4th Annual Cornell and Ithaca Community Repair Fair

The fourth annual Earth Day Repair Fair is scheduled for Wednesday, April 22, 2026, aiming to reduce electronic waste by providing community-led hardware troubleshooting and repair services. The event will take place from 4 p.m. To 6 p.m. In the Gates Hall lobby, offering a resource for students, faculty, staff and local residents to extend the operational life of their electronics.

The fair focuses on a wide range of small electronics, including laptops, desktops, keyboards, and headphones, as well as any devices equipped with a power cord. Local repair experts and members of the Ithaca and Cornell reuse communities will serve as volunteers to diagnose technical issues and provide hands-on instruction to attendees on basic repair skills.

Collaborative Technical Support

The initiative is a collaborative effort involving several academic and sustainability organizations. The fair is organized by the Cornell Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science in partnership with the following entities:

• Cornell Computer Reuse Association (CCRA)
• Cornell’s Campus Sustainability Office
• Sustainable Computing Working Group
• R5
• Ithaca ReUse

The goal of this partnership is to empower community members to better maintain their technology while simultaneously decreasing the volume of e-waste sent to landfills. Attendees have the option to learn repair techniques alongside the experts or drop off their devices for a professional assessment.

Addressing the E-Waste Cycle

A primary objective of the event is to challenge the common perception that aging or malfunctioning hardware is beyond repair. Organizers of the 2025 event noted that People often assume a device is dead when it just needs a small fix, adding that the fair helps demystify technology and shows how repair can extend the life of everyday electronics.

For devices that cannot be repaired on-site, the fair provides a pathway for responsible disposal. The Cornell Computer Reuse Association (CCRA) accepts these non-repairable items for either reuse or certified recycling to ensure that hazardous materials are handled correctly and usable components are recovered.

Historical Impact and Hardware Recovery

Data from the three years preceding the 2026 fair demonstrates the effectiveness of the community-led repair model. During that period, volunteers successfully diverted more than 500 pounds of electronic waste from landfills.

The hardware recovery statistics from the previous three editions include:

• More than 30 laptops and desktop computers repaired or saved.
• More than 15 monitors restored to working condition.
• Approximately 100 laptops, keyboards, and mice donated for reuse.
• The recovery of numerous chargers and cords.

By focusing on the repair of everyday devices, the event provides a practical application of sustainable computing principles, moving away from a disposable hardware culture toward one of maintenance and longevity.