Lending to your neighbours and saving cash
An innovative project helping local people save money and cut down on waste could be about to provide a blueprint for success across the borough.
The Bushwood Area Residents Association (BARA) has been running a successful Library of Things (LoT) after finding inspiration from projects around London and the world. It centres on supporting reuse and the core principles that support the ‘Circular Economy’, including developing community ties and helping reduce the need to buy new things outright.
The LoT is a shared resource of more than 100 items that BARA members have agreed to offer to lend to other BARA members for free. They include tools and household items, as well as more quirky things people might have a use for.
James Cowen is part of the BARA Committee and administers the BARA LoT.
He explains: “This is a community project where we loan out things for people to borrow for free, but what makes it different to normal libraries is that it isn’t centralised, everything is stored in people’s garages and sheds where it’s always been. We don’t need storage so there’s no costs and it can be scaled accordingly.
“There’s lots of basic stuff like shovels, mowers and cleaning stuff and various things like that. We’ve also got some less obvious items like cycle panniers and travel kettles – all kinds of things that you wouldn’t necessarily want to buy outright but may need sometime.
“If your car won’t start and you need a set of jump leads but don’t want to buy a set to use only once, then that’s a situation where our LoT can help. Simply consult the library inventory, find the item by sorting the categories and contact the lender.
“Participants own items in the inventory, typically they’d have rummage through the garden shed and see what useful items have been sat there unused for years and then add into the LoT.”
Cllr Clyde Loakes, Deputy Leader for Air Quality & Climate said: “Well done to James and everyone with the BARA Library of Things, what a fantastic great community initiative. It’s saving residents money and reducing the need for people to buy a range of items outright - great for promoting reuse and cutting down on waste wherever possible.
“We want everyone in Waltham Forest to make sustainable choices and I encourage everyone to think about whether they could start a Library of Things in their local street or neighbourhood.”
Could you start Library of Things?
The scheme is open just to people in the Bushwood area of Leytonstone but anyone in the borough can start a Library of Things for their friends, street, neighbourhood or residents’ group.
It is easy and straightforward to maintain, as James continues: “It’s managed by a communal spreadsheet, and we allow access for people who are part of the residents’ association who write in and want to get involved.
“You do need a community of sorts where you have the opportunity to have regular connections and everyone knows roughly who members are, and then you can allow access to the spreadsheet.
“That way you know where everything is and you can keep track of items in the library – you have to allow people to have confidence and know where their lent items are located at any one time.
“A brilliant aspect of our Library of Things is that that it promotes community. It is also great for people who want to save waste, and of course, money as well.”