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Like other concepts, the Zero Waste Dish Library, aka the West End Dish Box, is a community-run project that lends out dishes to people who need them. Specifically, it's for people who want to host a large group, but don't have matching dishware, says Rashmi G C Aradhya, who's behind the free dish library.
"The whole idea is that it has everything needed to host a party of up to eight families, so 16 adults and 12 kids," she says.
The dishes can be split up, as well, for people hosting something like a kid's birthday party. It's based out of the West End but available to anyone in the area, as long as they can pick up and return the dishes in the allotted time.
Aradhya says many neighbourhood residents have limited space in their apartments. Having dozens of dishes around only to use them once or twice a year doesn't make sense, she explains. Therefore, many turn to disposable dishes when hosting a large event, leading to a wasteful dinner party.
The hope is that given the option of borrowing a complete set of dishes, people will choose the more sustainable option.
"The idea is to have [the dish library] in the neighourhood so people can borrow and return it easily," she says.
Aradhya is seriously into recycling and sustainability; the idea for the dish library came from an online group discussing achieving a zero-waste lifestyle. Seeing an opportunity in the West End — a dense and walkable area with small apartments — she saw an opportunity.
The dish set was purchased using a Neighbourhood Small Grant, and it includes utensils, cups, plates and bowls.
The borrowing system is simple, essentially it's just a calendar and an email, along with a certain amount of trust in the borrowers.
"This is a shared resource for the neighbourhood, so I believe people will be responsible," says Aradhya, adding that accidents will happen and things may break, but she believes people will be respectful to the spirit of the dish library.
Along with being sustainable and convenient, Aradhya says there's the fringe benefit of a stronger community. She's interacting with people as part of the dish library and expects more connections to be made through its use.
The library is now open, she notes, with some people already selecting dates to borrow dishes. She's hopeful other neighbourhoods will follow the example.
