Campaign - Kreisler

Germany generates around 1 million tons of household electrical waste every year. Many appliances end up in the trash even though they could be repaired or reused.

At the same time, a current Study by the Federation of German Consumer Organizations80 % of people do not repair because repairs are too expensive.58 % do not repair because it is too complicated or impractical. There is not a lack of willingness - but a lack of accessible, local infrastructure. However, inexpensive, small or old devices in particular are often time-consuming to repair and therefore not feasible for companies at the price that people would pay for them, as a new device is then cheaper. There is therefore a real need to create a non-commercial alternative!

With the Kreisler, we have set up the right solution and carried out more than 500 repairs at our first location, reaching 200 club members who would otherwise have thrown away their appliances. We have found that we are reaching new target groups because repairs solve a real problem from the consumer's point of view and therefore make both economic and ecological sense.

At the Kreisler, people can have their things repaired - at our first location, this mainly involves electronics, small household appliances, textiles and small items of furniture. We also have tools, household appliances and outdoor equipment that can be borrowed. We also accept selected donations, i.e. appliances that are still in working order, which then find a new owner, and organize a monthly flea market at our pilot location.

Depending on the size of the Kreisler, the offer could be expanded to include a 3D printing station and a small makerspace, coffee corner or similar. If we actually manage to build a Berlin-wide network, there are many more possibilities: For example, we could become a collection point for appliances from brands such as Bosch & Co. so that the companies can get their old products back and use them to produce new appliances in the spirit of the circular economy. Closed-loop concepts like this are currently failing to be implemented due to the lack of a collection system. With the Kreisler, we are ready to help build such innovative structures. Always with an eye on what we need as a society so that the sensible idea of the circular economy - not wasting anything - becomes a reality!

The Berlin Senate is currently spending 2.5 million over two years on the repair bonus. This is a one-off subsidy for just under 30,000 people, i.e. a fraction of Berlin's population - with no long-term effect. The same amount could be invested in 50 Kreisler locations, which, with the help of donations and flexible membership fees, would be 100 % self-sustaining after 1-2 years and guarantee repair services in the long term - for everyone!

Repairing, borrowing and swapping is possible at the Kreisler for a free donation. Anyone wishing to contribute can do so with a membership fee of between €2.50 and €18 per month - depending on what suits their budget. This creates a secure, predictable income for ongoing operations, making the locations independent of project funding or shrinking public budgets. You can find out more about „Community-supported business“ from our friends from the CSX network.

Of course, we still need them. We see the Kreisler as a useful addition to enable the repair of devices of all kinds across the board. Repair Cafés thrive on doing things together and passing on knowledge - that's important! We have the Repair Café format on Open Repair Wednesdays, but we also repair for our members in the spirit of neighborhood help, without them having to be present. This makes us the right solution for other target groups - such as people who work full-time, have children and don't have the time for DIY repairs at the weekend. In our first year, we were able to repair almost all of the devices that people came to us with. Especially with small or old devices, i.e. those that would not be worth repairing in the traditional sense because it would be too expensive, we can help and save many devices from being thrown away. But we also have clear limits: For example, we cannot repair larger appliances (washing machines, televisions, etc.). Professional repair stores are needed here!

For our vision of operating 50 locations throughout Berlin, we need both: Repair Cafés, which have often worked under precarious conditions up to now (e.g. without a fixed space), can stabilize and grow with our community-supported model if they want to. We already pass on repairs of large appliances to businesses in the area, but in future we could share larger areas in order to jointly cover the growing demand for repairs. The Kreisler will thus become a shared roof - and the first port of call for Berliners.

The Kreisler is a registered, non-profit association. With around 12 active members - some employed, some volunteers - we currently run one location in Gropiusstadt and want to grow into a network of many of our own locations with the help of committed neighbors and groups in other neighborhoods. To achieve this, we are building on existing repair initiatives and neighborhood energy. Every Kreisler lives from the neighborhood for the neighborhood and creates 2.5 permanent jobs in addition to volunteer work. One challenge here is the repair knowledge that is slowly being lost. We are therefore launching a low-threshold format later this year to teach interested parties how to repair electronics and textiles, 3D printing and organizational matters.

The locations function according to the principle of a social franchise: recognizably equal, networked and learning from each other. Similar to McDonald's, but organized in a socially fair way, locally independent and for the benefit of all. Recognition is an important point: we are surrounded by large chains and brands every day, we go shopping there or have a coffee. In our economic system, bigger is still often better. If many locations share the same name, logo, appearance and communication, people can remember it more easily and it subconsciously radiates trust and the same quality. We want to take advantage of this while eliminating the disadvantages of the classic franchise system through the decentralized network - all locations act as equals and support each other. Social franchise means: more visibility and good circular supply for all instead of profit maximization for a few.

The right location is crucial in order to be accessible and visible in people's everyday lives. Our pilot location in a small but well-frequented shopping center directly at the U7 Wutzkyallee subway exit has already been a real success after a short time. There is currently more than enough vacant commercial space in Berlin - including in prime locations, in shopping centers and in the portfolio of municipal housing companies - whose potential we could exploit. This is how we can revitalize our city after years of shrinking retail!

In 2024, we opened the first Kreisler in Neukölln's Gropiusstadt district. In 2026, we will make the idea big and mobilize interested parties, supporters and fellow campaigners for a Berlin network of Kreislers with a city-wide campaign. By 2030, we will scale up together to ideally 50 Kreisler locations throughout Berlin and make repairing a nationwide reality. We work with a social franchise model so that the individual locations are independent, but we learn from each other and share resources as a network. Together we are strong!

Our name is inspired by the Austrian „Greißler“ - a corner store that used to exist in almost every village, where people could buy everyday products and exchange ideas. Today, unfortunately, these have almost completely disappeared. We want to revive the idea of a locally anchored infrastructure that is accessible to everyone - today for repairing, borrowing and swapping! This is where the „circle“ in the name comes from, which stands for the circular economy and the idea of keeping resources, skills and value creation in local cycles. The name also creates a link to everyday life and joins the ranks of bakers, shoemakers, tailors, etc.

What if repairing were as easy as the daily trip to the supermarket?

What is the Kreisler?

Always a Kreisler within slipper distance

Our demands

Provide free rooms for circular centers

Investing and setting financial incentives

Valuing and consolidating volunteer work

Systematically build up repair expertise

Repairing for everyone - and with you!

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Our network

6 good reasons for a Kreisler in every neighborhood

Making repairs affordable

Strengthening social cohesion

Passing on repair skills

Building resilience hyperlocally

Improve urban cleanliness

Community-based management

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