Collaborative consumption is a new rapidly growing movement, you can check out the website at http://collaborativeconsumption.com/.
To put it in the site’s words: “Collaborative Consumption describes the rapid explosion in swapping, sharing, bartering, trading and renting being reinvented through the latest technologies and peer-to-peer marketplaces in ways and on a scale never possible before.” And apparently we just joined the craze, so buckle your seatbelts and welcome to the new age of sharing and caring.
Apparently nowadays people are sharing pretty much everything, from cars and bikes, to toys and clothes. Some sites simply connect people in local areas so that they can lend and borrow pretty much anything their neighbors have handy.
And why not? The 21st century is increasingly becoming aware of our over consumptive past and the implications this may have on the future. With the world population estimated at around 9 billion in 2050 it’s becoming clear that eventually there simply won’t be enough to go around. This is one reason why collaborative consumption is fast becoming the new mantra, it’s easy, it’s cheaper and it’s more sustainable.
What’s perhaps most interesting is the degree to which people are willing to borrow and lend. Some sights ask that you put your own car up for rent when you’re not using it so that others may borrow. Other examples include house swapping, bike lending, toy rental, clothes swapping and of course textbook rental. It seems crazy that someone would just leave their house and let someone else stay in it, yet according to the websites offering these services there is virtually no incidences of stealing or damage.
So why not try it for yourself, get some stuff you don’t use and who knows you could be in for a very nice little barter or a handy bit of cash. After all one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.
If you can’t be bothered to scan the website, collaborative consumption has a nifty video which is worth a look at the following link, or watch the embedded video at the top. http://www.collaborativeconsumption.com/spreadables/
