Circular Communities Scotland’s Share and Repair Network recently commissioned a market research study with consultancy Multiply, to ‘understand the thoughts and feelings of consumers around Scotland on share and repair community projects’.
Growing a network of sharing and repair projects is a vital part of helping Scotland embrace a more circular economy, and understanding how the population thinks and feels about these projects is a huge help to the network and our sector.
Under the current cost of living crisis, the study showed that financial savings were the primary motivation for community members considering using their local sharing and repair projects, with 61% of nation-wide respondents citing this as the main reason for using these local services instead of buying new, or going without.
Emma Erwin, Share and Repair Network Coordinator commented:
‘This study shows that the cost-of-living crisis is having a significant impact on how Scots consume and live their lives. Changing the way we shop can be a huge stress, but we can support people to find cheaper ways to live, that also happen to be more sustainable, like repairing or borrowing goods. There are lots of amazing community projects across Scotland that can facilitate this, so we’d encourage people to look them up via our network and access the resources best suited to their needs.’
The study showed that there is a broad range of items people are willing to try and repair, from small electrical items (57%) to jewellery (47%). 55% of people also indicated they would be willing to repair clothing, perhaps indicating a willingness to move away from the cheap but unsustainable fast fashion craze.
81% of respondents said they were likely to borrow an item they needed from a family member, while 64% they would be likely to borrow an item from a friend. With the study showing that ‘levels of awareness of these types of projects are relatively low’, the Share and Repair Network will continue to campaign to raise awareness of sharing and repairing and it’s social and significant environmental benefits.
Michael Cook, CEO at Circular Communities Scotland, stated:
‘The study’s findings show that sharing and repair projects in Scotland have positive implications simultaneously for Scotland’s sustainability agenda, and to ease the pressure of the cost-of-living crisis for communities. With many people willing to borrow and repair items but unaware of local initiatives, we will continue to promote our members work to help communities access these crucial resources.’
You can explore the Share and Repair Network’s member map to see what local sharing and repair projects are local to you. Our share and repair members provide an incredible range of services, from electronic and homeware repairs, to offering the ability to borrow everything from a bike to tools and gardening equipment.