The Thingery: Co-operative values power new lending libraries of things

The Thingery: Co-operative values power new lending libraries of things

If you have something that you think a lot of people will need, setting up a private, for-profit business is the most obvious way of making a pile of money out of it. But what if your primary motivation is not a pile of money, but meeting people’s actual needs?

The answer is a co-operative and in the case of The Thingery – an organization that establishes lending libraries of things like tools, home appliances and sports equipment – it was the perfect business model for founder Chris Diplock to realize his vision.

Armed with grants from the City of Vancouver to purchase equipment and loans from Vancity to get his idea off the ground, Chris has established three community-owned Thingeries in Vancouver so far. People can borrow equipment that they would otherwise have to own, a setup that reduces environmental impacts, saves people money and meets genuine community needs.

“We’re creating a piece of community infrastructure that allows people to share equipment in a very accessible, convenient way,” Chris says. “Members can access events and entertainment equipment, recreation equipment and tools.”

The individual Thingeries are serviced by Thingery headquarters, which provides contract arrangements and payment services. Members pay $50 for a life membership plus $29 per year and can rent items for up to ten days using self-service terminals.

As a financial co-op itself, Vancity proved to be a natural partner for The Thingery and provided an operating loan of $20,000 and a term loan of $31,010.58 (approved for $35,000) to get the organization started. Chris has big plans for The Thingery. He envisions a time when Thingeries become thriving local hubs where community-minded individuals come together to learn from each other and make more sustainable choices. They could even play a part in climate adaptation and emergency preparedness.

“When we collectively purchase equipment, our model allows us to buy higher quality and longer-lasting stuff,” Chris says. “We’re hoping to lower the ecological footprint for sure, but there’s also an aspect of re-use and repair to this. We want to encourage people to fix things instead of throwing them out. It’s a gateway to a more sustainable lifestyle.”