“Buying is for some. Borrowing is for everyone.”

Every year, companies spend billions of dollars on advertising to create desire for their products, and every single day, consumers are bombarded with this messaging telling them to buy—and they do.

Excess is the standard, and it is not only encouraged by corporations but also ingrained in our cultural and social norms. Corporations use advertising to convince consumers that they have a problem only the corporation can solve by consuming their product, and oftentimes these products are designed with the intention of planned obsolescence, meaning consumers will have to continue buying. 

North American culture particularly encourages this, compared to the rest of the world – according to the United Nations, if everyone were to consume resources at the rate people in Canada and the United States do, at least five Earths would be needed. 

As an impending climate crisis looms globally, governments, NGOs, and corporations have begun to invest more resources into climate change prevention, primarily focusing on increasing renewable energy usage and improving energy efficiency.  critical that we reduce our dependence on fossil fuels for energy, it is largely overlooked that approximately 45% of global emissions are associated with manufacturing consumer goods and that across its lifecycle, an average product causes total carbon emissions of 6.3 times its own weight.

These habits are not feasible in the long term, but consumption is a key facet of many  cultures. Understandably, the majority of people aren’t all going to become minimalists overnight. Additionally, it’s not necessarily a bad thing to have access to so many different modes of self-expression. So how do consumers balance their desires for the things they want with responsible consumption?

As it stands, economies function generally in a linear fashion: extract materials from the Earth, refine them, use them to make other products, purchase them, and in most cases, end up throwing them away. 

A circular economy, in contrast, is an economic model that uncouples economic activity from resource consumption. In a circular model, instead of new resource extraction, economic development occurs by capital being invested into processes such as maintenance, reusing, refurbishment, remanufacturing, recycling, and composting, keeping products and materials in circulation. 

A push towards this model would allow continued economic development while reducing dependence on finite raw materials and strain placed on the environment by the linear economic model. 

The path to a large-scale, sustainable circular economy is a long one, and many organizations are working to promote the ideals of a circular model of consumption, including one right here in our city—- Saskatoon’s Library of Things.

The Library of Things is a volunteer-run item library that loans out a diverse selection of items for community borrowing. First originating as a grassroots movement in 2017, the organization has since gained nonprofit status, moved from its Broadway location to a new space in Riversdale, and now boasts over 1000 items in its catalogue. 

With an extremely broad range of items available to borrow, ranging from power tools to ukuleles and cotton candy machines, there truly is something for everyone to use.

The library can function smoothly thanks to the hard work of eight core coordinators, as well as a pool of 20-40 volunteers who dedicate themselves to repairing items, maintaining the library, managing reservations, social media, and any other number of tasks required to keep the library functioning.

While the model has found success in other cities around North America, the Library of Things is the first organization of its kind in Saskatchewan.

Membership is by donation, and while $30 is recommended, the organization allows community members to pay what they can. These memberships, along with grants and a variety of funding initiatives, allow the Library of Things to sustain itself and continue providing its services to the community. 

“We do a fundraising garage sale pretty regularly. And that’s part of taking things away from the landfill and creating that circular share economy,” explained Natasha Baldry, one of the Library’s co-coordinators. Not only do garage sales help raise funds, but they also allow staff to curate the selection to ensure that offerings reflect the community’s interests. “We’ll try things, and if they’re not getting borrowed, we might adjust what’s being offered. Space is at a premium and we want to have useful items for people,” said Baldry.

Aside from the positive environmental impact of the Library of Things, accessibility is a major priority, reflected in the Library’s mantra, “Buying is for some. Borrowing is for all.” Community members facing barriers such as lower income or a lack of space in their homes are able to access items they previously would not have. 

Physical accessibility was a major decisive factor in the organization’s move from its Broadway location, which was previously inaccessible to some clients living with disabilities. 

“One of the most exciting things about moving is we are now physically accessible,” said Chelsea Breher, the Library’s other co-coordinator. “We used to be down a flight of stairs. When we moved, we measured everything to make sure there was clearance for turning and tested it with someone on the scooter.”

Beyond its immediate impact on the over 200 members of the library, the organization has made deep roots in the community and its impact has become far-reaching within Saskatoon.

“We’ve noticed this year that other nonprofits are borrowing from us for their own fundraisers and events— yard games, our spinning wheel tables, things like that. It’s been really cool to support other nonprofits too,” said Baldry. 

Saskatoon’s Library of Things gives consumers an insight into just how many benefits there are to a circular model of consumption. The Library has given the thousands of items in their catalogue that might otherwise have gone unused or sent to landfills a new life, allowing hundreds of individuals and nonprofits the opportunity to use a variety of items they might have not had access to. 

They have seen a large increase in traffic and awareness this year, and they hope to continue this upward trend and spread their mission of reducing waste and helping the community. 

If you are looking to reduce your consumption, strapped for space in your house, or looking to save some money, be sure to check out their website to find more information and see their detailed online catalogue of available items, which conveniently includes dates of availability. Items are generally loaned out for one to two weeks, but the organization is highly flexible and borrowers can easily reach out to renew their items.