It’s a fairly well-established fact that local tends to be green: the carbon reductions in transport alone tend to see to that. But what about products that generally aren’t produced locally, such as tools and hardware supplies and tools? A collection of tool-sharing Internet sites may have the answer.

Launched in France in late 2007, the Zilok sharing site now allows people to locally rent almost anything, from hockey skates to handsaws.  The site already boasts some 20,000 members in the US alone, and has a presence in several major cities. Similar sites, such as Craigslist and Irent2u, also offer rentals at low rates. Tool rental service can be especially useful, because while many people have a small kit of tools around the house, very few have the complete collections needed for most home projects.

DIY repairs can be a great way to improve the energy efficiency of your home, without dramatically inflating your carbon footprint—or deflating your wallet—in the process. The presence of sharing sites like this allow people to carry out repairs and home improvements without incurring the monetary or carbon expenses of hiring a contracting crew.