Keep things in use
A shared shelf of things to borrow
Start with a dozen items, one named owner each and a four-item borrowing cap: the limit Library of Things uses matters more than the size of the shelf.
Shared worksheetA QUESTION TO SHARE
Keep things in use
Repair, borrow, exchange and explore the stories of useful things.
9 guides to explore together
Keep things in use
Before donating, check what is actually wanted
Oxfam GB publishes eight categories its shops cannot take, including mains electricals and phones. Send the branch a written list before loading the car.
Things to checkKeep things in use
Borrow, buy used, or use what you have?
Use what you have; borrow for a job once or twice a year; buy used above that. Library of Things caps a borrower at four Things at once from 22 locations.
Choose a next stepKeep things in use
Plan a clothes swap that works for everyone
Cap it at six garments each and name the leftovers' destination first. Europeans bought 6.0 kg of clothing per person in 2020 and wear a garment 7 or 8 times.
Things to checkKeep things in use
Prepare a repair question without taking anything apart
Send six fields: type, brand, age, what happened, what was tried and the assessment you want. They are the fields behind 441,068 logged repair attempts.
Shared worksheetKeep things in use
Repairable, reusable, recyclable: different promises
Repairable becomes an obligation on 31 July 2026; reusable describes an owner's next step; recyclable needs a route, and under 1% of textiles ever get one.
Compare optionsKeep things in use
The story of an object worth keeping
Record arrival, current job, care, changes and what would keep it in use. Repair events see projectors averaging 28 years old and mobile phones under five.
Shared worksheetKeep things in use
Visit a repair café with someone new
Ask the local organisers whether someone will be there for your item. Repair Café lists over 2,500 cafés, the help is free, and you carry the item yourself.
Things to checkKeep things in use
Why keeping a device longer is not one simple number
Up to 75% of a washing machine's impact is in use; a phone's is in manufacture. Keeping a 60 kg CO2e phone five years instead of two cuts 60% a year.
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