Our Story
The Share Reuse Repair Initiative is about bringing the circular economy home.
Our Mission
To make share, reuse and repair easy and intuitive parts of daily life for people in Canada, while empowering governments, businesses and communities to actively engage in and benefit from a sustainable circular economy.
Our Vision
Imagine a world where waste is a thing of the past and resources are shared, reused and repaired endlessly. Where circular offerings are mainstream. Where our communities and economies are resilient.
This is our vision for the future of Canada, where we all work together to transform the way we produce and consume things so everyone can thrive while protecting our climate and ecosystems.
Our Origin
The origins of the Share Reuse Repair Initiative (SRRI) date back to late 2017, when government, business, and community leaders in the Lower Mainland began meeting to explore how to foster a culture and economy of sharing, reuse, and repair in British Columbia and beyond.
The initiative was co-convened by five organizations: One Earth Living, the Vancouver Economic Commission, the Recycling Council of BC, Recycling Alternative, and The Thingery.
They recognized a critical gap: while interest in sharing, reuse, and repair was growing, there was a lack of coordination and collective action to advance key opportunities. SRRI was created to address this need.
The initial spark for SRRI came from One Earth Living’s Lighter Footprint strategy for the City of Vancouver and a report showcasing the role of local governments in the sharing economy.
Rosemary Cooper, one of the report’s two lead authors and a Senior Associate with One Earth Living, was chosen to lead the initiative starting in 2018 and build on its early momentum.
After being incubated by One Earth Living, SRRI became a project of the MakeWay Shared Platform in 2019, gaining additional charitable expertise and additional operational and governance support.
The Share Reuse Repair Initiative is a project on the MakeWay Shared Platform. To learn more, visit MakeWay here.
Our Values
Empathy
1
We meet everyone where they’re at.
Honesty
2
Change is enabled by trust and realistic solutions.
Approachability
3
We’re part of the community we wish to serve.
Passion
4
This is what we live and breathe.
Practicality
5
Achieving aspirational goals through realistic actions.
Collaboration
6
We’ll work on this together.
Our 4P's
People
The individuals who care about the environment and benefit from our efforts to educate and build awareness.
Public Partners
Non-profit organizations and public institutions that foster a culture of sustainability and promote an accessible and inclusive circular economy.
Producers
The companies and innovators that seek to shift consumer behaviours, develop circular services and products, and create green jobs.
Policy Makers
The government officials and decision-makers who create policies, programs, and infrastructures to encourage participation in circular economies.
Our People
Our work benefits from the contributions of many staff, contractors, and advisors. We thank everyone who has been involved.
Turning good intentions into positive impacts.
We have facilitated collaborations between diverse stakeholders to foster a cohesive circular economy ecosystem. We engage with communities to promote sustainable practices and behaviour change.
Our work has sought to bridge the gaps between public, private, non-profit sectors and policy makers to build partnerships that are essential for systemic change.
The Springboard Program
In 2024, we engaged with Brands for Better’s Springboard Program and a talented group of volunteers to refresh our branding and visual identity, and clarify our brand story. The website, brand language, updated logo and impact video you see here are the result of that work.