What can you do with a wobbly chair? Or a toaster that has stopped working? Can you fix them? Many from the "Kleenex" generation no longer know how.

And this is the idea behind Repair Cafes. The concept is simple: Hold gatherings open to anyone with the tools or materials needed to carry out every kind of repair you can imagine - electricians, seamstresses, carpenters, bicycle repairers - and invite people to bring broken objects from home to work with the tradesmen and others with experience.

Started in the Netherlands in 2009 by Dutch environmental activist Martine Postma, Repair Cafe aims to limit the production of waste. Today there are 80 such cafes.

"What is interesting about the concept is the act of repairing together. You really participate," says Mr Frederic Vignaux, co-founder and head of a Repair Cafe in Belgium.

Indeed, Repair Cafes are not just about mending objects, but also about making human contact. People chat over a cup of tea and participate in creative workshops.

"It is the kind of help that neighbours give each other."

DIDIER DILLENS, RENE SEPUL/LE SOIR (BELGIUM)