Borrow and repair to keep items in circulation for longer

The circular economy - how you can keep items in use for longer by borrowing and repairing

The circular economy

The circular economy is a concept which aims to keep resources in use for much longer, extracting the maximum value from them whilst in use, and ensuring that they can be recovered and recycled easily at the end of life.

In this video, Councillor Dr Pete Sudbury explains more about what it is and what changes we can incorporate into everyday life.

Community Action Groups (CAG) – and the vital role they play

Over 100 Community Action Groups are working across Oxfordshire to make it a safer, fairer, greener, more sustainable place to live, work and visit.

CAGs are tackling waste, transport, food, energy, biodiversity, and social justice issues.

CAG groups continue to avert waste in Oxfordshire by encouraging reuse, repair and upcycling of materials and household items (helping us move to a circular and sharing economy).

Initiatives and actions include:

  • developing and expanding the Libraries of Things (to borrow rather than buy) network in Oxfordshire
  • running Repair Cafés (to repair rather than throw away)
  • partnering with initiatives such as 'Getting Oxfordshire Online' to tackle digital exclusion  
  • swap shop events
  • Orinoco Scrapstore (found in Oxford and Banbury)
  • Cherwell Collective who run the Oxford Party Library
  • Oxford Wood Recycling – who divert wood waste by selling it for reuse or recycling it

Read the CAG report and learn more about what they have accomplished in Oxfordshire. Get involved in events, participate in activities and discover what's to come!

Borrow from a library of things

A library of things is where you can borrow items you need for a one-off occasion rather than buy something which sits in the cupboard gathering dust! The benefits of borrowing include:

  • saving money
  • saving space
  • lowering your environmental impact

Each library of things has its own website and online catalogue of items you can borrow. You can book an item in advance and pay a small fee to borrow it for a set amount of time.

You can borrow items such as:

  • tools for a DIY or home maintenance project
  • camping equipment
  • party accessories

You can even test the kit before committing to a new hobby!

Library locations

  • Bicester Green - 16 Sheep Street, Bicester, OX26 6TB
  • Cherwell Collective's Oxford Party Library  - Exeter Hall, Kidlington, OX5 1AB
  • Oxford Wood Recycling's Library of Tools (mostly tools for woodwork) - Suffolk Way, Abingdon, OX14 5JX
  • SHARE Oxford - Makespace Oxford, 1 Aristotle Lane, Oxford, OX2 6TP
  • Sustainable Wantage - The Mix Community Space, 15 Mill Street, Wantage, OX12 9AB

Find more information on CAG Oxfordshire's website.

Repair over replace

Repairing an item helps to keep it going for longer. You don't always need to buy a new one!

You could find a handyman, visit a shop on the high street or visit a repair café.

Repair café

Repair cafés are run across Oxfordshire by our fantastic network of Community Action Groups (CAG). They can repair a whole array of items, such as:

  • small electricals
  • bicycles
  • clothing

You can also get your tools sharpened at a repair café.

Learn something new, experience joy within your local community and most importantly, repair rather than replace.

Find a repair café near you

Visit the Repair Café Oxfordshire website to find your nearest café.

Councillor Dr Pete Sudbury, Cabinet Member for Climate Change Delivery and Environment, said: 

"Our Community Action Groups are a brilliant network, including volunteer groups who run and help residents to repair items such as small electricals, clothing, bikes and sharpening tools at Repair Cafés across Oxfordshire. These normally run alongside other activities where you can pick up coffee and cake. Before you throw an old item away because it's broken, find your local Repair Cafe by searching online for 'repair cafe Oxfordshire' and pop into your local repair cafe first, and you could save yourself the cost of buying a replacement."

View the repair cafe video to find out more about a repair café near you