Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Collaborative consumption


Collaborative Consumption Groundswell Video from rachel botsman on Vimeo.
So many of the things we own, lightening our wallets, filling up our space and burdening our lives (not to mention the planet) we could rent, borrow or share. This is indeed one of the excellent uses of the information revolution, since co-ordination of the use of material objects between multiple people has never been easier. It generates trust, saves money and reduces the burden on resources. We've been on Freecycle for years, enjoyed free hospitality from strangers through an organisation something like Couch Surfing and shared power tools through Ecomodo for those once-in-blue-moon times of need. These schemes are generally quite straightforward and it is worth looking into them rather than feeling the need to purchase and own every object you could conceivably ever need or desire.

5 comments:

jessica smith said...

That said we've resorted to buying a potty for the toddler as we've never seen a potty second hand anywhere... I guess somethings just aren't considered appropriate for re-appearing? Pity! Ours will be reappearing in time.

Ravi said...

There’s a new Australian collaborative consumption website that’s worth looking at, it’s called Friends with Things www.friendswiththings.com.au

Friends with Things is a website where you can share things with, or borrow things from your neighbours for free – from bicycles to power tools, from cameras to sewing machines.

It’s about collaborative consumption and sustainability – but there’s more to it than just helping the environment. At Friends with Things you’re also welcome to share your time, skills and expertise with people – you can even share your local knowledge or connect with local people who share common interests.

So it’s a way to help bring back that sense of community and neighbourhood that’s often missing from apartment complexes, city living and suburban sprawl. In doing this the site embraces a boarder social mission – building both a more civil and sustainable society, which make it quite distinct from any other collaborative consumption website in the space.

It’s Australian, but the plan is to launch internationally later in 2011. At the moment we’re looking for people who want to get involved and intelligent feedback on the project. Have a look and let us know what you think.

You can also find us on twitter @ihavethings or find and like Friends with Things on Facebook

www.friendswiththings.com.au

byron smith said...

Sounds like a very useful tool - thanks for sharing it.

byron smith said...

Grist: Co-housing, facing the affordability factor.

coseats.com said...

Another good collaborative consumption site is coseats.com - Australia's biggest ride sharing site.