UK Recycling's Fix It Festival Now Online
LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 28, 2020) — Do you know how to fix a tear in your shirt? Fix your bike? Troubleshoot your computer? University of Kentucky Recycling wants to encourage you to fix items instead of throwing them away.
UK's inaugural Fix It Festival, planned and hosted by UK Recycling’s two sustainability interns, senior Sophie Beavin and junior Antonio Zizzo, was scheduled for April 6, 2020. The event was designed to bring together campus and community experts and teach students how to fix items instead of throwing them away and buying new.
“I love the idea of repair because it can engage people from many different backgrounds and interests,” Beavin said. “Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 and all the changes that have altered our everyday world, this event was canceled.”
Since members of the campus community are staying safe at home, UK Recycling’s Fix It Festival is going virtual. Starting last week, UK Recycling began posting on its social media platforms (@UKRecycles) various fix it guides to teach students, faculty and staff new skills to keep and fix usable items. Each day, UK Recycling will highlight a different way to fix and repair everyday items.
“This is an excellent opportunity for members of the UK community to promote a cyclical life cycle for frequently replaced items in our daily lives,” Zizzo said. “Although the event won’t be in person anymore, we can still come together in spirit for our common home to apply the skills being demonstrated to support our campus Sustainability Strategic Plan.”
Join UK Recylcing in learning how to:
- create a sewing kit;
- repair bicycles;
- fix outdoor gear;
- start a compost bin;
- troubleshoot technology; or
- make a bag out of an old T-shirt.
“There are so many reasons why people should fix their items,” Beavin said. “It saves money, preserves natural resources and keeps things out of the landfill. Saving money is a no-brainer, especially now. By mending and fixing items, you are increasing the lifespan of your gadgets and clothes and preventing these items from being landfilled."
So instead of throwing away, give yourself the satisfaction of knowing that you are learning new skills. Take it one step further and teach others what you have learned (from a distance or over Zoom).
Check out all of the Fix It Fest Guides and make sure to follow @UKYRecycles on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for daily updates.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.
In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.