ASKING
The yes is likelier
In a series of studies, people underestimated by as much as 50% how likely others were to agree to a direct request for help.
See the numbersStart
WHAT THE RESEARCH SAYS
Just ask.
Then bring it back.
Most of us own things we rarely use, and need things we rarely own.
A ladder for one afternoon, a sewing machine for one hem, a steam cleaner once a year. Research suggests friends are more willing to lend than we think, and community tool libraries show how far one shared item can go.
ASK FIRSTbuy second
Check an itemKeep in mind
- Ask directly
- Check before you plug in
- Return it on time
- Small favours, fewer things
THE SHORT ANSWER
People say yes
more than you think.
Three findings worth knowing before you knock.
None of them needs money to change hands.
CHECKING
Look at the lead
Electrical Safety First advises checking leads and plugs on power tools before use, and getting damaged equipment repaired or replaced first.
Check an item
SHARING
One item, many homes
A small village tool library in Finland lent its items 107 times in its first year; a steam cleaner alone went out 23 times.
About tool librariesA QUICK ITEM CHECK
What are you
borrowing?
Pick an item to see what UK electrical safety guidance suggests checking before you use it. The bar shows how much care the guidance asks for.
Based on Electrical Safety First advice for DIY-ers and its cost-of-living safety guide. For any item, follow the maker's instructions.
TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING
Asking is easier,
sharing goes further.
One figure on how we misjudge others,
one on what a shared shelf can save.
up to 50%
How far people underestimated a yes
Across experiments and real-world field settings, people asking for help underestimated by as much as 50% the chance others would agree. Askers focused on the cost of saying yes, not the awkwardness of saying no.
ASKING · J PERS SOC PSYCHOL 2008
≈ 5,900 kg CO₂e
Estimated emissions avoided in year one
If each of a village library's 107 first-year loans replaced buying a new item, researchers estimated about 5,900 kg CO₂e was avoided, roughly half an average Finn's annual footprint.
SHARING · LAB UNIVERSITY, FINLAND
The Finnish estimate assumes every loan replaced a purchase. Even if only half did, the researchers put the saving at 2,950 kg CO₂e, well above the 380 kg CO₂e they estimated for extra driving.
FOUR HABITS FOR BORROWERS
A good borrower
gets asked back.
None of these costs anything. They are about making the ask simple, the item safe, and the return easy.
Step 1
Ask directly
A plain, specific request works. The research suggests the other person finds it harder to say no than you imagine.
Step 2
Agree a return day
Settle when it comes back before you take it, so nobody has to chase.
Step 3
Check it before you plug in
Look over the lead and plug of any electrical item, use an RCD with power tools, and check it has not been recalled.
Step 4
Return it as you found it
Clean it, mention any problem, and offer a favour back. Then think about lending something of your own.
TOOL LIBRARIES
A shelf
the street shares.
A library of things lends items rather than books, so a street or village needs fewer drills, steamers and sewing machines. In Asikkala, Finland, residents chose the stock and later donated goods themselves; the most popular loans included a steam cleaner, a sewing machine and a hiking backpack.
UK libraries are tracking their impact too. A research report for the Welsh network Benthyg Cymru describes a Leeds library of things with 580 active members that recorded 289 loans in its first four months, and notes that carbon savings usually rest on the assumption that each loan replaced a purchase.
Questions
Questions on the way
Do people mind being asked to lend things?
Less than we think. In studies by Flynn and Lake, people underestimated by as much as 50% how likely others were to agree to a direct request for help.
What should I check before using a borrowed power tool?
Electrical Safety First advises checking the lead and plug before use, not using equipment with signs of damage such as frayed wires, and using an RCD or plug-in RCD.
Is it safe to borrow an electric heater?
The charity advises avoiding second-hand heaters, inspecting any heater for damage before use, never running one from an extension lead and never leaving it on unattended.
What is a library of things?
It is a lending library for objects such as tools, sewing machines and cleaning equipment, set up so people can borrow items instead of buying them.
Does borrowing really cut emissions?
Studies estimate savings by assuming each loan replaces a purchase. A Finnish village library estimated about 5,900 kg CO₂e avoided in its first year on that basis, and about half that if only half the loans replaced a purchase.
Destination
Where the facts come from
- Flynn and Lake (2008), If you need help, just ask, J Pers Soc Psychol (PubMed)
- LAB Focus: Library of Things has positive social and environmental impacts
- Claudelin, Tuominen and Vanhamäki (2022), Creating a Library of Things in Finland, Sustainability (IDEAS/RePEc)
- Benthyg Cymru: Research report on carbon methodologies used by Libraries of Things (PDF)
- Electrical Safety First: Advice for DIY-ers
- Electrical Safety First: Saving money safely
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