With support from Ealing Council, Ealing Library of Things will be opening at Ealing Broadway on Tuesday 11 June, offering dozens of useful household, DIY and gardening items for residents to hire for a small cost.
The community-focussed social enterprise helps people save money and reduce waste by affordably renting out useful items like drills, sound systems and sewing machines. It also helps people share practical skills like DIY and repair with others in their neighbourhood.
As well as helping Ealing residents save money from not buying new things, residents in need of a helping hand will have the option to sign up with the concession membership which gets them 25% off rentals.
Library of Things was founded by Emma Shaw, Rebecca Trevalyan and Sophia Wyatt in 2016. Inspired by similar projects emerging in cities like Berlin and Toronto, this women-led social enterprise launched its first self-service lockers in Crystal Palace in 2018.
Library of Things is now open in 17 locations across London, with more in the pipeline. More than 18,000 people have now loaned out over 30,000 items, saving more than £4.5 million from not buying new and preventing approximately 200 tonnes of waste – that’s the equivalent weight to 16 London Routemaster buses.
Through its partnerships with product manufacturers Bosch, Kärcher and STIHL, councils and community groups, Library of Things is creating an alternative ‘circular economy’ – helping to transform neighbourhoods into low-waste, community-powered hubs.
But motivations for borrowing are not purely environmental – renting is also more cost-effective than buying, helps reduce clutter and is a low-barrier way to learn practical skills like repair and DIY.
Residents can now sign up to be one of the first to give Library of Things a try by visiting https://libraryofthings.co.uk/ealing.