Community Builders Awards: This year’s Environment award winner encourages borrowing over buying with innovative sharing model

The Guelph Tool Library (GTL) is a not-for-profit organization that has been making a positive difference in the Guelph community since 2016. 

Their goal is to build a strong, connected community where people share tools, skills and knowledge.

At its core, the GTL is an environmental project. It promotes borrowing instead of buying and fixing instead of throwing away. This approach helps reduce waste and lower greenhouse gas emissions. 

A great example of the Guelph Tool Library’s impact is their cordless drill. Typically, people only use a drill for about 15 minutes before the battery dies—and many rarely use it again. When everyone buys their own drill for such limited use, it results in excessive manufacturing, higher costs and more environmental waste. At the Guelph Tool Library, a single drill can be shared by hundreds of people and used for up to 500 hours, significantly reducing waste and maximizing the tool’s lifespan.

This sharing model saves energy and reduces pollution.

Their work helps people and the planet, which is why they are a deserving winner of this year’s GuelphToday Community Builders Award for Environment.

“This shows us that our community recognizes the work that we’ve done outside of just being a place to borrow tools,” said Steph Clarke, community engagement manager. “We offer a lot more than what people might expect when they think about a tool library.”

“I think that what we do in Guelph is so important not only for waste reduction, but also for building a sense of community and increasing accessibility,” she added.

The GTL currently has over 1,400 tools and appliances available for members to borrow. Members can access gardening tools, kitchen appliances, woodworking equipment and more. 

The GTL also runs several standout programs that directly help the environment, including the Guelph Seed Library. This program distributed over 12,000 free seed packets to community members in 2024, encouraging them to grow their own food. 

The Freehub Community Bike Centre is a volunteer-run program that helps people fix their bikes using shared tools and guidance from skilled volunteers. It also gives away free bikes that have been donated and repaired, helping more people choose biking as a green, affordable way to get around.

“Thank you for thinking of us and thinking that we are worthy of this award,” Clarke said.

Thanks to all of these programs, the Guelph Tool Library has helped keep thousands of kilograms of waste out of landfills and supported over 1,000 households in lowering their carbon footprint. 

The Environment award recognizes an individual or group for their meaningful and positive contributions to the environment, both man-made and natural. Their efforts may include private initiatives, such as designing an innovative energy-efficient home, or public projects, such as leading a re-greening initiative. 

Recipients share the common trait of demonstrating what is achievable in reducing environmental impact and promoting sustainable development within the community.

Congratulations to the team at The Guelph Tool Library!

This award is proudly sponsored by Skyline Living.