Project News: Circularity and the sharing economy

SEALIVE project partners Gate2Growth and Greenovate! Europe are developing business models to support the uptake and use of bio-based plastic solutions. Here we introduce one area of research: circularity and the sharing economy.

Many industries are seeing new business models emerge as a result of growing acceptance of the sharing economy and recognition that purchasing is not always a good investment. These approaches typically involve access to a product or a service for a limited time, without direct ownership (‘access over ownership’). Whilst the sharing economy has been applied most notably to the mobility sector, it is infiltrating other sectors as well with businesses emerging that revolve around providing access to goods when needed. This includes the fishing industry making use of plastic nets and crates which can be pooled together for sharing (maximum utility), or rented out as needed.

A rental model puts the onus on the owner/business operator to maintain the good (repairing and replacing as needed), with that user also being required to ensure proper end-of-life via recycling or re-use in other products.

For more information about SEALIVE’s research in circularity and the sharing economy, please contact Carmen Bianca Socaciu, cs@gate2growth.com or Simon Hunkin, s.hunkin@greenovate-europe.eu