Library of Things
READING
LIBRARY OF THINGS
The Rotary Club of Reading gave
a small grant to The Reading Library of Things which has had some imnpressive outcomes
Impact Report – August 2026 –
By rlot-admin /22-08- 2026
Over the last 12 months, Reading
Library of Things loaned out 1,049 items, helping residents avoid unnecessary
purchases, save an estimated £55,698.75, reduce carbon associated with
manufacturing new products, and generate an estimated 2,098 additional visits
to the high street and community hubs.
Overview
We are delighted to report that
1,049 items have been loaned to customers in the last 12 months. This matters
for Reading and the wider environment because each loan helps the community get
more value from shared items, reduces unnecessary consumption, and keeps useful
products in circulation for longer.
Methodology
Our methodology is based on the
approach used by the wider Library of Things network, with slight adjustments
for Reading Library of Things. You can read more in this Library of Things blog post.
Environmental
Impact
Small motorised appliances are
among our most popular loans. Items such as strimmers, lawn mowers and pressure
washers are frequently borrowed and make up about 13% of total loans.
The table below estimates the
carbon and rental-cost savings achieved when customers borrow these items
instead of purchasing or commercially renting them.
Small motorised
appliance
Number of unique customers who
borrowed small motorised appliances
137
Estimated customer
carbon savings
Estimated manufacturing carbon
cost per unit, kg CO2
50
Estimated CO2 saved, kg
6850
Estimated customer
rental savings
Average commercial rental
cost, £ per week
£37
Estimated rental cost saved
£5,069
Financial Impact
- Total item rentals from Reading Library of Things in the last 12 months: 1,049
- Estimated share of rentals that directly prevented a purchase: 262 rentals, or at least 25%
- RLoT’s 10 most rented items and estimated new-purchase costs: hedge trimmer (£35); Makita 6.0Ah battery (£71.99); strimmer (£28); pressure washer (£99); corded hedge trimmer (£39); Ferrex reciprocating sabre saw (£51); folding camping table (£21.99); cordless drill (£52); JCB garden shredder GSB 1800 (£84); pressure washer – mini (£48.99)*
- The average new-purchase cost across the 10 most rented items is £53.
Average amount paid per loan
(late fees): £0.34. Membership costs £25 per year, and we had 222
active members. Members borrow an average of 6.9 items per year. So a total
membership cost of £3.84 per loan on average.
Average amount saved per loan:
to calculate this, we compare the average cost of buying the same item new
across our 10 of our most rented items, currently £53, with the average amount
paid per rental, currently £3.84. This gives an estimated average saving of
£49.16 per rental.
Estimated customer savings:
1,049 rentals x £49.16 saved per rental = £51,568.84saved by users
in 2025–26.
Community and
High-Street Impact
To estimate the additional
visits to the high street and community hubs generated by Reading Library of
Things, we count two visits for each completed item rental: one to collect the
item and one to return it. In 2025–26, 1,049 rentals therefore generated an
estimated 2,098 additional visits.
Our ambitions for
2026-27
Coming into 2026–27, Reading
Library of Things will continue building on this impact by expanding access,
increasing repeat borrowing, and helping more residents benefit from shared
resources.
We also need to grow the
membership to a point where the library is self sustaining. Membership fees
covering costs. At the moment we are roughly loosing £2,000 per annum, with
costs of rent, insurance, etc exceeding income. We would like to be in the position
of being able to afford to buy some tools.
Open a new centre but need
volunteers to do it!
Notes,
Assumptions, and Limitations
- Estimated manufacturing carbon cost for small motorised appliances is based on publicly available Google search results indicating approximately 50–150kg CO2 per unit.
- Estimated weekly rental cost for garden equipment is based on publicly available Google search results.
- The borrower-savings estimate does not account for product purchase-price variation, discounts, second-hand sales, product model or brand differences, or the full purchase-price range across the Reading Library of Things catalogue.
- The high-street and community-hub estimate assumes two visits per completed rental. Some users may rent more than one item at a time, while others may visit without completing a rental.
- Estimated purchase costs are based on examples of low- to medium-cost items in these categories listed on the B&Q website in August 2026.