The climate crisis has become a climate emergency. But what does this mean for your business? In short, it means that there couldn’t be a better time to think of ways to encourage your staff to live more sustainably – both in and outside the workplace.
One way is to educate your organisation about the sharing economy and its benefits. But first, what even is the sharing economy? Put simply, it’s using technology – in the form of an app or an online platform – to connect with other people (rather than businesses) to borrow, rent or swap instead of buying. In other words, it’s anything which could be described as ‘the Airbnb of…’ like listing clothes on a website for others to borrow, or renting a car from a neighbour via an app.
It’s certainly catching on – the total value of the global sharing economy is predicted to increase to around 335 billion US dollars by 2025, from only 15 billion US dollars in 2014. That’s a big increase, and it shows that this peer-to-peer, or ‘person to person’, way of doing things is an exciting new trend, and one that your employees will be inspired to hear about. After all, it’s not just about living more sustainably, it’s about making – or saving – some money (much needed in the current cost of living crisis), and creating powerful connections, online and off.
But that’s not all. Like your ESG goals, sharing is about making a difference and creating long-term, sustainable outcomes that strengthen our environment and societies. Here are three ways to get your staff started:
Food is a great first step to get employees into sharing
Food sharing, like most other types of sharing, isn’t new, but has been revived by technology, and is making a real difference to the food waste problem. Food sharing apps like Olio connect people to those with food to share nearby, while others (such as Too Good To Go and Karma) work with restaurants, shops and cafés with leftover stock.
The idea is simply this: to direct food to where it should be – human digestive systems – and keep it out of landfill. Encouraging employees to try the apps can have a positive impact on their monthly food spend and can also mean they support local businesses. Inspired by the apps, your teams could even create a food sharing community (online or off) within the workplace for sharing home baking, leftovers or food that’s reaching its use-by date.
Clothes sharing is so enjoyable it’s easy to forget it’s good for the planet
Clothes sharing is not quite the same as clothes rental, although it’s part of the same trend for ‘access over ownership’. Clothes sharing apps actually connect people with other people, creating a community and also a greener model in the sense that nothing has been bought specifically for rental purposes. This is good news as the fashion industry is a huge problem for the planet, with mass production occurring on a scale that is no longer sustainable. In fact, it’s responsible for around ten per cent of global carbon build-up, producing five times more CO2 than the aviation industry.
It’s the sharing economy model down to a tee: you have a thing, you rent it out – or you want a thing, so you rent it off someone else. And the benefits are (as for food sharing and many other types of sharing economy platforms) the chance to make money, be more sustainable and access things that might normally be out of reach. Why not encourage employees to use clothes sharing apps for events, or create offline clothes swaps in the workplace to save money and nurture community?
Sharing can also be about where staff work – and how they get there
The sharing economy can help make commuting more planet-friendly for employees. Car sharing platforms and apps (like Karshare and Hiyacar) provide car owners with a way to earn money by renting out their own vehicle when they’re not using it, and on the other side of the equation, they allow those who don’t have a car – or have a need for an extra one – to rent one locally, usually for however long they want. This means fewer cars per person, and in turn, fewer emissions.
For commuters, companies like Liftshare can help reduce the amount of vehicles all heading to the same location. And for hybrid workers, there is a new breed of sharing apps that connect people who need somewhere to work with spaces such as restaurants, cafes and hotels. This helps workers get out of the house (important for mental and physical health), while ‘hosts’ – i.e. the local hospitality venues in question – reach new potential customers, look busy during quiet times, and make money from food and drink – although there’s generally no pressure to buy.
Eleanor Tucker is the author of Thanks for Sharing: How I Gave Up Buying and Embraced Borrowing, Swapping and Renting, part of the CBI Sharing Economy council and a consultant specialising in sharing economy businesses.