Dealing with barriers to repair from the repairers’ perspective

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54337/plate2025-10415

Keywords:

Repair, Repairability, Circular economy, Obsolescence, Barriers to repair

Abstract

Repair is a key component of the circular economy paradigm and holds great environmental potential. Our current linear economies, which rely on constantly expanding markets, are not conceived to be restorative and hence create structural barriers to repair. Through semi-structured interviews and questionnaires we explore the commercial repairers’ perspective on barriers to repair, as well as their agency and the strategies they employ to overcome those barriers. Our research has shown that repairers tend to bypass barriers by means of specific repair techniques and cooperation networks. 

Author Biography

Francisco López-Bermúdez, University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Bachelor degree in Economics and Master's degree in Development and Innovation At the moment of submission a PhD student in the process of defending his thesis on the socioeconomic implications of repair in the circular economy framework. Teaching experience on Economics

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Published

24-06-2025

How to Cite

López-Bermúdez, F., & Vence, X. (2025). Dealing with barriers to repair from the repairers’ perspective. Proceedings of the 6th Product Lifetimes and the Environment Conference (PLATE2025), (6). https://doi.org/10.54337/plate2025-10415

Issue

Section

Track 4: Repair, Care and Maintenance – Extended Abstracts