A recent survey conducted ahead of Liverpool City Region’s Repair Week 2025 has uncovered that residents spent an average of £459.51 per person replacing damaged or broken items they believe could have been repaired over the past year. This figure represents a staggering £185 million[1] based on a sample of Liverpool residents, highlighting significant potential planet and money savings to be made through learning to repair rather than throwing away and replacing.
Liverpool City Region Repair Week 2025, running from Monday 3rd to Sunday 9th March, aims to address these issues with numerous events planned across the city – many of them free. Workshops will cover a range of skills, from mending clothing and fixing electronics to repairing furniture and bicycles.
What’s more beyond practical, money-saving skills, repair workshops offer social benefits; 69% of sampled residents surveyed agree that these workshops provide excellent opportunities to meet new people and build friendships in their neighbourhood. In fact, 57% report having made friends at a Repair Workshop.
Key survey findings[2]:
- 67% of sampled residents are concerned about the cost of replacing broken items in the coming year
- 73% would prefer to repair items themselves if they knew how
- 78% expressed interest in learning repair skills to save money
- The most commonly discarded items without checking for repair options are: clothing (42%), toys (40%) and shoes (38%)
Despite these concerns, the survey reveals a growing appetite for repair culture in Liverpool:
- 66% of residents enjoy repairing items with others and want to learn more
- 70% would attend more repair events if they were available locally
- 77% report a sense of achievement from repairing things
When surveyed about their most repaired items, clothes, bikes, and items with sentimental value topped the list. For example:
“I have repaired my clothes and shoes so many times. Most of my clothes are years old. It’s hard to say which ones are the oldest at the moment, but I have a fleece I bought in 1999 which I wore for 20 years and now my daughter wears.”
“A patchwork quilt that has been repaired and added to for many years. I can trace it back to my great-grandmother (my mother was orphaned, so we’re not sure how far back it was started).”
“The same dog toy. I have sewn it back together multiple times because the dog tears it apart, but it’s his favourite toy. When we replaced it with the exact same toy, he wasn’t interested; he still wanted the old destroyed one.”
Lesley Worswick, Chief Executive Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority (MRWA) said: “Liverpool City Region Repair Week is about empowering people to extend the life of their possessions, save money, reduce waste, and build their community. Whether you’re motivated by financial savings, environmental concerns, or simply want to learn a new skill and meet new people, there’s something for everyone at this year’s event.”
The Liverpool City Region Repair Week Showcase and Launch Event, which will be hosted at DoES Liverpool, is just one of many events included in a busy schedule. Several listed events are free to attend, with some requiring advance booking. For a comprehensive list of events, repair hacks, and a directory of professional repair services, visit https://www.zerowastelcr.com/repair-week-2025/.
By participating in Liverpool City Region Repair Week, residents can join a growing movement of conscious consumers, potentially saving hundreds of pounds while contributing to a more sustainable future for the city.
[1] Extrapolations of the data to represent the whole of Liverpool for value of damaged or broken item(s) which could have been repaired. The survey data was weighted to ONS Mid-Year population estimates, 2022, 18 + population figures for Liverpool.
[2] All survey figures obtained from combining answer options “Strongly agree” and “Somewhat agree”