Pressure washer used twice. Carpet cleaner used once. Camping kit used once. Drill used three times. The "use it twice then forget it" problem costs UK households hundreds a year and fills landfills. These five UK networks let you borrow it (or get it free) instead.
Not concepts. Not pilots. These are all live UK organisations with real users, real items, and real cost-savings. Listed by what they're best for.
UK charity that has set up 30+ physical libraries where you can borrow practical items like the local public library lends books. Pressure washers, sewing machines, sound systems, carpet cleaners, drills, suitcases, tents.
UK-founded sharing app. Originally for food waste; now also non-food household items, clothes, toys. All items free. ~9M UK users.
Pick up by appointment with the lister. Free. App-based.
UK charity-run free recycling network (was Freecycle UK until 2009). Local groups across UK. Everything from sofas to soft toys, given away free.
UK community-sharing platform organised by street + postcode. Lend a ladder. Borrow a drill. Offer a skill (gardening, ironing, dog walking). Smaller community than Olio but more relational.
Verified-address neighbourhood network. Lending + selling + giveaways post in your local feed. Verified addresses (postcard check) make it safer than open Facebook groups.
Many UK councils now run periodic Repair Cafes (free volunteer repair of small appliances, clothes, bikes) + tool libraries. Check your council's website or repaircafewales.org / repaircafe.org for UK directory.
Examples: Wirral Library of Things, Edinburgh Tool Library, Leeds Library of Things, Reading Resourceful Communities.
The UK has roughly 30 million households. The average household owns a power drill that gets used 13 minutes in its lifetime, a pressure washer used a handful of times a year, and a sewing machine that lives in a cupboard.
SortedUK is not affiliated with any of the networks above and receives no referral fees from any of them.
Community-sharing apps have risks: items returned late, items lost, occasional disputes. Each network has its own dispute resolution. Treat lending neighbours with the same care you would loaning to friends.
If anything here is wrong or out of date, please email corrections@sorteduk.uk. Every correction at /corrections.
Before clicking "Buy Now", check if a neighbour has it, your local Library of Things stocks it, or Olio has it free. Quickest path: ask in your Nextdoor feed.