Brattleboro Thrives on Sharing and Re-Use
New Englanders have a tradition of making due by making things last, sharing amongst each other, and re-using things that would otherwise end up being thrown away. Sometimes it may look like farmers sharing field equipment that they only use a few times of year, and more recently during the pandemic, it took the form of people sharing extra sewing machines to make masks during the quarantine. From free piles to thrift stores, Brattleboro is fortunate to have a wide variety of ways to participate in what has been called “the sharing economy."
More than 25 years ago, Stewart McDermet was upset by the amount of waste and junk being thrown away in the world, and in the Brattleboro community.
“I went to the waste district and asked if I could stand by the side of the road on Saturdays and approach people on their way to dump stuff," McDermet said. "I would choose what I thought was worthwhile. I would accumulate stuff and people could take anything they wanted as they drove by. I take it. You don’t have to pay to dump it."
As his pile grew, storage space was needed, a trailer was donated, and others started volunteering to help manage the collection. Stewart specifically mentioned that this effort wouldn’t have been so successful without the support of key people at Windham Solid Waste Management (WSMWD), such as Jane Southworth and Dick Jackson, during its early years.
Twenty-five years later, the state and WSMWD (along with volunteers) continue to support the operation and expansion of what is now called the Brattleboro Swap Shop. Countless items have been saved from the landfill, and many community members have found a free source to get that lamp, or desk, or blow dryer that they need but don’t have the money for. You can find details and hours of operation for the Swap Shop at the Windham Solid Waste Management website.
Another way to share in Brattleboro is to trade your time at the Brattleboro Time Trade. Brattleboro Time Trade enables the exchange of time credits, a type of community currency that anyone can earn by using their time, resources, skills or energy to help others. Each hour of service provided to another Time Trade member earns one time credit. You can spend your time credits on services provided by any of the other members of the Time Trade.
To learn more about Brattleboro Time Trade, you can visit their website or watch this introductory video. Lastly, you can read about the experience of one time trade member in this article by Vermont Public Radio.
And of course, this article would be incomplete if we didn’t mention the tremendous shared resources that Brooks Memorial Library makes available to the community. Beyond the traditional collections of books, magazines, and multimedia, Brattleboro’s library offers a vast array of online resources and access to databases and research journals. It also is a “library of things” including snow shoes, e-bikes, cooking equipment, and gardening tools that the community can borrow for free with just a library card. Library cards are free for any Brattleboro resident.
Thanks for sharing, Brattleboro!
Read other articles about Brattleboro's sustainability efforts here or visit the sustainability page.