About this episode

Emma Burlow discusses the importance of repair in sustainability with Heather Davies of the Re-Action Collective.

This week, Emma Burlow is joined by Heather Davies to discuss why repair is quickly becoming the new recycling, especially in the context of sustainability and community impact. Heather Davies shares the inspiring story behind the Re-Action Collective, a growing network aimed at amplifying local repair, upcycling, and community reuse of outdoor gear. They explore how repair initiatives started at a grassroots level in ski resorts, evolved into a collective model, and now connect around 70 organizations internationally. They discuss the importance of "finding the others" — bringing together people with shared purpose to build momentum for community-led repair and circular economy practices. Key Topics Origins and Growth of the Reaction Collective : From a local community event to an international network supporting 70 organizations 01:29 – 05:00 Importance of Community in Repair : Tackling loneliness, sharing skills, and the power of collective agency 06:34 – 09:24 Skills Loss & Consumer Habits : The shift from repair to replacement explains the decline in repair knowledge and capacity 10:25 – 11:24 Brand Initiatives : How companies like Patagonia, RAB, and Alpkit are changing…

People in this episode

Host: Emma Burlow

Guest: Heather Davies

Topics covered

• repair
• sustainability
• community impact
• circular economy
• grassroots initiatives
• local repair

Keywords

• repair
• recycling
• sustainability
• community reuse
• upcycling
• circular economy
• local repair
• consumer habits

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Re-Action Collective, Patagonia, RAB, Alpkit

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