As the Let’s Talk Trash team has been investigating how to move Powell River closer to Zero Waste, the has been revealed as a valuable tool. Here are a few local Sharing Economy resources we can all tap into.

The Sharing Economy (Collaborative Consumption): • is a socio-economic system built around the sharing of human and physical resources. • provides expanded access to products, services and talent beyond initial face to face exchanges. Ex: , Ebay • includes the shared creation, production, distribution, trade and consumption of goods and services by people and organizations. • can involve sharing access to products or services, rather than having individual ownership. Ex: Tool Library, Car Sharing • encompasses for-profit, non-profit, barter and co-operative structures. • is based on a set of values that includes trust, transparency, economic empowerment, creative expression, authenticity, community resilience and human connection. • is available to corporations, governments and individuals willing to actively participate as buyers, sellers, lenders or borrowers in these varied and evolving organizational structures.

Accommodation Sharing

Couch Surfing: Connects travelers. Members can find a place to stay or share their home with other travelers. Hosting and couch surfing are FREE. Hosts and guests have profiles to ensure safety and respectful treatment of the spaces. https://www.couchsurfing.com/

Air B’n B: Cheaper than a hotel or house rental, and more unique. There are rooms and homes available in 190+ countries. Hosts and guests have profiles to ensure safety and respectful treatment of the spaces. Sign up for free and offer or book a space. https://www.airbnb.ca/

Home Exchange: Exchange homes with other users in 150 countries. Free trial, then $120 yearly. Users arrange details about the exchange with each other. https://www.homeexchange.com/en/

Food Sharing

The Abundant Pantry: Online Bulk Buying Co-op for ordering healthy food, cleaning products and personal care products. It is open to all Skookum members (Membership: one time $20) http://skookumfood.ca/bulk-buying/

Skookum Gleaners: Sign up to get email alerts about locals wanting their fruit trees gleaned. Members share the fruit with owners and often host canning/drying parties to preserve the bounty. http://skookumfood.ca/gleaners/

The Good Food Box: Once a month $12 box of 10 - 12 varieties of fruits & vegetables supplied by a local grocer at near cost. Various pick up locations. No membership or long term commitment required. Contact Annabelle Tully-Barr 604-485-8213

Low Cost & Free Community Meals:

Clothing & Textiles Sharing

MCC Thrift Store: Accepts donations & sells clothing, textiles, shoes, and accessories (as well as furnishings, books, electronics and household goods, etc). Sales support Canadian & international charity work. #1-7030 Alberni St

Hospital Auxiliary Economy Shop: Accepts donations & sells clothing, textiles, shoes, and accessories (as well as furnishings, books, electronics and household goods, etc). Sales support Powell River hospital and medical clinic work. #6-7030 Alberni St

Recycling Depots: Drop off clothing, textiles, shoes, and accessories at select local Recycling Depots (Including Town Center depot and Lund depot) starting January 2015. Collection by Inclusion Powell River.

Powell River Clothing & Accessories for Less (Facebook): Post or purchase clothing & accessories for sale within Powell River. 1,500+ members. Free membership.

Rent Frock Repeat: Rent designer dresses rather than buying new. 4 or 8 day rentals. $32 for Canada Post pre-paid shipping label added to orders. Free registration. http://rentfrockrepeat.com/

Host a Clothes Swap! Invite friends over to swap clothes they no longer wear. Powell River has hosted an annual community Clothes Swap at the Cranberry Hall. You can host your own. http://www.wikihow.com/Hold-a-Fashion- Swap-Party

Miscellaneous Sharing

Ebay: Shop for all manner of items being sold by individuals and businesses. Signing up is free (need a credit card to verify identity). Pay listing fee and commission fee when you sell an item. http://www.ebay.ca/

Craigslist: A free classified advertisements website with sections devoted to jobs, housing, personals, for sale, items wanted, services, community, gigs, resumes and discussion forums. http://sunshine.craigslist.ca/

Powell River Things for Free (Facebook) Post items to give away (no wanted posts allowed). 2,100+ members. Free membership.

Powell River Mom’s Swap & Shop (Facebook): A place for any Powell River mommy, parent, or mommy to be, to sell, swap, or inform members of items for infants/toddlers/children you are looking for in specific. 1,400+ members. Free membership.

Book Crossing: A world library. Share books you’re finished with, and track their journey around the world. Print off a free tracking label & attach to book, share it with a Book Crossing member (you pay shipping) or anyone else, and then follow your book’s journey through its tracking number. www.bookcrossing.com

Sign up for free to Powell River’s branch of Free Cycle. List items you are looking for and those you have to offer for free. It's all about and keeping good stuff out of landfills. Membership is free. www.freecycle.org

Powell River Auctions Online auctions. Bids cannot be deleted and must be honored. 2,300+ members. (Facebook)

Powell River Swap & Shop (Facebook) Free forum to swap, buy and sell items within Powell River. 5,900+ members.

Ideas for Future Sharing Construction & Demolition ReUse Yard: Coombs example http://www.demxx.com/ and ReStore example http://www.habitat.ca/restore-p7376.php Resource Recovery Park: BC example (Cowichan Valley Regional District’s Peerless Road) http://cvrd.bc.ca/index.aspx?NID=360 California examples www.urbanore.com & http://ca-elcerrito.civicplus.com/index.aspx?NID=336 and Sweden example https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kg7O_Xv59A8 Tool Lending Library: Vancouver example http://vancouvertoollibrary.com/ Repair Café: Nanaimo example http://www.repaircafenanaimo.ca/ Rent My Items: UK example http://www.rentmyitems.com/ Food Waste Recovery: France example http://itm.marcelww.com/inglorious/ and Alberta example http://www.calgaryherald.com/life/Misfit+vegetables+look+love/10322290/story. html Group Cooking Clubs: France example: http://www.shareable.net/blog/disco-soup-fighting-food-waste- to-a-disco-groove

This resource was prepared by Powell River Regional District’s Waste Management Education team: Let’s Talk Trash. Please contact [email protected] to share resources that could be added to this document.