In 2013 a small group of passionate individuals launched a project that addressed income inequality and environmental concern. The project was called the Toronto Tool Library and was modelled after the successful Berkeley Tool Library launched in the 1970s in California. The idea was to make a programme that was affordable and took on the problem of consumption by giving people access to a wide range of goods and tools that are typically used only a few times a year. Through an annual membership scheme, the public could access thousands of items instead of buying and storing these items themselves.

In 2016, the Tool Library expanded to include the Sharing Depot, a library for items beyond tools with a focus on children’s toys, camping gear, party supplies, sports equipment and board games. Members of the public can purchase membership to either the Tool Library or the Sharing Depot, or get combined access with an upgraded membership.

Toronto, like any city in the world, faces the challenge of living within the natural limits of the environment. Economic growth will inevitably collide with the finite natural resources on our planet and infinite consumption growth based on a finite amount of resources is simply unsustainable. In addition to growing carbon footprint, income inequality is also a raising concern in both Toronto and most areas of the world. Ensuring Toronto remains an affordable city is a challenge that needs to be addressed in all areas from housing and food to access to goods and services that ensure the city can sustain its cherished quality of life.

In this regard, a small group of passionate individuals launched a project that addressed both income inequality and environmental concern in 2013. The project was called the Toronto Tool Library and was modelled after the successful Berkeley Tool Library launched in the 1970s in California. The idea was to make a program that was both affordable and took on the problem of consumption by enabling people’s access to a wide range of goods and tools that one only typically uses a few times per year. Through an annual membership, the public could access thousands of items instead of buying and storing these items themselves. The project also includes a makerspace, where members can use the tools onsite to complete projects rather than transporting them back and forth to the library. Both programs, the library and makerspace, generate revenue for the organization and the makerspace also hosts workshops to teach woodworking, electronics and other skills.

In 2016, the Tool Library expanded to include the Sharing Depot, a library for items beyond tools with a focus on children’s toys, camping gear, party supplies, sports equipment and board games. Members of the public can purchase membership to either the Tool Library or Sharing Depot or get combined access with an upgraded membership.

The project was launched in 2013 (see below for further details about implementation) and since then has grown to acquire over 15,000 borrowable items across 3 locations in different neighbourhoods in the city. Over 99 per cent of the available items were donated by the public (virtually no items came from corporate sponsorship) and a small number of tools were purchased with grant funds from government.

Overall, the Toronto Tool Library and Sharing Depot is satisfied with the results of the project at this stage. The project has created a great brand and is recognized amongst the city inhabitants for being an innovative programme that is inclusive and reduces waste. Since launching in 2013, more than 80 000 items have been loaned and this has generated over USD 750 000 in revenues. Each borrowed item had been donated earlier and did not, therefore, end up in a landfill. In addition, the item was not purchased by the user, so generating less waste down the line. Some of the tools have been borrowed over 100 times each, resulting in several million dollars of saving for communities over the lifetime of the project.

The social impact includes people’s satisfaction and happiness about the programme, which contributes to equality and community spirit and brings people together and allows for knowledge exchange and skill-building.

The economic impact includes an increased disposable income for inhabitants due to reduced expenditures for tools. Other benefits are the avoidance of unnecessary consumption and production due to infrequently used items, and the standardization of tool-related expenditures through a fixed and fair price that is the same for all members who can afford it. It also enables increased disposable income to be diverted to uses that are better for the City’s inhabitants.

The environmental impact includes reduced consumption and related production and packaging, which leads to decreased GHG (Green House Gas) emissions; it also reduces waste in the city through sharing and repairing goods.

There are now well over a hundred libraries similar to Toronto Tool Library and Sharing Depot in the world and in 2017 it hosted a Lending Library Symposium to share best practices to other groups and aspiring groups wanting to make a similar impact.