Local sustainability heroes : borrow and repair with Share Oxford
In Hilary Term the St Antony’s Green impact team are focusing on the environmental impact of waste and reducing waste around the College. We wanted to highlight the fantastic work of our neighbours Share Oxford, who support Oxford in making sharing communities which help tackle the cost of living and the climate crisis. Share Oxford runs repair workshops and its Library of Things to help support lower-carbon living by helping us buy less.
Repair Cafés
So far Share Oxford have fixed 2,076 Kg of things! Many of us have clothes and other unloved items stashed away which we don’t have the time or skills to mend. Share Oxford run monthly repair cafés where volunteers will help with fixing and mending. Typical repairs include sewing, bikes, electronics, and tool sharpening. You can check what repairs will be available when you book a slot.
Extending the lifespan of our clothes in particular can make a huge difference, WRAP estimates £140 million worth of clothes go to landfill every year in the UK. Extending the time we use clothes by mending and upcycling reduces their carbon, waste and water footprints.
I had the pleasure of attending a repair café a few months ago. Volunteers visibly mended a shirt for me which had a hole at the elbow and a pair of jeans worn at the seams. The repairs saved me at least £100 compared to buying new equivalent pieces. I also got to have a cup of tea, a slice of cake, and a lovely chat while I waited.
Repair cafés are held monthly at Makespace Oxford, 1 Aristotle Ln, Oxford OX2 6TP which is about a 10 minute walk from St Antony’s College. You need to book a slot, find more information about how to book and what can be repaired on their website.
Library of Things
We can also reduce the number of things we need to buy by borrowing, which is where The Library of Things comes in. For a small fee you can borrow things you might not use very often or don’t have room to store. They now have a huge catalogue of items to borrow. Here’s a few ideas on occasions to borrow from the Library of Things:
- A comfy air bed for a visitor.
- A telescope and tent for a night of star gazing.
- An eco-party kit (cups and plates) and bunting for your next celebration.
- A thermal imaging camera to help save energy at home.
Find out more on the Share Oxford website on how to borrow and browse the library catalogue.
We hope you visit Share Oxford and check out all the great work they are doing.
