{"id":10167,"date":"2026-03-04T14:54:33","date_gmt":"2026-03-04T14:54:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sustainalink.se\/?post_type=projekt&p=10167"},"modified":"2026-03-04T14:54:33","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T14:54:33","slug":"estimating-the-climate-benefits-of-a-library-of-things","status":"publish","type":"projekt","link":"https:\/\/sustainalink.se\/en\/projekt\/estimating-the-climate-benefits-of-a-library-of-things\/","title":{"rendered":"Estimating the Climate Benefits of a Library of Things"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Estimating the Climate Benefits of a Library of Things<\/strong><\/h1>\n

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Organisation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Circle Centre is a non\u2011profit \u201cLibrary of Things\u201d in Lund, dedicated to reducing overconsumption and promoting a circular, sharing\u2011based lifestyle. Founded in 2019, the centre allows members to borrow household items, tools, outdoor gear, and other goods instead of buying new ones. Beyond lending items, Circle Centre also offers a common workspace, educational events, and hands\u2011on repair workshops, creating a community where people can share not only goods but also skills and ideas. The organisation aims to make sustainable living easy, affordable, and socially engaging.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Background<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Circle Centre\u2019s Library of Things works like a community\u2011run borrowing service where members can borrow useful items. The collection includes everything from tools and household equipment to outdoor gear, party supplies and textiles. Some items, such as bedding and routers, can be borrowed for longer periods \u2013 throughout a whole semester. This service is very popular among exchange students in Lund. Other items are borrowed for short\u2011term use, like tools or event equipment. Borrowing is simple: members reserve what they need online, pick it up at the centre, and return it by the agreed date.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
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Project<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Circle Centre clearly delivers both practical value and environmental benefits \u2014 yet the organisation has never quantified the climate impact of its Library of Things. This project invites you to estimate Circle Centre\u2019s climate benefit and explore the methodological challenges that arise when trying to measure the environmental effects of shared consumption.<\/p>\n

Circle Centre has collected detailed loan records over several years, providing a strong empirical foundation for the project. One possible approach is to focus on a small number of frequently borrowed product categories that represent different types of items (for example tools, textiles or outdoor equipment). By drawing on existing life\u2011cycle assessment literature, you can identify approximate CO\u2082\u2011equivalent emission factors for these products. You may then develop simple scenarios for how often borrowing could replace a new purchase and examine how these assumptions influence the results. Using a transparent calculation model, you estimate avoided emissions and reflect on the uncertainties involved.<\/p>\n

Possible research questions include:<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Under what assumptions can borrowing be considered to replace new purchases, and how do different assumptions influence the estimated climate benefit?<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Which product categories offer the greatest potential for avoided CO\u2082 emissions?<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 How can a Library of Things be organised to maximise environmental benefits while minimising so-called rebound effects<\/em>?<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/h3>\n

Related SDGs<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

How large are the emission savings generated by this type of local sharing economy?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":10166,"menu_order":0,"template":"","projekt_typ":[43],"projekt_amne":[52],"projekt_sprak":[41,42],"class_list":["post-10167","projekt","type-projekt","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","projekt_typ-thesis","projekt_mnesomrde-environment-and-sustainablity","projekt_sprak-english","projekt_sprak-swedish"],"acf":{"form":38,"uppdragsgivare":"Circle Centre","forkunskaper":"You study sustainability ","omfattning":"Thesis project: bachelor","plats":"Lund","kontaktperson":"

Emma Brod\u00e9n
\nemma@sustainalink.se<\/a>
\n0760-345141<\/a><\/p>\n","ovrig_information":""},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sustainalink.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/projekt\/10167","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sustainalink.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/projekt"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sustainalink.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/projekt"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sustainalink.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10166"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sustainalink.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10167"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"projekt_typ","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sustainalink.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/projekt_typ?post=10167"},{"taxonomy":"projekt_\u00e4mnesomr\u00e5de","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sustainalink.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/projekt_amne?post=10167"},{"taxonomy":"projekt_sprak","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sustainalink.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/projekt_sprak?post=10167"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}