The Sharing Economy: How I See It -- Iza

My experience of the sharing economy has changed since moving to New Zealand. In Germany, students are the most environmentally conscious people, trying to save as much money as possible while thrifting the essentials and eating discarded food. The majority of students are vegan, and many of them would judge you if you were to admit traveling somewhere by plane. Especially food and ride-sharing are very common among German students. Here, though the sample is small, it seems to be a little bit less strict in regard to being considered immoral when you don't adhere to these ideals. It is hard for me to predict how that is going to develop among the students here, but after a recent wave of environmentalism in Germany, people’s eagerness might decrease a little in the future. Especially considering the political situation, more students are worried about being active against rising right-wing agendas than focusing on trying to protect the environment anymore.

The apps that I am using are Gaspy for finding the cheapest gas prices, CamperMate for information on the most beautiful spots and walks, and Trade Me to find a new apartment. What all these apps have in common is that they assist me in finding things, they all are intuitive and simple enough to grant quick and easy access to the information I need. Some of them have ads, which can be a bit annoying, but it is a price I am happy to pay for what I am getting.

After finding out about and being reminded of food-sharing apps in New Zealand, I would be interested in trying "Gone Good", where restaurants and cafés offer highly discounted mystery bags shortly before closing for the day.

In terms of how using such apps might impact the future, I imagine that it would have a positive effect on the environment and on people’s lives. If resources were shared more often instead of being wasted, not only the environment could be protected, but also individual expenses could be reduced more often. For example, carpooling reduces CO2 emissions and smog, and food sharing reduces food waste and decreases demand, which in turn decreases overproduction. All in all, I believe that such apps offer great potential, and more people should leave their comfort zone to give them a shot.

Comments

  1. Chompunud (New)May 2, 2026 at 9:59 PM

    You made a really good point, Iza. Moreover, I’m someone who always stay in my comfort zone. However, after I read your message, it reminds me again to try to overcome my fears and try new things more often.😊

    ReplyDelete
  2. SosukeMay 5, 2026 at 4:35 PM

    I've used Gaspy before that's really good app. Sharing information and driving purchase intent might be also part of sharing economy!

    ReplyDelete
  3. David WoodfieldMay 5, 2026 at 4:45 PM

    An app I think that would be cool to see, would be one where appliance dismantlers could post parts they have available. Then independent technicians could access it and find the parts they need to repair & thus extend the life of the appliances in the community. This would be an app that could prevent material going to landfill.
    David

    ReplyDelete

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