GardenShare
TBD
GardenShare is an initiative that aims to increase community sharing of typical household garden and lawn equipment, in an effort to reduce consumption, improve environmental health and build healthy neighbourhoods.
The Shared Economy is one of the biggest trends in the marketplace today. Following pioneers such as Autoshare launching the car sharing movement in Canada over a decade ago, many new entrants have entered this space. According to Frost & Sullivan, car-sharing revenues in North America alone will hit $3.3 billion by 2016. And Botsman says the consumer peer-to-peer rental market will become a $26 billion sector, and believes the sharing economy, in total, is a $110 billion-plus market.
Summerhill Impact’s GardenShare project builds on the concept that the public (especially the burgeoning “New Consumer” market of 25-35 year olds) are interested in environmental initiatives that may have additional value to them, beyond the “feel good”. GardenShare allows any homeowner to work with their neighbourhood to create a community garden shed, where members can access items such as lawnmowers, weed-whackers and power tools for the short time they need it. This avoids issues such as storage, up front cost of typical garden items and dependency on things that are used so infrequently (it is estimated that the average power drill is only used for 15 total minutes in its lifetime!). Clearly, there is opportunity to transform the superfluous consumptive habits of North Americans, by providing a simple way to deliver the service they need, without being locked to the product itself.
The objective of Gardenshare is to launch community garden sheds in 25-50 neighbourhoods in Toronto. We believe the appetite for such an initiative is here, and participants will be lining up to participate. We will use mobile technology and Facebook as the interface for participants and bring in partners (e.g. retailers, manufacturers) to provide added value.
The emissions reduction from the Gardenshare program is more indirect than direct. This includes:
- Reduced VKT trips to retail
- Reduced embedded GHGs in the manufacturing and shipping of heavy equipment
- Increased uptake of additional behaviour change – including xeriscaping, tree planting, rain barrels, local food
- Reduced heat island effect
Engaging the public in behaviour change and actions that lead to environmental and social improvements are essential for addressing climate change, improving air quality, increasing social well-being and supporting the development of progressive public policy.
Since 2000, Summerhill Impact (a national not-for-profit organization) has been committed to creating and implementing strategic initiatives which generate sustained environmental and social improvements, by developing partnerships and engaging the public, to influence consumer behaviour.
Some of our initiatives and results include:
- Mow Down Pollution (lawnmower retirement program) – 45,650 inefficient mowers and trimmers have been retired, resulting in the reduction of 748 tonnes of greenhouse gas and smog forming emissions
- Retire Your Ride/Car Heaven (vehicle retirement program) – 260,791 old gas guzzling cars have been retired and responsibly recycled since 2000, resulting in 9,900 tonnes of smog-forming emissions
- Switch Out (mercury switch collection) – 477,708 automotive mercury switches collected to date across Canada, representing 278 kg of mercury
- Switch the ‘Stat (mercurt thermostat collection) – over 68,000 thermostats collected, representing 138 kg of mercury
- Keep Cool (room air conditioner retirement) – over 45,600 room air conditioners retired, representing over 30 MW of energy savings
To date, Summerhill Impact’s work has focused on encouraging the public to take an action that reduces their environmental impact. Many of these programs revolve around getting the public to retire old inefficient products, in favour of better choice products. We feel, now, its time to ask people not to consumer in the first place. What makes GardenShare unique and innovative is that it will be the first opportunity for people in Toronto to reduce their superfluous consumptive habits, and join their community in an effort that helps them reduce their environmental impact and clutter and simplifying their life.
Like every Summerhill initiative, we leverage the needs and resources of the private, public and not-for-profit sector to create actions that sustain environmental results. Summerhill will work with home and garden retailers and manufacturers to leverage additional opportunities for the public to take action.
The venture is meant to be supported in similar fashion to many of Summerhill Impact’s social ventures – through leveraging private and public sector resources to drive social and environmental change. Governments, retailers and manufacturers all have a natural stake in an initiative like GardenShed and our approach is to balance our social and environmental mission against the needs and priorities of those natural stakeholders.
Self-supporting GardenShare will come from two key elements:
- Membership fees
- Partnerships with retailers and manufacturers – data about participants’ household behaviour related to gardening and home improvement is valuable to retailers and manufacturers of said products. Opportunities exist to leverage special offers with retailers on additive products (e.g. soil, mulch etc.).
Comments
Laundry Share
Although I like the concept of sharing, laundromats already apply this in essence.
great idea
we are unstash are totally with you. I'm passionate about collaborative consumption of all sorts - and love what you're going after. So many different solutions are needed and I'm cheering for you to be one of them. Just to throw it out there - unstash will be offering a 'whitelabeling' solutions as well - where groups can take our technology and customize it 'to some degree' for their own specific community needs. You would be able to control what gets listed and who's allowed into the online community as a moderator. We haven't finished building out this feature, but we'll be sure to let you know when it's ready!
all the best!
where would the sheds go?
Would someone voluntarily put the shed in their own backyard and open it up to the neighbourhood? would they be in public spaces?
Would the membership fees cover damages to goods caused by one of the other participants? Who would be responsible for maintenance?
Garden Share
I love this idea, it's been around for a while, glad to see it's still in your thoughts
I tried to respond to a garden share and found the site I used outdated, how will you ensure the info to connect people is up to date? How will you build the brand quickly
Scale? Emission Reduction?
Love gardening, inherited lots of tools, love to share...sounds like a project for me! Deep down I think people like to share, but do they, will they? This is a new focus for Summerhill, what inspired it and how hard do you think it will be to advance compared to some of your other projects?
I'm interested in the practicalities of how this business model would work: is it on a neighbourhood level or city-wide? what kind of 'paperwork' do people have to have to keep it functioning, establish trust, address liability?
Have you done any market research, focus testing, pilots that would demonstate viability?
How big could this get -- have you done any analysis of growth, timing, etc?
Financial Strategy: Bootstrapping and your Lead Customers
Please read below.
I’m excited to see so many entrepreneurial proposals on ClimateSpark. I especially like the model of social ventures that can sustain themselves by creating their own revenue and be less dependent on grants or gifts.
In my own experience starting and building several companies, I’ve often employed “bootstrapping” techniques so I’m not dependent on external capital (VCs, etc.). One technique I’ve used successfully is to recruit one or more “lead customers” who pay me up-front for a service (e.g., consulting or something they need right away), which gives me the capital to build my product or capability for them. The big advantages: cash up-front (or early); a real customer to help make sure my design is something they’ll want to buy; and a great partner to test ideas with as I’m getting off the ground.
What’s your bootstrapping strategy? Have you tried to develop “lead customers” for your product or service? Have you talked to potential customers ? What are you doing to get cashflow from them early, so your idea can gain traction?
The Sharing economy is
The Sharing economy is budding now more than ever... this concept especially makes sense for gardenning applications as many 'wanna-be' gardeners cannot afford the tools or the space.
Great idea. How will you have
Great idea. How will you have the group sign out equipment? Also is there to be a time limit on how long one member can keep an item? We tried something similar to once and found things disappearing. It all depends on the integrity of the membership and who is in charge, but it certainly saves money and storage space for the members.
Would need strict rules and someone to make sure they are followed but the theory is great.
I really like this idea. I
I really like this idea. I belong to a co-op sailing club and I think our dingy maintenance routine could be helpful here:
How to ensure maintenance - have different levels of membership. A leader is in charge of a specific peice of equipment and therefore pays a lower membership fee but is responsible on a bi-weekly basis for maintenance. Other members pay a higher membership fee but are not responsible for maintenance. If they find something broken they report it to the respective Leader.
I'm interested in how funding for this would work. Would members buy shares? Would there be an initial investment from an outside source that would be paid back through rental fees?
love it!
This is the way to go, a very exciting idea. This would work exteremely well on my street where neighbours are very close and already share their equimpment of various kinds. Potential to bring other communities closer together and communicating where that isn't already happening as well.
I envision members of a particular community shed to need a way to communicate with one another beyond the 'sign-up' system so that last-minute requests and such can be addressed. I'm interested in the decision-making framework, in terms of aspects such as product purchases, equiment quantities, repairs, addressing challenges.
GardenShare Membership
Concept is very attractive, but in reality people are removed from common ownership.
The City can provide you plot of land for your project. You may try an experimental run to evaluate the concept. Success may depend on how you will mix all different elements into one cohesive operation. Tool sharing, community buying power, knowldge sharing for vegetable gardening . . . It could turn out to be trendy and empowering in the long run. City garden plot waiting list is getting longer as I have experienced.
Very Smart
I think it is a great idea even for home owners who don't have much experience with using tools. This would be a cheap way to learn to fix household items without making an upfront investment.
Some sort of maintenence strategy would have to be applied so that the community takes joint ownership of the tools and does not abuse them.
I think that this is a great
I think that this is a great idea. Design theorists like Victor Papanek have been extolling the virtues of sharing rather than owning for years, and now that services like Autoshare and Zipcar are gaining popularity people may be ready to participate in a system like this one.
I agree with the other commenters who suggest that maintenance will need to be a consideration.
Great idea
This idea is taking us back to the"it takes a village" concept. So many people with so much knowledge and equipment to share. It would be great to see this take off.
With an aging population it would be great to see an integration of knowledge and equipment sharing. There could be an exchange of knowledge and equipment from home owners who cant do work themselves to volunteers willing to help out and learn.
Great idea.
Great idea.
Maybe an opportunity to engage retailers could be to bring them onboard as the partner(s) to help maintain the equipment, refurbish when needed as well as exchange with greener products as they become avialable.
Good idea
It's great to see a focus on Grow Local. Good examples are available, particularly in the San Francisco Bay area. Great opps for people who don't do much gardening because they can't afford the equipment investment. Applicable to snowblowers too (some suburb streets already co-invest in big ticket items like this and the whole street benefits).
Good idea
As said above, it is a good idea for reducing amount of equipment being stored and bought and using eco-friendly products. Also, for people who are not already into gardening/have an interest in gardening can try it out by getting a membership to test it out . Equipment could also disappear, which can be frustrating and a good repair system between club members would have to be in place.
Sounds like a good proposal. Perhaps have a flyer go around to local area where the community shed would be to encourage people to try it for a year or something, maybe a discounted rate or some sort of deal. People would have to sign out the lawn equipment and the shed may have to have at least two of each piece of equipment/tool to avoid timing conflicts. Have posters with gardening advice/tips in the community shed for everyone, especially for those who are new to gardening. ie. best times of year to take care of certain plants, seasonal veggies/fruits, eco-friendly products.
A great way to get more
A great way to get more people gardening and providing access to those without financial means to purchase equipment.
Can we put a gardensahre shed in each community garden (eventually)?
Engage already active street groups
For me, the biggest strength of this proposal is promoting the practice of sharing and hereby reducing consumption. On top of that sharing products that are better for the planet. Love it.
I just joined a woman's group on my street and I'm sure they would be interested in learning more and probably participating in something like this. I'm not sure how many casual/informal "street clubs" there are out there in Toronto; but might be an effective outreach strategy?
Clearly expressing your business value – Mock Press Release
Each proposal in ClimateSpark is bringing a valuable community based idea forward to help with energy conservation and the reduction of carbon emissions
Centennial College, School of Communications Media & Design, Corporate Communications and Public Relations Class of 2012 will be working on a set of mock press releases, in anticipation of this proposal being one of the 20 to be selected on October 31 to continue to ClimateSpark Ignite Phase 2.
If you would like to be interviewed as part of the mock press release development process, please send a note to Professor Barry Waite, [email protected] by Friday October 21, 2011.
If you choose not to be interviewed, the mock press release will be developed based on Information currently posted in the description of your idea, as well as information gleaned from the various comment interactions.
I like it!
I like it! In addition to making economic sense, it offers a way to simplify life and create community, pulling together neighbors to exchange ideas, skills and a helping hand.
With the membership, develop a clear set of lending, repair and tool return rules and also you could develop a list of “experts” who can share skills.
I also like the idea of
I also like the idea of exchanging ideas, skills and helping hand.
Perhaps their could also be postings for gardening workshops in the community shed offered locally or each community could create it's own workshops that are free or low-fee. For example, in Mississauga, the Riverwood Conservancy holds a bunch of free or low-fee workshops http://www.facebook.com/TheRiverwoodConservancy?sk=events , and programs.
Benefiting the environment, each neighbour and wider-communities
I love this idea. The program could simultaneously reduce overall energy consumption, increase convenient access for that tool that you don't own or rarely use (drill, large scale snow removal), provide an educational platform and show-room for the latest in low-impact garden equipment, provide workshops on indigenous gardening and encourage community dialogue on shared economy as it relates to other sectors. The program might even be expanded to include community volunteering in the greening of urban spaces and/or the establishment of a community garden or local garden collective harvest for charity. The model is flexible in that, as with Autoshare parking spaces and home-owner driveways, public or private shed spaces could be used, based on availability.
Preventing Disappearances
I really enjoy this idea. It is very useful for people in the city to have access to the resources needed to grow their own food and start their own gardens. While there are strengths to this project, there are also many additional items that need to be considered (though many of them have been addressed in other people’s comments.) Often keeping track of community items and keeping them in good repair can be difficult if there is not a central person in charge of them and strict time limits imposed. Overall I think you’re on the right track and are well on your way to success.
Connecting to the Community!
This is a great example of a simple yet innovative way to bring community members together to influence behavioural change at a very localized level. Connecting with the many pre-existing neighbourhood orgs, garden groups, food co-ops and farmers markets would be an easy target market to pilot this kind of organized share!
Great concept
This is a great concept that builds on the growing movement of collective consumption.
Hi-tech or low?
Like a few other commenters I wonder how this could be done without too much damage or theft of tools. Are we talking about clipboard sign-out sheets and shared keys to a shed, or something similar to BIXI, with electronic locks, a clear chain of custody, etc? Also, I assume that the maintenance would not be the responsibility of members (what average person knows how to repair a lawnmower?) but would be contracted to some reputable business, possibly a sponsor of the project.
Sharing knowledge and
Sharing knowledge and Technology!
1) Opportunity to learn from the expert in the community while also sharing the tools and equipments
2) Community can easily keep up-to-date with green technology by replacing its tools and equipments as soon as they arrive in the market place.
Let’s make GTA a model for Garden Share
Garden Share
This idea makes so much sense - why does everyone have to have all the tools required for gardening. In a city like Toronto this idea si certainklt very suited to those who live in high rises and wish to garden in the plots that are made available in the city.
Deal with the questions and observations of the comments and issues raised in this forum - something I know that the organizationw ill do well.
trust
The concept is great but the trust factor is a big part for me in this idea
Who would be a governing party if there was an incident
Great Idea!
Love that this idea encourages community sharing.
Fantastic idea! I'd love to
Fantastic idea! I'd love to have access to some great power tools, without having to lay out the cash, or keep it with me for the rest of my life.
Could there be a DIY expert living in each of the sheds that maintains the equipment and also provides helpful advice when you pick up your tool?
Strategies like this are a
Strategies like this are a great start towards changing our perspective on products and services. Sharing can help break the buy-lend-lose-buy cycle of purchasing that has filled up our basements and sheds with stuff we rarely use! The proposal's model is tried and true as well as scaleable. Great idea!
nice idea !
The idea is really going to help the society as a whole and i really loved it but how are the cost for maintaining the equipment going to be covered in long run,if damaged?will this cost be included in the membership fee?
Innovative Idea
This is very innovative method because in this way, it is very easy to access tools by getting it from others. It is also benefical for environment.
This proposal can be improved by encouraging people to share their garden equipments and also government should make community for promoting the people. Another thing is that government should provide new tools at discounted rate to those who are using old tools.
I really like this idea of
I really like this idea of collective consumption. Its not only bringing communities together but its allowing them to get connected back to nature and even grow their own food. I see apartment buildings in my neighbourhood with cooperative gardens and people who wouldn't normally be able to garden are now equipped to. If this was brought to the greater communities, what an impact this could be.
Are you looking for volunteers? I'd be happy to volunteer my time to help get this up and running.
Small step towards the big beginning
By this proposal, the environment is saved at large.If the equipment is shared than no need to buy more equipments so it will save the environment.moreover the hidden advantage is increase the bonding between the general public and knowing well their neighbours !!
This proposal can be improved by the co-operation of people !!
Strengths-Less impact on the
Strengths-Less impact on the environment
Weaknesses-Still do not solve the problem of the materials used to produce the tools
Great concept!
I really think this is a great way to build community relationships and help residents, especially new homeowners, save on some of those additional costs that come along with yard maintenance.
With the knowledge and partnerships already established from Mow Down Pollution, Summerhill Impact is the perfect organization to mke this project a successful reality.
As a new homeowner, I would
As a new homeowner, I would definitely take advantage of this type of program. It's a great way to reduce product consumption and overall waste.
it is a nice idea to unite the strengths of community..
it is nice to bring community togather by this way.... but still feel that it will not yield that much change...
Garden equipment is expensive
Garden equipment is expensive and moreover most people do not have the storage facilities to keep the multiple tools needed. Great idea to share...and you may even meet your neighbours this way. One drawback might be the issue of repair...but perhaps there could be a small user fee.
Go for it! I would join!
love this idea!
love this idea!
Strength: According to me the
Strength: According to me the strength of the green share is that they innitiate enviormental growth by providing all the household lawn equipment.This has also spread value of green plant as people do copy cat and brings new plants to grow them in their garden.
i don`t think that it has any weaknessses.
This can be improved by opening new branches in different city or town as much as possible so that it can have more awarness among people.
wonderful idea
this is a nice idea.
if the plants are given proper furtilizers and water then this is the most easy way to maintain green garden not somewhere else but nly at their doorstep.
wonderful idea
this is a nice idea.
if the plants are given proper furtilizers and water then this is the most easy way to maintain green garden not somewhere else but nly at their doorstep.
go garden
the strength is that this project favours for most beautiful things in the country
the idea can be improved by constructing gardens in around colleges parks and schools and in between monuments...
the go garden can implement greenery in the countrys beautification...
Sharing is great!
I love this idea, but I'm not sure about paying for a membership as I'm already sharing my garden tools with my own social community.
Would you consider taking out the membership fees and just have people store their tools in their own sheds (those who have them)?
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Tragedy of the commons
I like this Shared Economy plan and it is a very interesting trend - see my comment to Eco-Laundry regarding the possibility of a Laundry Share to avoid purchase of in-house washer and dryer - plus what about FreezerShare??
One challenge of sharing is the need for plans to keep track of the common items and to keep them in good repair etc - what is your strategy here?