The Restart Project
We meet the social enterprise teaching people to fix their gadgets rather than throwing them away
Images: Restart Project / photographer Mark Phillips
It’s hard to remember a time when technology didn’t dictate our lives. Mobile phones, tablets, laptops, TVs - it’s highly likely that you own at least one of these items, and have also owned several older models of each prior to your current one. But what happens to these gadgets once we’re finished with them? Many are discarded, unwanted, or merely no longer work, and have therefore reached the end of their ‘useful’ life - becoming what is otherwise known as ‘e-waste’. This a fairly new phenomenon our society finds itself facing due to the rapid rate of technological advancements. In fact, e-waste is considered the ‘fastest-growing waste stream in the world’ whereby 48.5 million tonnes of it was generated in 2018 alone (weforum.org). Thankfully, The Restart Project are aiming to tackle this problem by hosting regular events, known as Restart Parties, where people are taught how to repair everything from tablets to toasters. Co-founder, Janet Gunter, tells us more.