Library of Things is a social enterprise that helps people save money and reduce waste by affordably renting out useful items like drills, sound systems and sewing machines from local spaces – and by helping neighbours share practical skills.

Access to borrowing is more than a transaction. It is about empowering people in a community to mend, fix and build where they might not have otherwise, put on a family film night, a street party or bring gardens and green spaces to life. Making it as easy to borrow, equipping people with skills and sharing the inspiring stories of what our borrowers achieve is central to borrowing becoming a societal norm.

Rental, especially for infrequently used items such as a carpet cleaner or a heavy-duty pressure washer dramatically reduces the amount of products needed by society since they are shared, ensures that product lives are extended through rigorous servicing and at the end of their life, they are properly recycled. This means emissions are avoided through less being manufactured and shipped, and fewer items being thrown away. In addition to this, through education and inspiration, people become more aware of their individual impact and take action to repair broken items they own rather than replace them.