Collaborative Consumption: What It Is and 10 Ways to Participate

You may have noticed that overconsumption has become excessive. Every TikTok feels like an ad to get you to buy the next life-changing thing. It has become commonplace to go shopping and spend hundreds of dollars without a plan. Everything, from décor to skincare, has transformed into an industry akin to fast fashion. How do you fight these behaviors, which simply continually extract resources from the planet? You can engage in collaborative consumption.

What Is Collaborative Consumption?

Collaborative consumption represents a sharing economy, in which people default to collective, shared resources and assets instead of being individualistic. For example, instead of buying a 12-foot ladder new from the hardware store, your cul-de-sac could share one, exchanging it between homes as needed. This is counterintuitive to most household models and society functions nowadays, which is built upon individual ownership.

However, most people don’t need to own one of everything, especially items they use sparingly. Therefore, collaborative consumption embraces activities like:

• Bartering
• Renting
• Gifting
• Swapping
• Peer-to-peer exchange

This is a more sustainable model because it directly addresses the toxic and exploitative behaviors of mass consumerism. It focuses on fostering tight-knit communities, which are inherently more resilient against the climate crisis, instead of fending for yourself. 

These sound like lofty, unattainable ideas, especially when buying new things and individualism has become ingrained in society. However, there are plenty of easy ways to encourage a mindset shift in your neighborhood or town.

10 Ways to Participate in Collaborative Consumption

Here are the most accessible ways to dip your toes into living a life that embraces collaborative consumption. See how they inspire you to try new things and meet new people.

1. Car Sharing

When most people think of sharing a car, they think of ridesharing services like Uber or Lyft. However, there are also apps that allow you to share vehicles. Imagine you work from home or primarily use a bike. Occasionally, you may need a vehicle to travel farther, and renting a car can be unnecessarily expensive. Many people offer their cars for sharing through apps like Turo. This reduces the number of cars spewing emissions on the road. It also rewires your behavior to try other modes of transportation before driving.

2. Free Little Libraries

Libraries are one of the best ways to support a collaborative consumption-based community. If you want to spread the love that libraries bring to so many people, you can set up a free little library near your home. These little storage areas are places where people can drop off books and pick up books for free. It allows people to share what they love without spending a dime.

3. Ridesharing

Ridesharing is probably the most well-known contribution to the sharing economy. Sharing rides with others cuts carbon emissions and reliance on fossil fuels. 

4. Peer-to-Peer Accommodation

Couch-surfing seems like a long-forgotten concept, but we have rebranded it for the modern age. Peer-to-peer home and vacation rentals are now commonplace, with numerous apps paving the way. It takes money out of megacorporations, like hotel chains, that do not practice sustainable operating practices.

However, be cautious about accommodations that contribute to gentrification, as many Airbnb listings and those on similar sites are from owners who have purchased properties, thereby disrupting the availability of housing in many areas.

5. Clothing Swaps

Fashion remains one of the most significant contributors to climate change, despite many people being aware of the harmful effects of supporting the fast fashion industry. Clothing swaps are better than thrift shopping in some ways, as you know the clothes end up in a happy home instead of waiting in purgatory, hanging from a thrift store rack. There are even apps, like Swapstyle, that allow you to do this online if you have no in-person options.

6. Tool Libraries

Do you need a drill at all times if you aren’t renovating your home? Instead of leaving tools to collect dust in the garage, create a communal tool library where people can request and share devices. It saves people money by avoiding the purchase of expensive products.

7. Coworking Spaces

Working from home is inherently more sustainable than working at an office building that consumes more resources than it needs. However, you can reduce emissions even further by opting for a coworking space instead of using resources from your home. Save on electricity, water, and heating. If you’re lucky, you can find one running on renewable energy!

8. Toy Libraries

You have seen how quickly kids grow bored with certain toys. Why let perfectly good toys pile up in the backyard or in bins? Give them to other parents in your community, especially those who are about to have children. It’s a great way to share love and help those who may not have the resources to splurge on numerous new toys all the time. Additionally, it prevents tons of plastic from ending up in landfills.

9. Community Gardens

Community gardens have never been more important, especially as grocery store prices rise and food deserts become increasingly common everywhere. Helping one another grow food increases food security and allows you to learn an evergreen skill.

10. Skill Sharing

Sharing your unique talents is another way to participate in the sharing economy. If you know how to bake a cake and your neighbor can fix plumbing, exchange these services. If you make their family’s next birthday cake, it saves them from funding a chain restaurant. Then, they can return the favor and save you money and resources by sealing a leak. It makes people appreciate their neighbors more.

Collaborative Consumption Combats Toxic Capitalism

As the adage goes, sharing is caring. Who knew it would be one of the best ways to embrace a sustainable community? Collaborative consumption is deceptively powerful because it enables people to connect with one another and establish stronger relationships, thereby helping to combat climate stressors. Choosing one of these things to implement in your life is better than none. Eventually, overconsumption can become abnormal again.