Blue planet, green ideas | Borrow tools, like from the library

Need a drill, a sewing machine, a raclette pan? Since last fall, the Ville en vert organization has been offering the public the opportunity to borrow various objects such as a book from the library. Close-up on the Tool-O-theca.

Eric-Pierre Champagne
The Press

Sugir Selliah was already thinking about doing some work in her apartment when she heard about the Tool-O-theque. “I was a little skeptical at first, but I thought I would try,” says the young woman who lives in the Saint-Michel district.

She ended up borrowing a drill, a nailer, a sander. Sometimes the loan was prolonged, like at the library when you haven’t finished reading a book yet. “These are all tools that I didn’t have. I could have rented them [dans un magasin de location d’outils]but it’s quite expensive, especially when you don’t use it every day,” she says.

Sugir Selliah is one of the 635 members of the Tool-O-theque, a project that was launched last fall thanks to the organization Ville en vert. Two service points are already open, in Cartierville and in the Saint-Michel district, and a third is due to open soon in the Parc-Extension district.

A real need

There is nothing revolutionary about the concept, but it meets a real need, particularly in less affluent environments where families have to juggle a tight budget.

Thus, rather than buying a costume that will only be used once, members of the Tool-O-theque can rent one for free. Because if the Ville en vert catalog gives an important place to tools, there are also several everyday objects. Waffle maker, pasta maker, slow cooker, sewing machine, stud finder and carpet cleaning machine are listed in the catalog.

Each member is entitled to three free loans per week. A refundable deposit, based on the value of the item, is required. However, people who are unable to pay the deposit can contact Ville en vert.

Make the Tool-O-theque sustainable

The Ville en vert team chose the objects and tools for the Tool-O-theque taking into account two criteria in particular: price and frequency of use. A drill, for example, can cost a hundred dollars when you don’t necessarily use it every day.

“A drill, we use it on average for fifteen minutes during its lifespan,” says Christophe Derrien, who cites a study on “collaborative consumption” published in 2015.

According to data compiled by Ville en vert, the Tool-O-theque has saved an average of $500 for users who have taken out at least one loan since last fall. To date, 400 free loans have been registered.

Building on these successes, the organization now wants the project to become permanent. For its launch, the Tool-O-theque received a grant of $180,000 from the Government of Canada. The funds were used to purchase equipment and to deploy the reservation tool and the online catalog.

But Christophe Derrien is well aware that he will have to find funding in order to continue the adventure. Over time, tools and objects will need to be repaired or even replaced.

Because it is not the ideas that are lacking in Ville en vert, points out Mr. Derrien, who would like to take advantage of this new expertise. The organization would like to open other points of service. It is also a question of creating borrowing networks within companies, where employees could share tools and various objects.

With inflation affecting almost all consumer goods, the idea could appeal to many, believes Christophe Derrien.

Sugir Selliah no longer needs convincing. “I was pleasantly surprised, it’s really a great initiative. It’s in line with my values, and I think it solves many of today’s problems. »