardous parts must be removed.
