Using instead of owning - Rethinking the distribution of goods

Why we need to rethink the distribution of goods

»Using instead of owning«

 

by Günter Faltin (excerpt from "David versus Goliath" )

The thought of sharing has explosive power, in a positive sense. He creates a breach in the consumer world society. "More time than stuff" is the current popular saying for it. Prosperity of time instead of wealth.

In 2000 Jeremy Rifkin propagated the "Access Society". Possession is cumbersome, he argues. It is much more intelligent to just use the products. Others call it the »share economy« or »collaborative consumption«. The automobile is known to be the most compelling example of this movement.

In the past we usually associated consumption with the possession of goods. This type of consumption consumes resources. We know that the visible consumption of resources - i.e. what you can see from the consumer good - is only a small part of the resources that are actually used up. If we also consider the ecological rucksack, the actual consumption of resources is many times higher. With intelligent usage concepts, however, the bill looks much cheaper. One can therefore venture the thesis: In the past, the entrepreneurial opportunities for entrepreneurs lay in the production of products and services, today they lie - especially for ecologically committed entrepreneurs - in the production of benefits. Economically, community consumption only plays a minor role. But intelligent usage concepts have a future.

If we think in terms of benefits, it is no longer about doing without. Nothing is sacrificed when you make the switch from owning an automobile to using it. This does not entail a loss of mobility. »Using instead of owning« – a first group of consumers recognizes that they even achieve a gain in prosperity with such instructions .

Of course, the idea of ​​sharing is not new. The idea of ​​a shared apartment was also part of it. However, WGs are usually an example of how things don't work well. The shared kitchen is unsightly, with dishes piling up in the sink. The perception of dirt differs among the members - while some are already starting to feel disgusted, others don't see the dirt at all. (I speak from 17 years of WG experience).

The actually innovative achievement lies in making the principle of sharing so attractive that in practice it is superior to conventional behavior. The door opens when modern technologies can be used that simplify use. It takes a smartphone, powerful computers, mini payment systems and a lot more that make concepts such as car sharing so much easier that the attractive sides tip the scales of the advantages and disadvantages in favor of the advantages. In the past, you would have had to fill out contracts and pay by check, cash or bank transfer. IT processes running in the background take care of all that for us today.

We know car sharing. What about electricity sharing? While in the last 150 years electricity was only produced by large power plants owned by large corporations, a paradigm shift has taken place in recent years. Electricity from solar and wind power is now produced in over two million decentralized, small power plants by homeowners. These small power plants already provide 35% of the electricity in Germany in an environmentally friendly way.

The company "Sonnen" has set up a platform for electricity sharing. This is how a community was created that connects people who produce their own electricity to form an independent network. If a system produces more electricity than is currently needed, not only can electricity be stored in a battery, but thanks to digital technology, the systems are intelligently linked with each other. The members of the community therefore share the electricity they produce themselves – without an electricity company in between.

It also makes sense to become a member of the community without being a generator yourself. With a battery storage you are there. It has the advantage that the community of producers can also fall back on participants who provide storage capacity independently of the fluctuations in power generation from sun and wind. A decentralized energy community that makes power supply smarter, more sustainable and more transparent.

Another aspect of sharing is important if we keep in mind the power of brands: when everyone buys their own car, the emotional charge of the brand plays a major role. The sums that are invested in marketing are correspondingly large. If a sharing operator buys in instead, it becomes a B2B business, company to company. And so the operating costs of the car play a decisive role, and the price-performance ratio comes to the fore. This strengthens those product characteristics that brands once stood for: quality, durability, good value for money.

I remember an interview with a Unilever manager who emphasized as special proof of his company's ecological commitment that with the new detergents the laundry gets clean at a water temperature of 20 degrees - the energy for heating the washing water is saved. When asked whether it wouldn't be a lot more ecological if Unilever promoted washing machine sharing so that far fewer appliances are needed in households, he shook his head violently. Because then not every single housewife would buy detergent, but someone who professionally only uses price and washing performance for the purchase decision. And that would devalue the investments in your own brand.

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At the first virtual Entrepreneurship Summit - from October 9th to 11th, 2020 in digital form for the first time - Bernd Fittkau and Gerd Hofelen, among others, will each address the topics of redistribution and the economy for the common good in two different impulse groups . This year's guiding principle "The Great Transformation" is reflected in all of our program items. Together we must find new, practical solutions to our growing economic challenges. Be an inspiration and be inspired.

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