Darren Moffatt has always loved tinkering. Although it’s not his day job, several times a year you’ll find him volunteering as a “fixer” at King County-sponsored repair events. He can be spotted working a screwdriver, applying glue, or even rewiring electronics. “Repair events help keep items out of the landfill by giving them new life instead of throwing them away.” Darren says. “But repair events also have invaluable community impact. At one event, a woman brought me a broken hair clip that seemed simple to me. A piece had fallen off and when I fixed it, she was really emotional – she shared that it was an heirloom and had been in her family for generations. I realized how much more these events mean for people than just waste prevention.”

Every year, the Solid Waste Division hosts a series of community repair events throughout King County, where volunteers like Darren help people repair personal and household items at no cost.

This year marks a major milestone: After 10 years, the repair program hosted its 100th event on May 9 at the West Hill Community Center in Skyway. Read more.