We sat down with Jed from Buy Nowt LS6, to discuss their first three months running the first library of things in Leeds. With ice cream makers, disco balls, fancy dress, carpet cleaners and all the power tools imaginable available to borrow right here in Leeds, what’s not to love?
What is a Library of Things?
A library of things is just like a normal Library, but instead of lending books, we lend the kind of things you use infrequently but would otherwise have to buy. We’ve got over 600 items for anyone in Leeds to borrow from us, including DIY, camping, gardening and cooking equipment – so you can do up the house, maintain the garden, have a party, fix or make some clothes or costumes, put on a show or community event or project, the possibilities are endless!
That’s amazing! What are some of the wider benefits you’ve begun to see evolving from your work?
By providing a service where people can borrow things, we save people money, space, and help them reduce their carbon fooprint – what’s not to love? As a society, we’re increasingly hyper aware of our carbon footprints, and sometimes we get the impression that decarbonising our lives is hard and expensive. With Buy Nowt LS6, we’re decarbonising our lives and it’s cheaper and easier than going shopping. In the time we’ve been open, we’ve saved our community over £3,500, and 3.5 tonnes of carbon.