Cat Turner of Isle of Man Friends of the Earth investigates a way of tacking the rising tide of ‘stuff’ – and at the same time, building community and saving money
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Do you have more belongings than you can really do with, cluttering up drawers, cupboards and your garage?
And do half those things get used less than once a year?
This week, I came across a great website aimed at helping people avoid the need to buy new things which they’ll only use occasionally.
It’s called ‘Streetbank’, (www.streetbank.com), and it lets you sign up, enter your contact details and post details of things you’re willing to lend out (or in some cases, give away) – so that other people don’t have to spend money buying them, and so that more ‘stuff’ doesn’t get manufactured than needs to be.
This last point appealed to me. I have a power-drill which sits in my outhouse and gets used about four times a year – there’s no sense in my neighbour also buying one, only to do the same.
Of course, there’s always the risk that the borrower loses, breaks or otherwise doesn’t return the item, or takes ages to do so.
The lender needs a certain level of ‘trust’, and to accept the possibility of loss or damage.
It’s a UK initiative, supported by the government’s Cabinet Office, and has been described by the Times as ‘one of the 50 websites you can’t live without’.
As yet, there aren’t many people on my street signed up (total: one. Me.)
But there are a growing number in Douglas and on the island, and it’d be great to see more getting involved.
If we can get away from the slavery of having to own everything we think we need, and get used to sharing, and trusting, our neighbours, we stand to benefit in many ways.
For me, chief is the environmental impact – less stuff being manufactured and bought, means less depletion of our scarce natural resources and the energy required to make and transport things.
But for others, the benefits will include saving money, gaining access to things they might otherwise not be able to find, and – crucially – building friendships, community, and the resilience that goes with those things.
Take a look, you might decide to become part of the sharing economy, and help our island become more sustainable in the process.