Oxfordshire’s Libraries of Things

Second Hand September shines a spotlight on Oxfordshire’s growing network of Libraries of Things and reuse projects, showing how borrowing, sharing, and buying second hand can save money, reduce waste, and support a more circular local economy.
A cartoon image of a library of things - a house is surrounded by images of items such as a bike, tent, camera, blender, guitar, and more.

Every September, Oxfam’s Second Hand September campaign encourages people to choose pre-loved clothing, donate items they no longer need and think differently about their shopping habits. This year’s theme highlights how small changes can bring “more joy, less waste” while helping to create a fairer future, and it is supported by public figures such as actor Richard E. Grant.

 

It is particularly fitting that the campaign has strong Oxford roots. Oxfam opened its first permanent charity shop on Broad Street in Oxford in 1947, based on the simple principle that something one person no longer needs can make a real difference to someone else. The shop is still open more than 75 years later.

A woman browses some clothes racks in Oxfam, holding a tote bag displaying the slogan 'reduce, reuse, recycle'.

Oxfam is a strong supporter of Second Hand September.

Richard E. Grant holds up some books to the camera.

"I’m supporting Second Hand September because we’ve already got too much of everything. Reusing and upcycling clothing – second hand, vintage, call it what you like – is an amazing, worthwhile cause.” - Richard E. Grant

Why choosing second hand matters

Making new clothing and other consumer goods requires raw materials, energy and water. It also produces greenhouse gas emissions and creates waste throughout manufacturing, transportation, and disposal.

 

Although progress is being made to reduce the impact of individual textile products, the overall volume of new clothing being sold remains a major challenge. NGO WRAP reported that 17% more textiles were placed on the UK market in 2024 than in 2019. As a result, the sector’s overall carbon footprint increased by 10% and its water use by 7% over that period, despite improvements in the impact per tonne of textiles.

 

Choosing second hand, looking after the clothes we already own, repairing damaged items and passing unwanted garments on can all help keep valuable materials in use for longer.

You could take part by:

  • Visiting a charity shop or second-hand market before buying something new.
  • Swapping clothes with friends, family, neighbours, or colleagues.
  • Repairing or altering an item you already own.
  • Donating good-quality clothing you no longer wear.
  • Borrowing something you only need occasionally instead of buying it.
  • Exploring local repair cafés, reuse organisations, and Libraries of Things.

Sharing more than clothes

Second Hand September may have started with fashion, but its underlying message can be applied to almost anything we use.

 

Many household items spend most of their lives sitting in cupboards, sheds, or garages. Equipment such as pressure washers, drills, camping gear, gazebos, sewing machines, and specialist cooking tools may only be needed once or twice a year. Buying each item separately can be expensive, take up valuable space, and use more of the planet’s resources.

 

A Library of Things provides a simple alternative. Like a traditional library, it allows people to borrow what they need and return it afterwards, ready for someone else to use. This can save people money and storage space while reducing demand for newly manufactured products and strengthening connections within communities.

Oxfordshire’s Libraries of Things

Oxfordshire now has eight Libraries of Things, each offering a slightly different selection of equipment, demonstrating what a circular economy can look like at a community level:

How to Borrow from a Library of Things

The exact process varies between organisations, but usually you can:

  1. Browse the library’s online catalogue.
  2. Create an account.
  3. Choose an item and reserve it for the dates you need.
  4. Collect it from the local library during its opening hours.
  5. Return it on time, clean, and ready for the next borrower.

 

Some libraries charge a small hire fee or membership contribution, or deposits may apply to particular items. Check the individual library’s website before travelling for its latest catalogue, prices, collection arrangements, and opening hours.

Spotlight: From party supplies to sustainable fashion, Cherwell Collective is making reuse part of everyday life

 

Based in Kidlington, Cherwell Collective have developed a range of practical projects that help local people reduce waste, save money, and engage with the circular economy in creative ways, and they’ve shared some information with us here about these projects. While many people associate reuse with charity shops or second-hand clothing, the organisation is demonstrating that sharing, borrowing, repairing, and repurposing can be applied to everything from children's birthday parties to fashion design.

 

Cherwell Collective’s Oxford Party Library is a community lending service that allows residents to borrow reusable party and event supplies instead of buying items that may only be used once. The library stocks hundreds of items including gazebos, bunting, crockery, cutlery, linens, cake-making equipment, serving dishes, children's party games, themed decorations, and even a bouncy castle. Rather than purchasing disposable decorations and tableware for birthdays, school events, and community celebrations, families can borrow what they need and return it for others to use.

 

The environmental benefits can be significant. Manufacturing and distributing new party supplies carries a carbon cost. Cherwell Collective estimates that every party kit borrowed from the Oxford Party Library avoids emissions equivalent to around 32 miles of car travel by reducing demand for newly manufactured products. During an 18‑month period, the library supplied equipment for 75 parties, preventing an estimated 2,400 car miles' worth of emissions. The project has also helped households reduce costs during a period of rising living expenses, with borrowers saving an average of £87.42 per request compared with buying equivalent items new. By sharing these resources across a community, the Oxford Party Library keeps products in use for longer, reduces unnecessary consumption and makes celebrations more affordable.

Four women browse a second-hand clothes rack.

Cherwell Collective has also turned its attention to another area with a significant environmental footprint: fashion. In June 2026, the organisation opened Fashionhouse, a new creative space in Kidlington dedicated to sustainable fashion, creative reuse, and community learning. The project was developed in response to a challenge identified through the organisation's work with local creatives: finding affordable space to design, experiment, and develop sustainable products can be difficult, particularly for emerging designers. Fashionhouse seeks to remove that barrier by providing free workspace and shared equipment, and widening access to repurposed materials.

 

The space hosts three workstations for sustainable designers and makers, alongside meeting space, storage facilities, community event areas, and exhibition space. Donated mannequins, clothes rails, fabrics and other materials have been incorporated throughout the venue, ensuring the space itself reflects the circular economy principles it promotes. Rather than charging creatives to use the facilities, Fashionhouse encourages participants to volunteer their time helping to open exhibitions and support community activities, creating a model based on collaboration and shared benefit.

 

At the heart of Fashionhouse is Cherwell Collective's Carbon Cost of Fashion exhibition, an interactive display that explores the environmental impacts hidden within the clothes we wear. The exhibition helps visitors understand the emissions generated during every stage of a garment's life, from growing cotton and producing synthetic fibres to manufacturing, dyeing, transporting, and selling finished products. It presents complex information in an accessible way, helping people connect everyday purchasing decisions with broader environmental impacts while also highlighting practical actions such as buying second hand, repairing clothing, choosing quality items, and extending the lifespan of garments already in circulation.

Models walk down a runway.
Models walk down a runway.

 

Fashionhouse is also closely linked to Cherwell Collective's wider sustainable fashion programme, including Oxford's annual contribution to Sustainable Fashion Week and the organisation's Sustainable Fashion Show at Blenheim Palace. Designers working on collections for the show have already used the space to develop designs, experiment with reclaimed materials, and prepare garments that demonstrate how creativity and sustainability can work together. Fashionhouse therefore serves not only as a workspace but also as a hub for education, skills development, and public engagement around sustainable fashion.

 

A collection of clothes on racks and mannequins sits on display.
Banners hang from a ceiling displaying different facts about the fashion industry's impact on the planet.
Three mannequins wearing formal clothes sit on chairs on display.

 

Together, the Oxford Party Library and Fashionhouse show how circular economy principles can become tangible parts of everyday life. One project helps residents borrow instead of buy, while the other encourages people to rethink the life cycle of clothing and textiles. Both are rooted in the idea that valuable resources should remain in use for as long as possible, delivering environmental, social, and economic benefits at the same time. Creating practical alternatives to throwaway consumer culture helps local people discover that living more sustainably does not mandate giving things up. Instead, it can involve sharing more, wasting less, and finding new value in the resources that already exist within the community.