A STIRLING community group has become the 150th organisation in Scotland to receive a stamp of approval from a second-hand item standards scheme.

Transition Stirling, a community group that lends out tools and sells those which are surplus to the needs of its Tool Library, is the latest organisation to have been awarded certification by Revolve, an initiative by Zero waste Scotland.

Stirling Tool Library works just like an ordinary library, except instead of borrowing books customers can borrow all sorts of equipment, such as sewing machines and drills, to gardening tools and cooking equipment.

With the average drill reportedly used for fewer than 20 minutes in its entire life, the Tool Library allows people to loan what they need for as long as they need it, without having to buy the item new.

The Revolve certification came as the library set itself high standards, making sure all items are checked for safety and quality as well as being PAT tested.

Emma Erwin, project manager at Transition Stirling, explained: “We lend out items to our customers so that they don’t need to buy them new.

“Having achieved the Revolve certification, our customers can be completely confident that they are borrowing products which have been prepared to a high standard.”

Iain Gulland, chief executive at Zero Waste Scotland, added: “By providing a wide range of tools and equipment, Stirling Tool Library gives people the opportunity to tackle tasks that may have been expensive otherwise but also alleviates the need to use more resources in manufacturing new equipment.

“With 150 stores now in possession of Revolve certification, shoppers know they can be sure the stores they are shopping in and the items they are buying and borrowing reach the highest standards of quality.

“This saves money and is a positive step in protecting our environment.”