Workplace Sustainability Fund

UBC Library: Repair Cafés

UBC Library’s Repair Cafés project aims to reduce textile waste while bringing people together to learn, share skills, and connect. Led by Elizabeth Stevenson, Circulation Supervisor, the initiative builds on previous repair cafés at Woodward Library and brings together the UBC Library #ClimateAction Team, library staff, and the broader UBC community. Participants can bring personal items to mend and receive hands-on guidance from volunteer textile repair experts at sewing and darning stations.

What the funding would make possible

With $740 requested from the Workplace Sustainability Fund, the UBC Library team plans to:

• Purchase textile repair supplies, including scissors, needles, thread, and darning tools, for two repair cafés planned for 2026.
• Provide refreshments to create a welcoming, café-like atmosphere that encourages conversation and community-building.
• Offer honoraria to non-UBC employee repair experts who share their time and skills.
• Use a portion of the supplies to create additional textile mending kits that patrons can borrow through Koerner and other library branches.

The project would also draw on existing equipment, supplies, and event-planning resources from Woodward Library, alongside staff time and repair expertise contributed by library employees.

"By connecting over a practical, skill-building opportunity in a social setting, a major goal of repair cafés is to provide a space for fostering community." - Elizabeth Stevenson, Circulation Supervisor for the UBC Library

Lasting impact

The project aims to help participants extend the life of their belongings by developing practical sewing and mending skills. Its anticipated impact goes beyond the items repaired during each event: participants can apply these skills at home, share their knowledge with others, and make repair an alternative to disposal. The team plans to track participation, count repaired items, and gather feedback to assess engagement and inform future events.

Geering Up Engineering Outreach

UBC Geering Up Engineering Outreach used the Workplace Sustainability Fund to make sustainability part of its day-to-day STEM programming. A Sustainability Student Assistant developed training, improved materials management, and helped instructors and volunteers reduce waste during camps, clubs, and educational activities.

What the funding make possible

The Sustainability Student Assistant:

• Delivered sustainability training to instructors and curriculum developers
• Created an inventory management system to track materials and improve organization
• Developed disposal guides, posters, slide decks, scripts, and other visual resources
• Appointed weekly Materials Systems Junior Instructors to support mindful material use and disposal
• Created camp-specific materials lists and disposal guidance for Junior Instructors
• Helped integrate sustainability into both classroom activities and curriculum development

These resources gave staff and volunteers practical tools for making better decisions about material use, storage, procurement, and disposal.

Lasting impact

The project marked Geering Up’s first major effort to incorporate a sustainability lens across its organization. It helped spark new conversations among student staff about how materials are purchased, organized, used, and disposed of.

The project also demonstrated the value of embedding sustainability into existing responsibilities rather than treating it as a separate activity. For example, instructors could encourage campers to use materials thoughtfully, while curriculum developers could adapt STEM activities to include sustainability considerations.

The inventory system, training materials, disposal guides, and visual assets will continue to support Geering Up’s broader programming. The team is also exploring how to extend sustainability training beyond its Camps and Clubs team to other groups delivering STEM workshops across British Columbia.