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Repair cafes and other sustainable initiatives are popping up across Franklin.
First formed in 2019, Doughnut Economics Advocates New Zealand (DEANZ) seeks to
promote a theory called doughnut economics. The theory was first proposed by English
economist Kate Raworth in 2012 when she felt that there needed to be more of a balance
between providing for the needs of people and the Earth’s resources.
The theory is made two rings, an inner ring representing the needs of people, and an outer
ring representing the limits of what the planet can provide. The goal is to find a balance so
people have access to essential resources without harming the planet.
Former DEANZ board member and manager of the Grey Lynn Repair Cafe, Lisa Compton,
said that DEANZ is important not just to us, but for future generations.
“As a global thing, I think we’re a throwaway society. We’ve gotten into an environment
where ‘we buy it, it breaks, we throw it out and get another one’ instead of buying something decent and getting it fixed when it breaks.
“Considering our size, I think we do well. Everyone could do better, but I think it’s important to acknowledge the successes we do have and to acknowledge that there are people giving it a go, and that’s all we can ask for.”
She said people come to repair cafes with zips ready for one of the volunteers to repair clothes and other items, giving something broken a new lease of life.
Besides repair cafes, doughnut hubs (facilitated compost systems inside school grounds) also travel to schools to teach kids, teachers, and the wider community about sustainable living.
Through teaching them how to live sustainably, they hope to show people a better way to
live.
