The Library of Things initiative which is a collaboration between Zero Carbon Guildford and Guildford Library launched July 29th.
“Library of Things? What is that?” I hear you ask.
Well, have you ever bought an item, used it once, and it lies lonely in your shed? You have haven’t you. All of us are guilty. The Library of Things is a simple borrowing system for things such as these. The scheme tackles overconsumption, making it a local solution to the climate and nature crises. The Library of Things in our previous building was a huge success, saving 6.7 tonnes of CO2 from November 2022 to September 2023.
The climate crisis and consumerism
The climate and nature crises are some of the biggest challenges we face today. Scientists recently announced that in the past 12 months, we had surpassed the 1.5-degree Celsius limit, making crossing dangerous tipping points such as the collapse of the Greenland ice sheet more likely and leading to catastrophic impacts on people and the planet.
Now, this gives me serious climate anxiety and I know that I am not alone in feeling this; one of the ways I reduce my anxiety is by turning it into climate action. While we know that the fossil fuel giants are responsible for the climate crisis, reducing our own emissions can be empowering.
In the capitalist world in which we live, we have all got used to buying new things all the time and having too much stuff! From 1970 to 2010, our natural resource consumption has more than tripled, and did you know that a drill is used for an average of 13 minutes throughout its entire life, despite being engineered to be used for 1000s of hours? The Library of Things is a local solution to this pressing global problem.
How does Guildford Library of Things work?
The Library of Things is based at Guildford Library, and it’s so easy to get borrowing! You simply create a free account, reserve the items you would like to borrow either in person or online, with same-day collection available for most items, then collect from Guildford Library (don’t forget your ID), and you are good to go!
Remember that less stuff has many benefits!
Buying less isn’t just good for our environment, it saves us money, declutters our houses and makes us happier!
So next time you think of buying that pressure washer, let me remind you that the library of things is ready and waiting for you. Get signed up to get involved in this local environmental solution that is run by the community, for the community.
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