The golden rule of sustainability is to conserve your belongings and give it a second life whenever you can. Vilnius already has a successful sharing culture that helps residents give away unwanted items, which quickly find new homes and continue to serve them for years to come.

We invite you to get to know the sharing initiatives in Vilnius and encourage you to try them out.

DĖK’ui item sharing stations

DĖK’ui item sharing stations of Vilnius Waste Management Centre which have become legendary have grown into a network of 16 stations in Vilnius region in just five years. This year, 2 more item sharing stations are planned to open at the newly built bulky waste collection sites in Sausupio and Kazlausko streets.

In DĖK’ui item sharing stations you can find clothes, dishes, furniture, books and toys filled with the love and care of the previous owners and carefully selected by the staff of the stations.

A visit to such station is a great opportunity to live more sustainably and save money. All items at the stations are free.

It is encouraging that the success of the station network has led to a stronger culture of sharing, with seventeen DĖK’ui hanging racks in the city, the hanging racks at Vilnius Academy of Arts, Senjorų avilys, Vilnius County Adomas Mickevičius Public Library and other places in the capital encourage people to share clothes. As many as 40% of the clothes hanging in our wardrobes are lying around unworn, which is why DĖK’ui item sharing stations are an easy and community-based way for people to find a new owner for their clothes or update their wardrobe by themselves.

Community fridge

We are pleased that the first community fridge has recently been set up in Vilnius, with the aim of encouraging people to share their food to reduce food waste. As much as one third of the world’s food suitable for consumption is thrown away. The community fridge set up by social business Urban Laboratory in Sapieha Park in the capital, is a place to leave food that is suitable for consumption, i.e. cereals, vegetables, canned goods etc. Any visitor to the park can take them.

Community gardens

Another unique way to live more sustainably and get to know your community better, as well as to contribute to the growth of a greener capital, is through the Community Gardens initiative. Throughout Vilnius City and the region, residents are encouraged to come together to set up community gardens in the backyards of multi-apartment buildings. These gardens can be transformed into whole gardens growing a variety of produce, giving the residents of the city the chance to experience the pleasures of living closer to nature. Urban gardening has already been successfully developed by residents of Antakalnis and Pilaitė micro-districts. For those who decide to implement such an initiative in their own community, Vilnius City has prepared a guide.

Sharing items and letting them last as long as possible promotes community spirit and helps save money. With every item we save, we save the Earth’s resources, free up landfills and grow the Green Capital.

What can you do?

Try to foster a culture of sharing on a daily basis, for example, by offering colleagues a ride to work together, or visiting a DĖK’ui item sharing station. Before throwing away unwanted items, try donating or exchanging them. If you have the opportunity, grow food in a community garden.