Orange County to Host Free Household Item Repair Event, Saturday, September 15

Orange County, Fla. – National Pollution Prevention Week runs from September 19-23, 2018, and to kick it off, Orange County is hosting its second “Don’t Pitch It, Fix It!” event. This FREE event takes place Saturday, September 15, 2018 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Barnett Park, 4801 W Colonial Drive, Orlando. At the repair workshop, local businesses and “handy” volunteers will offer residents free minor repairs for a variety of household items, such as clothing, jewelry, electronics, bicycles, watches, eyeglasses and books. Items will be repaired on a first-come, first-served basis. There is no guarantee the item can be fixed.

Orange County is joining efforts with Winter Park, which created the event in 2017, and the City of Orlando to increase free repair service opportunities for local residents.

“Our goal is to provide an economic benefit for the community while raising awareness about resource conservation,” said David Jones, manager of Orange County’s Environmental Protection Division. In April, Orange County successfully hosted its first Don’t Pitch It, Fix It! event. During that event, a dozen volunteers fixed items such as bicycles, jewelry, fishing poles and clothing, keeping more than 60 items out of the landfill.

Since the first Don’t Pitch It, Fix It! event was held last year, more than 200 items have been restored to usefulness by skilled repair providers. With the continued dedication of close to 30 repair volunteers, this community event is growing and now has three municipalities joining the effort to help residents find repair options, provide a venue for repair providers to showcase their skills and offer an alternative to disposal for items that still have a useful life.

For more information about how you can participate or find additional event locations in Winter Park and Orlando, visit www.ocfl.net/DontPitchItFixIt, send an email to DontPitchIt@ocfl.net or call 407-836-1400.