Circle Centre
Basic information
Project Title
Full project title
Category
Project Description
Circle Centre aims to tackle the problem of overconsumption, which leads to degradation of environmental resources. By having a 'Library of goods' with items that we do not need everyday, we can start changing the idea of ownership. Here you can borrow items, instead of buying new ones, and thus reduce production resources and waste formation. As a part of this movement, we also host open educational events and hands-on workshops focused on sustainability and circularity
Project Region
EU Programme or fund
Description of the project
Summary
Circle Centre was started with an aim of fighting overconsumption and the negative environmental impacts linked to it. We see consumerism as, at least in part, an issue of values, where material needs and wants are emphasised over social and psychological flourishing. By encouraging art, education and the act of sharing, Circle Centre as a space and an idea is aiming to draw attention to and help meet the often overlooked social and psychological needs, including a sense of community, shared culture and personal fulfilment.
Circle Centre is both a physical space and an organization. At our 'Library of Goods' members can borrow various items, free of charge. Examples of items include tools, kitchen equipment, camping gear and various games. Some of our most borrowed items are tents, sewing machines and waffle makers - things which people love using, but don't need to use everyday. By providing these items on a shared basis, we can extend the active time in which they are being used and thus decrease the need to produce more things. At the same time we reduce waste of old items being thrown away. Most of the items in our library have been donated by the community.
Besides this we also host educational events and workshops. Some examples from this year included a panel discussion on circularity and climate change, an outdoor clothes swap, an online workshop on how to extend the lifespan of your clothes and an online discussion on sustainable consumption in the city of Lund. Circle Centre is thus also a place for sharing ideas and skills. Community is one of our core values, and we want to promote the idea of sharing and cooperating. At the moment the majority of our members are students (since Lund is a large University Town), but we are actively seeking to expand to reach more groups within the community.
Key objectives for sustainability
To build a just and sustainable future, we must change the dominant culture of excessive consumption and waste that is driving our planetary-level systems beyond their natural limits. By fostering and promoting sensibilities associated with sharing of infrequently used items, rather than ownership, we believe that we can make a meaningful contribution towards restoring our planet’s natural balance.
Our key objective is to limit the consumption of new goods, and expand the lifespan of already produced items. This is why we focus on repairing items in our library of goods which break, and we are happy to receive donations of items which are no longer used by their owners. Through borrowing we have allowed many people to withstand purchasing new items, and thus limited the environmental impacts. A great example of this is our popular long-term loans (which the member can use for up to a year), where students can borrow bed-sheets, lamps, duvets, mats, etc. for their study accommodation. This way the students don't need to invest in new items which will only be used for their study period.
We have also challenged the idea of ownership, by making it a norm (especially amongst local students) to share rather than own. The word of Circle Centre has spread quickly and now many students are aware of the opportunity to for example borrow a power drill, instead of buying a new one.
Key objectives for aesthetics and quality
At Circle Centre we put a lot of effort on design and aesthetics when updating our social media cannels, and in promoting our events. By adding an aesthetic component to our work, we aim to reshape the connotations of 'borrowing' to equal freshness, and thus making the concept more appealing. In our work we follow a set design guideline and a set of colors chosen for our organization. We also recently renewed our logo for a minimalistic and easily recognizable image.
Another aspect which is important in forming the quality of experience for our members is the social aspect. Since we operate from a community-approach, we also want to make sure that all members feel heard and included. This is why we lay a lot of effort in how we respond to emails or contact requests. It is also common for us to stay chatting and discussing with members when they pass by to borrow an item.
Key objectives for inclusion
Environmental sustainability cannot be achieved without social sustainability. Therefore, it is important to us that our aims and actions reflect the diversity that exists in our community. This means; and that all individuals - regardless of their socio-economic class, ethnicity, gender, age, religion - have equal access to the goods, services and physical spaces made available by Circle Centre. This is also one of the reasons we have decided to have our short-term loans free of charge and the long term loans accompanied by very low loan fees. For us it is important that anyone can access our library of goods.
We have also focused on online-events during the pandemic, as a way to make our events accessible also when people can not be physically present. Discussions online have been an important tool for connecting on a community level and working towards inclusion - in a time when physical meetings have been limited.
Results in relation to category
Over the 2.5 years which Circle Centre has been growing, it has made itself increasingly visible in the town of Lund. In return more and more people have opted for borrowing items instead of buying new ones - once they are aware of this opportunity. A direct impact can for example be seen in the way students now borrow their household appliances and housing equipment, instead of buying new ones. By making different recreational items, such as outdoor equipment, available for free, more people have also been able to try new recreational activities. For example we had a member who recently stated that he would probably never have tried hiking and camping if it was not for the opportunity to borrow the equipment for free from Circle Centre. This for us shows how we have achieved in shifting the focus from ownership and possession of material things to gaining valuable experiences and promoting physical and psychological well-being.
Circle Centre has also helped in tackling waste formation, as many of our initial items were products found in the dumpsters of the student housing (which included eg. fully functioning internet routers, duvets and kitchen appliances). Most of our current inventory is gained in the form of donations - as items which the previous owner no longer needs. Instead of throwing the item away, these products now get an extended lifespan.
How Citizens benefit
Besides benefitting from the project as members who can borrow items from our library of goods - civil society is also crucial for running Circle Centre. The weekly activities of Circle Centre are run from a voluntary basis, where the administration team consists of seven active students - all in charge of various areas of our activities. Besides the administration team - which we refer to as 'officers' - we have a large base of volunteers who come in and help us with opening hours and in finding new inventory for our library of goods. This way the local community is not only the beneficiaries of the project, but also the people who make it happen - further adding value to the concept of sharing and our key value of 'community'.
Besides this, Circle Centre also actively takes part in various events organized in Lund - and actively connects with other organizations and networks. For example this year we have been part of Lund Sustainability Week, Fashion Revolution Week and various student-led activities. We also have several partners which we share ideas and learned lessons with - such as a few library of goods in the UK.
Innovative character
Circle Centre aims to change the idea that you need to buy a product when the need arises - and instead build on the idea that we don't always have to own the things we need to use. We are trying to renew the way in which we view products, from being possessions to being tools which we can share amongst each other. Circle Centre is the only place in Lund where people can borrow items free of charge, and where people are able to try out new activities without spending money on the necessary gear. By combining the goal of sustainability and the value of community, Circle Centre provides an innovative approach to tackling some of our most unsustainable practices.
