If It’s Broke, Fix It: Repair Cafes Make Your Tech, Appliances Last Longer episode artwork

EPISODE · Jul 8, 2026 · 26 MIN

If It’s Broke, Fix It: Repair Cafes Make Your Tech, Appliances Last Longer

from In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons · host WBEZ Chicago

We live in a world where replacing something is often quicker and easier than fixing it. Your coffee maker breaks? Buy a new one. Same thing for your busted laptop. But a growing movement is asking us to rethink that mindset. Enter: repair cafes. From Romeoville to Evanston, there are six repair cafés across the city and suburbs where volunteers help residents extend the shelf lives of their tech, appliances and other belongings. In the Loop learns more about how to take part, be more sustainable with your stuff, and save money. GUESTS: Maria Anna Rafac, Campus Sustainability Coordinator at Joliet Junior College Elyse Hoffenberg, Clerk of the Township of Lyons Amy Yee, Chicago Sun-Times economy and business reporter For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jul 8, 2026

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If It’s Broke, Fix It: Repair Cafes Make Your Tech, Appliances Last Longer

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