Each year, 846,000 tons of waste are sent to the Miramar Landfill, but the City of San Diego’s Fixit Clinics may be able to prevent your old items from ending up there too. Fixit Clinics are free, community-based workshops where skilled volunteers help attendees repair broken household items, while also helping them save money and teaching troubleshooting skills that can be used at home.  

Presented by the City’s  Environmental Services Department (ESD) in partnership with Zero Waste San Diego, Fixit Clinics make it possible for people to hang on to cherished-but-broken items instead of throwing them away.  
 
“Our Fixit Clinics are a big hit,” says City of San Diego Recycling Specialist Anais Putnam. “Recently a couple brought in a 40-year-old waffle iron they didn’t want to discard because it had been in the family for decades. We loved seeing the joy on their faces as they walked out of the clinic knowing they could make waffles for their grandkids.” 

Items that are accepted at Fixit Clinics include lamps, small kitchen appliances such as mixers and toasters, bikes, and textiles such as clothing, bags and fabric items. Among the items that cannot be accepted are printers and Apple brand products. Registration is recommended, but not required, and participants must stay with their items during the repair to learn and engage in the process. More information is available on the City’s website.   
 
The goal of Fixit Clinics is to reduce waste, supporting the City’s Climate Action Plan and ESD’s Zero Waste Plan, which lays out strategies to divert 90% of all trash by 2035 and an ultimate goal of zero waste by 2040. 

Fixit Clinics will take place on select Saturdays from noon to 3 p.m. at the following locations: