Melina Scioli

Through the Club de Reparadores, Melina has sparked a grassroots movement that empowers local communities to come together around repair—reviving practical skills, strengthening local economies, and challenging the culture of disposability. Her ambitious approach goes beyond fixing broken objects; it seeks to mend the systems that make them disposable in the first place.

Melina’s vision for society centers on transforming the culture of consumption from one based on disposability to one rooted in sustainability, responsibility, and community. By challenging the belief that “new” equals “better” and building a movement that resonates across generations, she addresses the pervasive issues of throwaway culture and planned obsolescence—major contributors to environmental degradation and resource depletion. Her goal is to shift both economic and cultural systems away from short-term consumerism and toward long-term sustainability, advocating for durability, repairability, and the environmental and social value embedded in extending the life of objects. In Melina’s approach, repair is more than a practical solution—it redefines our relationship with material goods, reconnecting people with their belongings. Repairing something is not just an act of maintenance; it becomes an emotionally and symbolically rich gesture of care and commitment.

To bring this vision to life, Melina developed a model of collaborative, itinerant gatherings that raise awareness about the importance of repair and promote a sense of responsible citizenship around consumption. These are not permanent repair services, but one-off events designed to spark interest, visibility, and capacity at the local level. The Club actively promotes the work of neighborhood repair professionals (who often work at the margins, or informally) and local businesses that sell tools and supplies, thus strengthening local economies through a sustainability and community lens. Key components of the Clubs include the intergenerational transmission of knowledge, the creation of a cultural narrative around repair, the joy of in-person exchange, and the revitalization of both traditional and emerging trades that give objects a second life. A key condition for organizing a local Club is to first map neighborhood repairers, who are then invited to showcase their services and are featured on a digital platform that connects them to their communities.

Seeking to reach key audiences and generate demand for repair, Melina has developed tailored formats for companies, schools, and municipalities that embody the ethics, skills, and strategies required for repair, adapting the message to each context. She is working to make repair systems not only accessible and viable but also socially engaging and culturally relevant. While the global repair movement has roots in Europe, Melina created the Club de Reparadores as a movement for and by Latin American communities, as a response to regional challenges such as economic instability, weak consumer rights protections, and the loss of traditional repair trades. Melina uses the region's weaknesses, transforming them into opportunities to reposition trades in a cultural context that demonstrates their necessity and relevance, such as bicycle, cell phone, and appliance repair.

The Club de Reparadores is expanding through an open-source model that has supported over 30 local groups across Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Brasil, México, Perú, Puerto Rico and Uruguay in organizing repair events and integrating repair culture into their communities. This decentralized approach allows each group to adapt the model to local needs and cultural contexts also ensuring sustainability. Simultaneously, the Club is being institutionalized through collaborations with governments, schools, and businesses that incorporate repair into public policies, educational curricula, and corporate responsibility initiatives. For example, Melina’s collaboration with the City of Buenos Aires has led to the integration of repair practices into the city’s circular economy strategy by the creation of a Reparamovil that which travels around all the city's neighborhoods on an itinerant basis. By building partnerships across sectors, the Club is forging demand through new relationships and networks that sustain and scale the repair movement. Over decades much focus has been placed on recycling which, however, does not address the issue of overconsumption and obsolence. As repair becomes increasingly embedded in societal norms and structures, Melina’s impact is set to grow.

Melina addresses a critical and pervasive issue in modern society: the culture of disposability and planned obsolescence. In today’s consumer-driven world, products are often designed to break or become outdated quickly, pushing people to replace rather than repair them. This results not only in excessive waste and environmental degradation but also in tangible challenges for consumers who face economic and practical barriers to maintaining their belongings.

In Argentina and much of Latin America, information about repair trades and services is fragmented and lacks comprehensive systematization. Despite their economic, social, and environmental relevance, the repair sector largely operates informally, with limited visibility in official statistics and no centralized registry to identify key actors or existing capacities. Repair workshops—often family-run or self-managed—play a vital role in extending the useful life of products and providing affordable services, especially in vulnerable communities. However, their contributions are rarely acknowledged in public policies, and there is little coordination between these trades and broader circular economy strategies. This is compounded by a limited supply of formal technical training and the absence of specific regulations that promote repair as a right or culturally significant practice. As the throwaway culture advanced, the repair trade itself began to lose visibility and social relevance, further weakening its place in daily life and public perception.

This problem is rooted in several interrelated causes. At its heart lies an economic model that prioritizes profit over sustainability, incentivizing companies to create short-lived products that guarantee repeat sales. Cultural norms reinforce this cycle, equating newness with success while portraying repair as obsolete or inconvenient. In Argentina, there is no specific legislation regulating planned obsolescence or the right to repair, and only limited progress has been made in implementing extended producer responsibility. Although some municipalities have introduced ordinances to promote source separation, composting, reuse, these efforts remain fragmented and insufficient to reverse the broader systemic problem. Compounding these challenges is a general lack of public awareness about the environmental impacts of consumption and the ecological benefits of repair.

The consequences of this system are far-reaching. Environmentally, it leads to mounting waste, pollution, and resource depletion, contributing to the climate crisis. This results in a loss of traditional repair jobs and further marginalizes communities already vulnerable to economic inequality. The decline of repair culture also erodes skills, weakens community bonds, and disconnects people from the value of their possessions. Moreover, it diminishes cultural heritage, as traditional crafts and knowledge are replaced by mass production and homogenization.

Melina’s strategy with the Club de Reparadores is centered on transforming the culture of disposability by positioning repair as a social, environmental, and economic lever for change. Her approach combines grassroots engagement, support for the repair economy, and systemic advocacy to promote long-term sustainability and collective responsibility. By activating diverse actors—citizens, companies, governments, repair professionals, and students—through inclusive and participatory formats, Melina fosters a movement that bridges everyday actions with broader structural transformation.

At the heart of Melina’s strategy are itinerant community repair events that bring together people of all ages and backgrounds to mend household items—appliances, electronics, clothing, shoes—with the help of volunteers and repair professionals. These events go beyond fixing objects: they celebrate intergenerational learning, foster environmental awareness, and revalue traditional trades. Hosted in vibrant settings enhanced by music, local artists, and food, these gatherings make repair joyful and socially engaging.

By creating what she calls a “repair epic,” Melina reframes fixing objects as a powerful cultural act. The Club’s in-person activities have mobilized over 5,700 participants and are supported by a growing virtual self-organized community of nearly 30,000 members. Much like with other professions, creating some equivalent of a "trading association" is the first step to formalizing a profession. Melina makes a point of promoting the work of local professional repairers and strengthening local economies often overlooked by cheap manufacturing and the decline of manual trades.

To broaden the appeal of repair and reach new audiences, Melina created the “Club a medida” (Tailor-Made Club) model—customized versions of the initiative designed for companies, schools, and municipalities. For example, she partnered with Pernod Ricard to host employee repair days, where employees repair appliances, toys and clothing that are donated to social organizations for their users. Until now, the events in companies have introduced her approach´s philosophy and skills to more than 1,500 people. Another example was held in partnership with the Museum of Latin American Art (Malba), where she led workshops for children that explored repair and object lifespans. These programs help position repair as a relevant, modern, and ethical practice across social and institutional contexts. Her work with the outdoor clothing leader brand Patagonia exemplifies her strategy for long-term institutional engagement. Beyond co-hosting events and trainings, she advised on the launch of Patagonia’s recycled textile product line “Recrafted” and became a regular trainer for the brand's Worn Wear team at Patagonia while building a bridge between corporate sustainability goals and community-led repair culture. Other partners include Natura, IRSA and municipal governments who are helping to scale this model.

Melina’s systemic advocacy work seeks to institutionalize repair culture. A recent milestone was the launch of Reparamóvil, a mobile repair unit developed in partnership with the Buenos Aires city government at the beginning of 2025. The mobile unit travels to the city´s neighborhoods, offering free diagnostics, minor repairs, and referrals to local tradespeople—bringing the values of the Club directly into public service delivery and urban policy.

At the regional level, Club de Reparadores x América Latina supports grassroots replication across Latin America. Through a decentralized, self-managed model, the program offers toolkits and mentorship to local leaders. To facilitate replication, Melina and her team set up virtual training and offer individual advisory sessions to replicas. They also monitor implementation with indicators such as event participants, mapping of professionals, and kilos of waste avoided, among others. To date, 31 independent groups have organized 129 repair events, repairing 4,575 items and preventing nearly 8 tons of waste.

As an example, in Uruguay, Club de Reparadores has established an active and expanding presence with more than 23 editions held in Montevideo and growing experiences in other parts of the country. Supported by the National Development Agency (ANDE) and local governments, regional clubs have been developed in departments such as Florida, Paysandú, Salto, Tacuarembó, and Treinta y Tres. Additional editions have taken place in Maldonado, Atlántida, and more recently in the city of Canelones, where the first event was held in 2024. This open-source and decentralized model reflects the Club's ability to empower other stakeholders and scale its impact beyond its original core.

Melina recognizes that fostering a robust repair ecosystem means supporting the repair economy. She developed Reparar.org, a digital platform connecting consumers with local repair professionals. This platform not only increases visibility for tradespeople but also creates infrastructure for a viable green economy. A future iteration of the platform will include features to organize professionals by trade and sector, offer green job training, and support municipal circular economy programs. Supporting the repair economy, she also promotes skill-building in underserved communities. To date, the Club has trained 185 individuals in trades like mobile phones, electronics, and bicycle repair. These trainings serve as entry points into formal employment, entrepreneurship, or informal income streams, especially in working-class neighborhoods.

Recognizing that long-term change requires early intervention, Melina created Ligas Menores (Minor Leagues), a school-based educational program that complements Argentina’s existing environmental education efforts by introducing students to the ethics, skills, and mindset of repair. Integrated into the city’s “Green Schools” program, Ligas Menores has already reached more than 400 students across 10 schools. These hands-on activities cultivate environmental values, practical knowledge, and critical thinking about consumption—planting the seeds for a culture that sees value in care, durability, and sustainability.
Melina’s multi-faceted strategy—combining community activation, repair training, partnerships with governments and companies, legislative advocacy, and digital tools—works in a complementary way to strengthen the conditions for a culture of repair. These efforts help build the social infrastructure and awareness needed to make repair more visible, accessible, and valued in everyday life.

Melina Scioli was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where her early life was shaped by the values of resourcefulness and care instilled by her mother and grandmother. She grew up in a household that embraced reuse, simplicity, and community and had an education that gave her independence and allowed her to explore interests and do things on her own. This mindset deepened when her family relocated to Patagonia during her teenage years. She studied visual arts with a focus on sculpture, exploring the use of unconventional and discarded materials, which introduced her to the concept of circularity. During a seven-month exchange in Bilbao, Spain, she further immersed herself in the intersection of digital and organic art, reinforcing her growing interest in sustainability and the afterlife of objects.
Upon returning to Buenos Aires, Melina engaged with a materials experimentation group at the Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, which led her to collaborate with local recycling cooperatives. There, she launched a training program for young recyclers to transform waste into accessories and artistic objects, combining environmental education with economic inclusion. After three years of leading this initiative, she helped secure funding and structure to ensure its sustainability beyond her involvement.
She later joined the Buenos Aires City Legislature, where she focused on climate change, urban hygiene, and recycling legislation. She served as Director of Communications and Projects at DondeReciclo.org, a pioneering platform in recycling education and mapping. These experiences solidified her understanding of the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of waste and the urgent need to transition away from the linear economic model.
Melina holds a master’s degree in Environment and Resource Management from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, complementing her background in visual arts and waste management. Her interdisciplinary training and grassroots experience positioned her to lead large-scale cultural change initiatives. The Club de Reparadores has been internationally recognized, winning the No Waste Challenge by What Design Can Do and the IKEA Foundation.