Have you ever been frustrated by a silent soundbar, a fan that stops turning or a kettle that won’t heat up? Struggle between buying a new appliance or repairing it, but need more knowledge on how to do it? Repair Kopitiam Singapore at Teck Ghee Vista Residents’ Network (RKS@AMK) can help!

Repair coach Mr Lim Eng Heok, 74, said: “You would be surprised how many items can work again by replacing the components. We can reduce waste and extend the life of our belongings after we repair them.” 

Repair Kopitiam is a community initiative to tackle the buy-and-throw-away culture, where residents can bring their items for repair with the guidance and support of the repair coaches. “The repairs are free of charge. But in some cases, participants may have to buy some parts to complete the repair if they are not available,” he said. 

Founded by the Sustainable Living Lab in late 2014, the Repair Kopitiam initiative has grown, with nine locations available now. Started in 2019, the RKS@AMK can accommodate 24 participants for each workshop, and each person can bring in two items to the session. "Our participants come from all age groups, but 60% are 60 and above,” he noted. Common items brought in for repair include fans, kettles, ovens and induction cookers.

Citing how some people throw away their fans when the blades stop moving, Mr Lim said: “We can easily solve this problem by applying WD-40 and Singer oil to the blade. These oils will help to lubricate the blade and dissolve the rust.” 

In other cases, some participants bring in their oven, which has a circuit breaker that has tripped because it has not been used for a long time. "We connect the oven to an earth leakage tester developed by one of our repair coaches. After about 30 minutes to an hour, the condensation is removed and the oven works again without tripping," he explained.

Due to the proliferation of online shopping, Mr Lim noticed that some people would discard items because they did not know how to use them. “Some participants bought their blenders online and thought they were not working. We later found out that they did not put in the safety lock, so we taught them how to do it and went through the instruction manual with them," he said. 

Besides household appliances, Mr Lim and his five repair coaches also teach participants how to mend fabric items, such as sewing on a button and fixing a faulty zip. “We will try to fix the zip but not the replacement of the whole zip,” he said. 

He encouraged residents not to throw away their items immediately when they are faulty. "Bring them to our workshop, and we'll assess if they can be fixed. Repairing what we cherish, rather than replacing it, helps promote a greener and more sustainable environment for future generations.”

About RKS@AMK
When: Held on the last Sunday of every month, 10am - 4pm
Where: Teck Ghee Vista RN, Blk 309B Ang Mo Kio Ave 1
How: Register for the repair event here. You can also visit Teck Ghee Vista RN if you need help to register online

[Chinese]

坐落在宏茂桥1道第309B座组屋的“维修咖啡店”（Repair Kopitiam）工作坊，旨在教导民众维修损坏的家用产品，以延续产品寿命、减少浪费及促进可持续生活。工作坊在每个月的最后一个星期天开办，居民可预先上网报名，并携带最多两件物品参加工作坊。

[Malay]

‘Repair Kopitiam’ adalah satu inisiatif masyarakat di mana penduduk boleh belajar memperbaiki barang-barang mereka yang rosak di bawah bimbingan jurulatih pembaikan. Ia bertujuan mengurangkan pembaziran dan menggalak kemampanan. Bengkel ini diadakan pada Ahad terakhir setiap bulan di Blok 309B Ang Mo Kio Ave 1. Penduduk boleh mendaftar dalam talian dan membawa maksimum 2 barang rosak ke bengkel tersebut.

[Tamil]

“ரிப்பேர் கோப்பிதியாம்” சமூக முனைப்பின்கீழ், குடியிருப்பாளர்கள் பழுதடைந்த தங்கள் பொருட்களை, பழுதுபார்ப்பு பயிற்றுவிப்பாளர்களின் வழிகாட்டுதலுடன் பழுதுபார்க்கக் கற்றுக்கொள்ளலாம். பொருட்களின் விரயத்தைக் குறைத்து, நீடித்த நிலைத்தன்மையை வளர்ப்பது இந்த முனைப்பின் நோக்கம். ஒவ்வொரு மாதமும் கடைசி ஞாயிற்றுக்கிழமையன்று, அங் மோ கியோ அவென்யூ 1, புளோக் 309Bல் பயிலரங்கு நடைபெறும். குடியிருப்பாளர்கள் இணையம்வழி பதிவு செய்து, பழுதடைந்த இரண்டு பொருட்கள் வரை பயிலரங்குக்கு எடுத்துச் செல்லலாம்.

#AMKTCsustainability