The Restart Project Podcast
Episodes
Restart Podcast Ep. 105: Fixing Factories are transforming London’s high streets
05 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
With two new locations just launched in London, we catch up with Rhio and Sarah to see how Fixing Factories are thriving on our high streets.
Restart Podcast Ep. 104: We’re ready for a repair boom at UK music festivals
26 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We’re currently running a survey of our listeners. Please take a few minutes to fill it in so that we can make the content that you want to hea...
Restart Podcast Ep. 103: Resurrecting our low-tech and sustainable past, with Cédric Carles from Atelier 21
18 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As the year draws to a close, we’re grappling with what a sustainable future really looks like against a backdrop of a more and more technology-...
Restart Podcast Ep. 102: We’re saying no to Microsoft’s wasteful end of Windows 10
14 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
International Repair Day 2025 is almost here! And a lot of our focus this year has been on software obsolescence. It’s been top of mind due to t...
Restart Podcast Ep. 101: Engineering our repairable future, with Mark Miodownik
27 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After a bit of a hiatus, our podcast is back and we were honoured to be joined by Mark Miodownik for a chat about researching and communicating around...
Restart Radio: London gets a new Fixing Factory and repair vouchers
28 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Spring has sprung in London and so have new repair initiatives! We sat down with Shelini and Fiona to have a chat about two exciting projects that hav...
Restart Podcast Ep. 100: Trailblazers of repair
07 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We can’t believe that we’ve already reached episode 100 of The Restart Podcast! We launched this show a decade ago to explore the world of repair,...
Restart Podcast Ep. 99: EKO! is changing lives with low-tech solutions
27 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A transcript of this podcast is available Sitting nestled in the mountains of France sits a small building buzzing with activity. Backdropped by the s...
Restart Podcast Ep. 98: It’s official, the UK needs more reuse options
19 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever binned or recycled something that was still working, or could have been repaired? Our new report says that the answer is likely, yes. Di...
Restart Podcast Ep. 97: Beyond the repair manual, with Shannon Mattern
29 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
For our August episode, we spoke to professor and writer, Shannon Mattern about her writing on the history of repair and repair manuals. It’s a ...
Restart Podcast Ep. 96: It’s time for a Student Repair Revolution
27 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We spoke to Restart’s own Pascale Hall and James Pickstone, and Dr Kersty Hobson from Cardiff University about the Student Repair Revolution project...
Restart Podcast Ep. 95: There’s hope yet for UK waste and repair policy, with Green Alliance
18 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This month, we spoke to Libby Peake, Head of Resource Policy at Green Alliance about their work on waste and resources, and how we can get the UK gove...
Restart Podcast Ep. 94: How to talk about avoiding waste, with Keep Britain Tidy
13 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Do you know the most effective way to reduce our waste? If you’re a regular listener, then probably yes. But it may surprise you to find out just ...
Restart Podcast Ep. 93: A 2023 Restart Retrospective
18 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For our final episode of the season, Ugo and Fiona sat down for a chat about the year that was 2023. From launching the Repair and Reuse Declaration t...
Restart Podcast Ep. 92: Taking repair on the road
30 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We’re going on a repair road trip this month as we talk to Simon Frémineur and Jinny Uppington about their respective mobile repair initiatives...
Restart Podcast Ep. 91: Voices of Fixfest UK 2023
21 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On 30th September, over 100 fixers, organisers, researchers, and more from around the UK came together for Fixfest UK 2023! This year’s edition ...
Restart Podcast Ep. 90: Meet TV’s Retro Electro Workshop ‘super fixers’, Rob Howard and Matt Marchant
28 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Pinball machines are whirring and circuitboards buzz as we talk to ‘super-fixers’ Rob Howard and Matt Marchant from the TV show Retro Elec...
Restart Podcast Ep. 89: What happens to your waste? with Oliver Franklin-Wallis
01 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the final episode of our summer season, we talked to author and journalist, Oliver Franklin-Wallis about his new book entitled, Wasteland: The Dirt...
Restart Podcast Ep. 88: Saving reusable products from the shredder, with West London Waste Authority
29 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever binned or recycled something that was still working, or could have been repaired? The answer is likely, yes. Based on the results of our...
Restart Podcast Ep. 87: Exploring Brighton’s repair and reuse ecosystem
01 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This month, we take a deep-dive into a local repair and reuse ecosystem. Brighton seemed like a great case study for this so we spoke to Victoria Jack...
Restart Podcast Ep. 86: Why repairers need hope, not guilt, with Katie Treggiden
25 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This month we talked to author and communicator, Katie Treggiden about her recent book entitled, Broken: Mending & Repair in a Throwaway World. Ka...
Restart Podcast Ep. 85: The local businesses giving your stuff a ‘second life’
24 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week we’ve been celebrating London Repair Week by highlighting the heroic repair businesses all over the city. Our directory of repair shops, L...
Restart Podcast Ep. 84: Repairmongers, remakeries, and repair hubs
28 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This month, join us for an expert panel on community-led high street repair! We gathered together Katie Bellaris from Re:Make Newport, Elaine Brown fr...
Restart Podcast Ep. 83: Meet the students Fixing Things for the Future
30 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s been an ongoing question in our community of how to get young people involved in repair culture. In this month’s podcast, we were delight...
Restart Podcast Ep. 82: No need for new toys, we have Team Repair
14 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We’re officially in the holiday season now and like many, we have presents and toys on the mind. For our December episode, we spoke to Anaïs Engelm...
Restart Podcast Ep. 81: Launching the new Fixing Factory
28 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This month, we spoke to Restart’s Shelini Kotecha and Possible’s Dermot Jones about Fixing Factories. We’ve been working with Possib...
Restart Podcast Ep. 80: Voices of Fixfest 2022
27 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
From 30th September – 2nd October, members of the repair community from all over the world gathered together to share their ideas and passion at...
Restart Podcast Ep. 79: eSpares wants you to clean your filters
29 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This month, we had a very handy conversation with some friends from our sponsor eSpares. Eleanor Cochrane and Mariya Peynova are the Brand Manager and...
Restart Podcast Ep. 78: Meet our new(ish) Co-Director, Fiona Dear
25 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
To wrap up our summer season, we’re giving listeners a proper introduction to Restart’s new(ish) Co-Director, Fiona Dear. You will have heard Fion...
Restart Podcast Ep. 77: Reflecting on our first 10 years
29 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It’s a bumper episode this month but how could it not be when we’re celebrating the 10 year anniversary of our first Restart Party! This episode i...
Restart Podcast Ep. 76: Funky phones and durable design, with Ben Wood
24 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This month, we were super excited to talk to Ben Wood. Ben is Chief Analyst at CCS Insight and also the founder of the Mobile Phone Museum. All this t...
Restart Radio: Introducing Fixing Factories
12 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve had a busy month here at Restart. On April 23rd, we launched the first Fixing Factory site in the Abbey Road Reuse and Recycling Centre, B...
Restart Podcast Ep. 75: The law and repair: it’s complicated, with Aaron Perzanowski
28 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This month, we welcomed back Aaron Perzanowski to talk about his new book, The Right to Repair: Reclaiming the Things We Own. In the book, he explore...
Restart Podcast Ep. 74: Why digital access is a right, with Ready Tech Go
28 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
With the opening of the first Fixing Factory fast approaching, we spoke to one of the partners we’ll be working with, Ready Tech Go (RTG). Nikos...
Restart Podcast Ep. 73: Repair Café Aotearoa New Zealand
25 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Four months after its launch on Repair Day 2021, we spoke to four people involved in the repair network, Repair Café Aotearoa New Zealand. Brigitte S...
Restart Podcast Ep. 72: Maintaining your bike and your community, with Jenni Gwiazdowski
27 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As 2022 gets on the road, we spoke to Jenni Gwiazdowski, founder and Director of London Bike Kitchen. With cycling taking more prominence in recent ye...
Restart Podcast Ep. 71: Fixing at Rhino Camp Refugee Settlement
22 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Having spent the year talking to many activists, authors and repairers in the UK and Europe, we thought we would hear from somewhere a bit further awa...
Restart Radio: Reflecting on a challenging but successful 2021
16 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
As 2021 draws to a close, Janet and Ugo reflected on this precarious but successful year. Despite many setbacks, we have made great strides towards th...
Restart Podcast Ep. 70: An epic journey through climate history with Alice Bell
24 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This month we talked to author and activist, Alice Bell about her recent book entitled, Our Biggest Experiment: An Epic History of the Climate Crisis....
Restart Podcast Ep. 69: Exploring our consumption emissions with Professor John Barrett
25 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We hear a lot about carbon emissions in the news and they are a major culprit in the climate crisis. Sometimes, it can be difficult to track where the...
Restart Radio Republished: Mark Phillips photographs ‘essential’ repair
13 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We revisit an episode from 2018 with photographer and friend of Restart, Mark Phillips. Phillips has an exciting exhibition, ‘Repair is Essentia...
Restart Podcast Ep. 68: Inequalities in UK craft and making, with Dr Karen Patel
29 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This month we spoke to Dr Karen Patel from Birmingham City University about her work on Craft Expertise, a project researching inequalities in the cra...
Restart Podcast Ep. 67: Reflecting on repair during the pandemic
26 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Our summer podcast season has come to a close and what a time it’s been! We revisited our archive and picked some of the episodes where our disc...
Restart Radio: A small ask
12 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Happy August, listeners! We’re on our summer break but there will be a special podcast episode in the coming weeks. In the meantime, we have a...
Restart Podcast Ep. 66: Ancient cob building, part of a low-tech future
28 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In our final episode of the summer season, we talk to Kate Edwards about building with cob and why it is a really sustainable way forward. Please ...
Restart Radio: Our 2021 Summer Reading List
14 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Before we get into the news and our Summer Reading List, here’s a plea to respond to our listener survey. We last did one of these in 2019 and found...
Restart Podcast Ep. 65: Saving memories and exposing ‘branded’ repair with Jessa Jones
29 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This month, we had the pleasure of talking to repairer and activist, Jessa Jones. Jones is the founder of iPad Rehab and has carved out her own space ...
Restart Radio: Borrowing boom at Library of Things
08 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
As businesses and community spaces are able to pick up operations again, we talk to Alys Penfold about her work with Library of Things. Penfold is cur...
Restart Podcast Ep. 64: Regenerative farming and rural tinkering with Farmerama
28 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This month, we talk to fellow podcasters Abby Rose and Jo Barratt from Farmerama. Farmerama is a monthly magazine show that aims to share the voices a...
Restart Radio Republished: When “intellectual property” is lethal
13 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This month, we are revisiting the topic of medical repair and reuse. Our interview was originally published more than a year ago but the issues at han...
Restart Podcast Ep. 63: Badvertising – when ads promote fossil fuels and overconsumption
29 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What’s the most frustrating advert you’ve seen recently? Or have you noticed a peaceful ad-free bliss after spending a year mostly indoors? This m...
Restart Radio Republished: Greenland’s election and Kvanefjeld mine
14 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Following the election results in Greenland last week, we are revisiting an episode of Restart Radio from back in 2018. Three years ago, we interviewe...
Restart Podcast Ep. 62: How 3D printing can help us repair
25 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
3D printing technology is increasingly being used to aid repair, especially in the creation of spare parts. We invited Bas Flipsen and Julieta Bolaño...
Restart Radio: Reusing laptops for digital inclusion with Mer-IT and Hackney Fixers
10 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
As schools start to open again across the country, we revisit the incredible work that repairers are doing to get laptops in the hands of students. Tw...
Restart Podcast Ep. 61: Introducing the French Repairability Index
26 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss opportunities and limits of the new French Repairability together with experts involved in its development
Restart Radio: How manufacturers game the system through voluntary agreements
11 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On February’s episode, we discuss game consoles, printers, and the virtually useless voluntary agreements for their manufacturers.
Restart Podcast Ep. 60: Helping electronics workers improve conditions
26 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Labour rights abuses did not start with Covid. Omana George from Electronics Watch tells us how she has been working to protect occupational health.
Restart Radio: What is true digital inclusion?
14 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It may be a new year but we are still pressing for change in all the same places. On January’s episode, we revisit the topic of “digital inclu...
Restart Podcast Ep. 59: Lasers lighting up the sky, with Seb Lee-Delisle
18 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
For our last episode of the year, we so happy to bring you this interview with laser interactive artist, presenter and Repair Café volunteer Seb Lee-...
Restart Radio: Lamps at the end of the tunnel — a new lighting refurbishment business
10 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It’s our final radio show of a year full of bad news, and we have some good news to share. To kick us off, Janet and Ugo speak to Jonathan Samue...
Restart Podcast Ep. 58: You say you want a Repair Revolution
27 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This month, Dave talks to John Wackman and Elizabeth Knight who are prolific in the New York repair community. After years of involvement in repair ca...
Restart Radio: The dangers of serialisation in smartphones with Rico Cerva
10 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Talking about the issue of smartphone repairability is one that has been unavoidable over the years. This month we decided to finally look at this pro...
Restart Podcast Ep. 57: “Heroes of Repair” European video series
28 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In October, the European Right to Repair campaign launched “Heroes of Repair”, as part of their celebration of International Repair Day. The video...
Restart Radio Republished: Ada Lovelace Day and the stories of women in STEM
13 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
To celebrate Ada Lovelace Day, we’re republishing this 2018 interview with Suw Charman-Anderson, founder of the Ada Lovelace Day (ALD), which an...
Restart Podcast Ep. 56: A smartphone OS that respects user data privacy, with Gaël Duval
22 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
To kick off the autumn season of the podcast, we talked to French entrepreneur and founder of e Foundation, Gaël Duval. Duval has spent years develop...
Restart Radio: Hackney Fixers’ laptop repair and reuse project
09 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On our first radio show back for the new season, Ugo is joined by James Diamond from Hackney Fixers. They talk about the laptop repair and reuse proje...
Restart Podcast Ep. 55: Why we need climate education, with Teach the Future
28 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As a very unusual school year came to a close, we talked to Jude Daniel Smith, a youth activist and Campaign Coordinator for Teach the Future. Despite...
Restart Radio: Our 2020 Summer Reading List
15 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On July’s episode, we hear from several members of the Restart Team with their reviews of books for our summer reading list. First, though, we d...
Restart Podcast Ep. 54: Shoes and urgent system change with Tansy Hoskins
23 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We talk to author and journalist, Tansy Hoskins, whose latest book Foot Work: What Your Shoes are Doing to the World leads us to explore issues of lab...
Restart Radio: The urgent need for diversity in tech, and how repair can help
10 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
News of Henrik Huseby’s verdict hit us, at the Restart Project, hard at the beginning of June. As such, we discuss the ways that intellectual proper...
Restart Podcast Ep. 53: Our low-tech future with Kris De Decker
26 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On May’s episode of the podcast, we talk to journalist Kris De Decker about how low-tech of the past can serve as inspiration to improve our future....
Restart Radio: Apple’s T2 Chip and ownership rights after the first owner
13 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On May’s show, we discuss limits placed on refurbishment and reuse by a notorious manufacturer through its T2 chip. We consider their responsibility...
Restart Podcast Ep. 52: Combining nostalgia with the new at Armstrong Audio
30 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
For our April episode, we talk to Shamil Joomun, the co-owner of London-based vintage audio restoration company and café, Armstrong Audio. Now locate...
Restart Radio: Reuse and repair with two frontline medical professionals
15 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
April’s show focuses on a topic that has become literally inescapable as of late, a constant fixture in our lives, the pandemic. We turned to Dr. Ta...
Restart Podcast Ep. 51: Copyright law, ownership and crisis with Aaron Perzanowski
27 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
For our March episode, we dare to dive into the increasingly complex world of intellectual property law – a topic suddenly becoming ever more pe...
Restart Radio: Global supply chains and The Virus
12 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
For March’s show we take a look at perhaps the most unavoidable topic in our world today, coronavirus (COVID-19). We took this as an opportunity tho...
Restart Podcast Ep. 50: Why we must win the right to repair our smartphones
26 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In early February, the European Right to Repair Campaign launched a petition demanding the addition of smartphones to future EU legislation on device ...
Restart Radio: Being smarter about connected devices and security
12 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On ‘Safer Internet Day’, Janet and Ugo are joined in the studio by Restarter Ben Skidmore to discuss the developing Sonos scandal, planned device ...
Restart Podcast Ep. 49: Tinker travelling with Mend It, Australia
22 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Two tinker-travelling retirees from Melbourne, Australia fill our podcast with positive energy and joy this month. Dave talks to Karen and Danny, who ...
Restart Podcast Ep. 48: Henrik versus Goliath Corporation
17 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We interview Norwegian professional repairer Henrik Huseby about his court battle against Apple, which will reach Norway's Supreme Court next year. ...
Restart Podcast Ep. 47: Secondhand around the world with Adam Minter
26 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This month we chat with author Adam Minter on his newest book "Secondhand: Travels In The New Global Garage Sale". We've followed Minter's coverage of...
Restart Podcast Ep. 46: Stories from our repair data
24 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Our Restart Parties — community repair events — are amazing citizen laboratories to examine the downstream impacts of our throw-away economy. Even...
Restart Podcast Ep. 45: “No TV left behind” – the quiet importance of television standards
25 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Television has changed so much during the past couple of decades, from the way signals reach our living rooms, to the way television hardware and soft...
Restart Radio: Stories from Fixfest Italia
13 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Earlier this year, we travelled to Turin to take part in Fixfest Italia - the first national community repair gathering in Italy. In the lead-up to...
Restart Podcast Ep. 44: Community infrastructure with Broadband for the Rural North (B4RN)
26 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
"I wanted broadband", says Chris Conder, co-founder of the Broadband for the Rural North (B4RN). We learn from the bold initiative of a community in L...
Restart Radio: The second lives of computers
11 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
With Restarters Ben Skidmore and Dave Lukes, Ugo discusses some tech news and then dives into the world of repurposing computers - how can we give the...
Restart Podcast Ep. 43: A life in art, activism and electronic waste with Ravi Agarwal
27 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
*Last call to complete our radio survey. Closing soon on the 3rd of July!* Ravi Agarwal is a multifaceted artist and activist based in New Delhi. W...
Restart Radio: Climate anxiety and deep adaptation
13 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
*Radio survey* We would really appreciate your thoughts on Restart Radio. Please take our short survey! We talk about the climate crisis and the c...
Restart Podcast Ep. 42: A computer clinic for (and by) the community
30 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we travel to the northwest of England to meet Dave and Anne Carlos, co-founders of the West Fleetwood Computer Clinic. Set up by the ...
Restart Radio: The overlooked but fascinating world of standards
16 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Janet, James and Restarter Ben Skidmore talk about the overlooked but fascinating world of product standards, and how they affect our right to repair ...
Restart Podcast Ep. 41 Exploring waste in space
25 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We are currently in the midst of Earth Week, but in this episode, we are going to space. The environmental cost of technology is not just felt on the ...
Restart Radio: The Iridium anomaly, your mobile and the dinosaurs
11 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Coinciding nicely with the first image of a black hole, this April is Space Month on Restart Radio, where both our live show and podcast will be space...
Restart Podcast Ep. 40: When solar lamps break down
28 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Solar lamps have been envisioned as a groundbreaking innovation for regions with no electricity. But what happens when solar gadgets break down? We tr...
Restart Radio: Growing indoors for Brexit survival
15 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Tongue-in-cheek, we talk about the upcoming Brexit deadline and the potential of indoor growing to feed us in a time of crisis. We are joined by Ande ...
Restart Podcast Ep. 39: Repair and autonomy in a networked world
01 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The design of technology and technological systems has deep consequences for our use of products and services. Alison Powell, Assistant Professor a...
Restart Radio: New Right to Repair rules, broken down by a pro
15 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In December and January, European member states approved groundbreaking measures which ensured that appliances (dishwashers, fridges, and washing mach...
Restart Podcast Ep. 38: Inspiring repair with Jane, inventor and founder of Sugru
24 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We've always been inspired by the tenacity of Jane, who is the 'inventor, founder and fixer in Chief' at Sugru, the mouldable glue company. We intervi...
Restart Radio: Popular, planet-saving right to repair
10 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We interview Libby Peake, Senior policy adviser at Green Alliance. We talk about the public interest in more repairable products, and we discuss the c...
Restart Radio: Greening the internet with Greenpeace
13 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
We interview Andrew Hatton, Head of IT at Greenpeace UK. We talk about the environmental implications of using the Internet and Greenpeace's campaign ...
Restart Podcast Ep. 37: Voices of UK fixers
28 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Fixfest UK gathered 59 community repair activists from all across the country, representing 25 different repair groups. This event was all about shari...