Hennepin County's tinkerers see it all — from toasters to TV remotes, winter coats and camping lanterns.
They meet monthly, about 40 volunteers in all, at the county's Fix-It Clinics where they work with local residents to repair broken household items.
Since Hennepin County launched its program in 2012, Ramsey and Dakota counties have introduced similar initiatives to help people learn how to repair household goods and reduce the number of broken things tossed into landfills.
It's a win-win situation, said Nancy Lo, a waste reduction and recycling specialist with the county's Department of Environmental Services.
"Some people are really motivated by not having to buy something new," she said. "And then some people think, 'Oh, I don't want to have to throw this away. It can be repaired, and I don't want to add this to my trash.' "
The clinics are held at different locations across Hennepin County, typically drawing between 70 and 120 locals with their busted belongings each month. The next Fix-It Clinic will be held from noon to 4 p.m. on July 14 at Crosstown Covenant Church, 5540 30th Av. S., Minneapolis.
Lo encourages residents to bring along their children. "Kids love to take stuff apart and learn how things work," she said.
The tinkerer corps of engineers, builders and sewers enjoy it too. Some of their favorite items to fix are the most unusual — a toy pig that flips an egg in a frying pan, an antique witch from Germany that cackles.