Electrão, Circular Economy Portugal, and Repair Café Lisbon will launch the second edition of the REPARA Academy, a free training program open to the general public and focused on repairing electrical and electronic equipment, according to a press release.
According to the same source, the initiative aims to develop practical repair skills among consumers, at a time when the right to repair is gaining ground in the European Union’s policies and seeks to counter premature product replacement. Extending the lifespan of devices helps reduce waste production and the need for raw materials and natural resources.
“The right to repair does not depend only on the existence of parts or obligations for manufacturers. It also depends on people with knowledge and skills to repair,” says Ricardo Furtado, Director-General of Electricals and Batteries at Electrão.
“REPARA Academy aims precisely to contribute to that capacity-building, helping to make repair an option that is increasingly accessible and natural for consumers.”
The training starts in October and will consist of 12 sessions, held on Saturday mornings, from 9:30 to 13:30, at Entrajuda’s Donated Goods Bank facilities.
During the sessions, participants will learn to understand how electrical equipment works, identify simple faults, and carry out basic repair interventions safely. The training will involve experienced repairers affiliated with the Repair Café movement.
For Marta Brazão, co-coordinator of Repair Café Lisbon, the initiative responds to the interest shown by communities in gaining autonomy in repairing their equipment.
“Over the years during which we have organized Repair Cafés, i.e., repair events for and with the community, we have noticed that people have a strong will to be more independent and to know how to repair an object when it breaks.”
The second edition of the REPARA Academy will have between 10 and 20 participants and is completely free, upon registration.
For Electrão, repair and reuse should precede recycling whenever possible to extend the use of equipment. The organization already develops initiatives for the preparation for reuse of some appliances collected through the door-to-door campaign for large electrical equipment, currently available in 15 municipalities of the Lisbon Metropolitan Area and the Oeste region.
Electrão also has a reuse protocol with Entrajuda and other entities, as part of a strategy that seeks to prioritise extending the life of products before they reach the recycling stage.
