Sustainable life: Sharing is caring

Posted on 3 September, 2018

Learning to share is an essential part of childhood.

Tears of frustration are cried as children attempt to exert their authority over objects and people. But we all get there… in the end.

Then, we grow up. We get a job, start earning money, and that skill of sharing starts to be unlearnt. Almost everything in our consumer society is geared towards individuals. We have our own car, our own mobile phone and our own bread maker in the back of the kitchen cupboard. Every house has a lawnmower, hedge trimmer, leaf blower and whipper snipper. And it’s taking a toll.

I think it’s time we went looking for our sharing mojo. I’m sure it’s there, just a little buried under the ‘convenience’ of our modern world. Sharing is a great way to live gently on our planet and build a richer community along the way.

Join the Buy Nothing New movement

Canberra has embraced the Buy Nothing New Facebook movement. In just 3 short years, ithas grown to thousands of members and 12 separate groups. The Buy Nothing New Facebook group supports people to give, share and build community.

Have you got some unusual garden tools that you’re happy to loan out? Take a photo and let people in your neighbourhood know. Got a glut of garden vegetables? Let people know and they’ll collect them from your home.

Sharing childminding

Newsflash: Small children don’t get themselves to school or entertain themselves for the afternoon. Parents can attest that the cost of childcare makes a dent in the budget bottom line. So, how about sharing child-minding duties? Kids love playing at their friends’ place and extra children, when you’re a parent who’s already at home with your own children, usually makes things easier.

How can we facilitate this? Know your neighbours and their kids. We got to know ours by sending our children to the local primary school and participating in the school community. Need another option? Offer your neighbours some tasty homemade jam or produce from your garden as a conversation starter.

Car sharing

Having a car at home is convenient, but what is the price of this convenience? Cars are costly, to both the environment and our bank balance, but there is another option. If public transport isn’t always convenient for your family, PopCar is a car-sharing scheme in Canberra which offers a range of different vehicles available parked in convenient locations near the city.

Got a second car that sits in the garage? Consider offering it for loan to neighbours and friends.

Tools and unusual equipment

Every time I walk into Bunnings, I walk out with things that I didn’t intend to buy and a wallet that’s at least $100 lighter. But Bunnings isn’t just about selling, it’s also known for hiring out tools and equipment. Next time you’ve got a building project, do the sums on specialist equipment and sometimes it will be cheaper to hire rather than buy.

In Canberra, you can try Bunnings, Kennards Hire and Coates Hire. You might also like to ask a neighbour or post a ‘loan’ request on your local Buy Nothing New group. Lending tools from a neighbour costs less in both time and money.

Books

There’s a wealth of knowledge, adventure and escape between the pages of a book. Libraries ACT are a fabulous source of books, magazines and online resources. There are libraries in 10 locations around Canberra.

ACT Libraries have also partnered with BorrowBox, offering eAudiobooks and eBooks to borrow online. The best part about online borrowing is that you don’t have to leave your lounge room to borrow, enjoy and return items.

Toys

Are you running out of space to store children’s toys? Canberra has two toy libraries, Noah’s Ark in Rivett and Meg’s Toy Box in Hackett. Noah’s Ark is a commercial operation and is open 5 days, 9.30am – 5.00pm. Meg’s Toy Box is community run, so members volunteer to facilitate toy borrowing on Wednesday mornings and Saturday afternoons.

Ideas

Got an idea that you love? Share it! TEDx Canberra is a not-for-profit that shines a light on ideas worth sharing. There’s a diversity, with 2017 speakers including a theoretical physicist and an innovative indigenous businesswoman.

Ideas don’t need to be TEDx worthy to get shared. Join with like-minded people in a book club to share ideas informally or join mindhive, a collaborative, knowledge sharing platform that believes in solving the world’s problems will come through the sharing of ideas between disciplines.

Community gardens

Not enough space for a large vegetable patch? Want to learn about gardening from others? Community gardening is for you. Each family has their own ‘plot’ in the garden, and everyone contributes to the maintenance of shared spaces.

Community gardens are a great way to expand and share your gardening experience. There are 12 community gardens in Canberra, run by the Canberra Organic Growers Society.

Outdoor adventure equipment

The ultimate in adult sharing is with your toys. Do you have a spare mountain bike that you can lend to a friend’s family member who’s visiting? Are you off the beach without us? No problem, take our surfboards. Need an extra tent to take an extra person camping? Ask a friend.

Sharing the things we love, to bring joy to others. Now, that’s grown up.