Are you still buying or are you already borrowing?

25.10.2022 - We use mobile apps to rent cars and e-scooters, stay in other people's flats and houses on holiday or carpool to work: the culture of sharing has been booming for many years. We show which niche offers are now available in the sharing economy and how to use them in a truly sustainable way.

The idea of sharing has now spread to many areas and changed the economy. Sharing and borrowing instead of buying is the motto. There are numerous (online) platforms on which people arrange cars, private flats for holidays or even the lending of household items. The advantages are clear: you save money, resources and contribute to sustainability.

Speaking of which: when is the sharing economy really sustainable? It depends on how it is used. Projects that conserve resources and offer products that are durable or sell things that already exist make sense. Such concepts contribute to fewer goods having to be newly produced or disposed of. The focus should not be on profit and commercial interest, but on the conviction and the need for property to be shared.

Harvesting fruit without your own garden

The internet platform Mundraub.org is an example of a sustainable sharing economy. It is of interest to anyone who enjoys eating fresh fruit but wants to avoid imported fruit from distant countries. This is exactly where Mundraub.org comes in. As the "largest German-language platform for the discovery and utilisation of edible landscapes", Mundraub.org has set itself the task of creating an overview of fruit trees in public spaces. Locations with fruit trees, fruit bushes, nuts and herbs can be found on a map or you can map them yourself. In this way, anyone interested can enjoy a wide variety of fruit that may not even be found in most private gardens.

Rent and save bee colonies

The start-up Bee-Rentoffers sustainable help for bees by renting out honey bees and wild bee hotels to private individuals and companies. The beehive is set up directly at home. If there is no space available, the bees find a place at Bee-Rent. Experienced beekeepers look after the bee colonies all year round - from setting up to harvesting and hibernation. The advantages: By leasing bee colonies, bee populations get the help they need and tenants receive their own honey year after year.

The toy flat rate for children

Which parents haven't experienced this? No sooner has a child received a favourite toy for their birthday than interest in it disappears after a few days or weeks. The company Meine Spielzeugkiste wants to avoid large mountains of unused toys in children's rooms. To achieve this, the company does not sell high-quality toys, but lends them out. Users take out a so-called toy flat rate, i.e. a membership. If the child no longer plays with the magnetic game, the play cubes or the marble run, it is sent back. Each of the toys on offer is sent out up to 15 times to bring joy to parents and children. If the toy is damaged and no longer usable, it is either recycled or disposed of sustainably.

Always something "new" in the wardrobe

Today, there are numerous ideas for bringing fashion and sustainability together. One example is Kleiderei. The start-up with four locations in Germany sees itself as an alternative to the fast fashion industry. Instead of promoting new production, Kleiderei wants to collect items of clothing and bring them together in a "large, shared wardrobe that is accessible to everyone". Every member of Kleiderei can borrow up to four items at a time from one of the Kleiderei shops for a monthly fee of 29 euros and keep them for as long as they like or swap them as often as they like. You can find fair fashion, second-hand and vintage clothing, jewellery and accessories there.