What if, instead of buying things, you could borrow them or fix things you already own for free? It sounds too good to be true, right?

I’d like to introduce you to two brilliant community innovations that have been popping up around East Sussex: Libraries of Things and Repair Cafés.

A dog looking at the camera inside a blue tent

Libraries of Things: Borrow, don’t buy!

Across East Sussex and Brighton there are several ‘Libraries of Things’ where you can sign up as a member and borrow things for free.

Set up much like a traditional library, you can become a member and instead of books, you borrow things! Examples of things include drills, saws, camping gear, steam cleaners, sewing machines, fancy dress, kids’ equipment, and wheelchairs.

They’re great for those occasional items that you need from time to time, but don’t have space to store at home, or don’t want to buy for a one-off use.

I borrowed a tent for camping last weekend from Lewes Library of Things (as modelled by my dog in the photo), and my husband has borrowed some one-off gardening tools from time to time. This has saved us money, storage space and it helps save emissions too. The less we buy, the less emissions created.

Beth Woolf, Hastings resident, said: “I love the Library of Things! I borrowed a sander and a ladder to redecorate my flat, and it made it so much cheaper. And the volunteers are really friendly and dedicated.”

While it is free to borrow, they do accept donations if you can afford to do so, to cover running costs.

Repair cafes: toss it away? No way!

Communities in East Sussex are also finding that there’s joy to be found in repairing, rather than throwing away.

Repair cafes are usually held once a month in a community space, and you can bring a broken item to be repaired by a team of local volunteers. There’s a real sense of community at repair cafes. Many offer tea and cake, and can teach you repairing skills while you’re there.

One visitor said: “Love that there’s somewhere I can get small repairs done. Better than tossing out all these items.”

Shelley, a volunteer at Umbrella Sussex (pictured below), said: “At Hastings Library of Things and Make and Mend, our passion is ‘sharing, mending and lending’. We run a busy library of things where people can borrow, use and return things to be used again, and a mending and fixing group where people can bring things to get repaired, and hopefully leave with some new skills too. Our most popular things are DIY tools, camping gear and sewing machines.”

Great for your wallet, the planet, and the community

A person standing outside the Hub in Hastings

There are so many benefits to these initiatives. The Newhaven Green Centre repair café estimates it saves over 7tonnes of emissions each year, from things being repaired rather than thrown away. The average UK emissions per person is 12tonnes). And they are helping people to save money too, as it means they don’t need to buy a new item – you can borrow or repair instead.

Newhaven repair café  also shared that the most common feedback they get is that it makes people feel more connected to their community.

Discover a Library of Things near you

Are you sold on the idea? Here are some websites for Libraries of Things in East Sussex and Brighton where you can find out more:

Keen to fix something you already own? Find a local Repair Cafe through Sussex Green Living.

Have you used a Library of Things or a Repair Cafe? Tell us more about your experience in the comments or share your pictures and stories with us on Instagram by tagging @your_east_sussex

 

Guest post by Lucy Harbor, Climate Emergency Officer