Benefits of the Sharing Economy: How Do You Contribute?

The sharing economy has been around for centuries, but in this last decade new technology has brought new life to it and helped it reach new levels. The sharing economy is built on the principle of sharing resources that we don’t use all the time or to its full capacity. So like sharing your garden or land with campers or renting out your private accommodation like a tree house, a room or a house when you aren’t using it. Sharing a car between several people or households or carpooling when you would otherwise travel alone in your car. 

Many new platforms are facilitating the sharing economy such as the car sharing platform MyWheels or the RV sharing platform Goboony. At Campspace we help people share outdoor spaces that are already available based on the principle of the sharing economy. Some benefits of the sharing economy is that it is more sustainable, it helps support the local community, it is usually cheaper for you, and it is easier to get into. 

1. Sustainable

One of the advantages of the sharing economy is that it is more sustainable as we share the resources that are already available. If you own an RV or a camper, but only use it a few times a year, then you can participate in the sharing economy by renting it to others, which then in turn don’t have to buy one themselves that they will also only use a few times a year. This means less RVs are produced and natural resources are saved. It’s the same with bikes, kayaks, or any other product, when we rent or borrow it from someone else we reduce overproduction and ensure that the existing one is used to its full potential. It’s the same with camping spots. 

Campsites might be very popular in summer, but many are empty in winter so when camping with locals who offer to share their land with you, you help optimise the use of land that is already there and that would otherwise also just be empty. By sharing our goods and services with each other the sharing economy can help us all reduce our individual and our collective carbon footprint.  

Sustainability is of course much more than this, if you are trying to live a more sustainable life then there are other things to consider to make your getaways more sustainable. You can also see how many of our hosts strive to live sustainable lives and provide the most sustainable camping options for you, so you won’t have to think about it when you are there. If you are going on holiday and need an RV you can support the sharing economy by renting it through a platform like Goboony. 

2. Local community

Local communities can experience several benefits of the sharing economy when it really takes off. First off, the sharing economy requires more trust and participation from the community than the traditional model. This means that more relations are built across the community and people interact more. 

At campspace we witness a high level of interaction between our hosts and our guests as the campspace environments are much more intimate than large campsites. This also means that many of our guests are happy to leave reviews for the hosts they have visited because they actually get to know them in a much more personal way than when visiting a big holiday park. And this is a general trend in the sharing economy, the more personal relations help build stronger bonds in local communities. 

Another advantage of the sharing economy for local communities is that it helps money remain in the area instead of sending them to big corporations. When you stay at privately owned camping spots instead of big chain campsites, you help support the local economy. So the sharing economy does not only help to create a stronger bond in local communities it also helps the local economy. 

3. Cheaper for you 

The sharing economy is a competition to the traditional business model of buying, owning and using our own things only, for several reasons. First off, it means that there are more options for people to get their needs satisfied, the options might be different types, but they all satisfy the same need. For instance, your camping needs will be satisfied by choosing a campspace as well as by going to a campsite. Secondly, products and services offered in the sharing economy are often cheaper as there are not a lot of extra costs involved in offering it, campspace hosts don’t need to pay rent or a lot of staff like bigger campsites. Additionally, the people offering the supply, like a campspace often have another source as their main income. The benefits of cheaper supply in the sharing economy also push prices lower in the commercial industry to stay in the competition. So no matter what you opt for, the sharing economy is a good thing for your wallet. 

4. Easy to enter 

Last but not least it is easier for people to enter the sharing economy than the traditional business model, and it allows for more freedom and flexibility too. Like Uber drivers can choose when they drive, whereas taxi drivers do not have that privilege. Our campspace hosts have just the same advantages of the sharing economy. You can’t exactly make an official campsite in your backyard or on a piece of land you own, but signing it up on an online platform like campspace where you decide when you can receive guests and when you can’t is pretty easy. 

Wanna take part in the sharing economy? Find your next sustainable adventure.