Guide for makerspaces
A tool to help you make your makerspace « more » sustainable
The ReeFab project made it possible to develop four workshops focused on ecology and careers, designed for young adults. With this in mind, our thinking was as follows:
If we are to facilitate these workshops at our places, how can we bring these themes to life in a concrete way?
How can we ensure that our places, our practices, and our ways of working live up to the challenges addressed in our workshops?
Building on the explorations and insights gathered during the first phase of the ReeFab project, we developed a practical guide to help FabLabs and makerspaces rethink their practices in the face of environmental challenges.
Designed as a tool for reflection and action, this guide explores five key dimensions of ecological transformation: strategic vision, skills development, programming and activities, business models and partnerships, and the organisation of physical spaces. It brings together practical advice, inspiring examples, and ideas drawn from the experiences of the ReeFab partners and the wider maker community.
Beyond reflection, the guide offers concrete tools and practical recommendations that FabLabs or makerspaces can adapt to their own context: mapping sustainability-related skills, developing training plans, designing environmentally responsible workshops, assessing activities through environmental and social indicators, exploring alternative funding and partnership models, and rethinking spaces, equipment, and mobility. It also provides examples of replicable activities, useful resources, and tips to support everyday decision-making.
Rather than offering a universal recipe, the guide invites FabLabs to question their habits, experiment with alternatives, and take practical steps towards sustainability, according to their local context, resources, and communities.
