As Spring cleaning gets underway, the Town of Okotoks is hoping residents will think twice before throwing their broken household items in the trash.

The Town hosted their third Repair Cafe this Sunday at the Okotoks Recreation Centre. The intention of the cafe is to match residents with volunteer "fixer coaches" who use their knowledge and equipment to repair malfunctioning belongings.

Though the event originated in the Netherlands, Jinny Toffelmire, Environment and Sustainability Specialist for the Town brought the cafe to Okotoks last October. Toffelmire says the event has grown with each instalment to the point that some patrons had to sign up for a waitlist this time around.

"The second one we tripled what we did (the first time), and this one I just hope we have the capacity," Toffelmire said.

The event is designed to help keep the Town from producing more unnecessary waste, and as the event grows in scope it's hoped that the town's waste will decrease.

"We get such great feedback from everyone that comes to the Repair Cafe. I think it's just word of mouth, and word is getting around," Toffelmire said.

The volunteers at the cafe see a variety of household items brought in. They've fixed items like video game consoles, amplifiers, humidifiers, sewing machines, and air purifiers.

The next Repair Cafe is slated for June 2nd.

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