Carbon taxes are talked about a lot when people are brainstorming ways to reduce their footprint. I was actually in Canada many years ago on the first day they started charging a carbon tax at the gas pump. I didn’t completely understand the concept at the time but I did know it was a big deal. It was interesting to be there during that time.
Moving to Conservers has been working for the past two years to build community and support each other as we learn new ways to live with less impact. Through study, conversation and local action, many of us have made personal changes and also helped groups we are connected to make similar changes.
One of our biggest undertakings was helping Motown Memories, a 200-plate dinner fundraiser for Rise and Shine, move to zero-waste. It was an amazing event and it started a lot of requests from folks to use the dishes we had acquired. Matter of fact, since that event in March, we have been pretty busy loaning out our supply. It is wonderful to see so many people contact us to reduce their waste.
It led us to form a steering committee to look into the feasibility of creating a sharing cooperative. We have been meeting on a regular basis and at our last meeting made the decision to go for it! Transylvania Shares is scheduled to open in 2020. We will do a soft opening in January and hold our grand opening in March. We have a location secured and are working to get our inventory cataloged, among other things. How exciting.
The model we have decided on is a membership-based model. Members will have access to an inventory of items for the cost of their membership. Additional items will be available to members for a small fee. Our goal is to promote community and reuse. If we share tools, gear, housewares and such we can significantly reduce the consumption and waste creation of our community. I think of my membership as a carbon tax of sorts. Even if community members do not intend to borrow from the cooperative, joining will help those who can benefit from the service and show community support for reducing our consumption and waste.
I have taken on the task of recruiting members so that we can raise enough capital to get the cooperative off the ground. We do have an annual membership fee in mind. It is more of a minimum fee with hopes that members will join and opt to pay more for their membership as we get the business off the ground. John and I have made a decision to join and pay $1000 for our membership. Another board member has done the same.
Can you join? We need to get commitments for $4600 in memberships in order to open our doors in January.
Please let me know if you are interested in joining. You can email me at [email protected] or call me at 828-966-5367. I would love to get together and chat about it. Study, conversation and now the local action. What an amazing community we live in.
