Maria Laura Gudio

Collaborative consumption
We Are What We Buy?
Nowadays we live in a world where everything can be bought !very goods we want and
need can be consumed due to their availability and diversity "owever# there is a cost $or this
$reedom% there is an unprecedented amount o$ waste What is more# the planet is running out
o$ resources and they cannot be replaced As a response to these $acts and as a way o$ ta&ing
conscience o$ our consumerist tendencies# a new trend has arisen% collaborative consumption
'achel Bostman and 'oo 'ogers in their boo& Whats Mine is Yours ()*+*, de$ine
collaborative consumption as the -traditional sharing# bartering# lending# trading# renting#
gi$ting# and swapping# rede$ined through technology and peer communities.(p +/, 0hat is to
say# people may have started using communication technologies# especially social networ&s
over the 1nternet# to e2change# sell# or share goods and services that a person can spare 0his
new trend is not so new# because3 who has not worn some inherited clothing $rom an older
sibling or cousin? 0he novelty lies in the use o$ social networ&s and other web based pages in
order to do this
But# considering the huge amount o$ advertisements that is being bombarded to us through
the media3 is it possible to stop producing and buying new products? 4ome may argue that
consumerism is necessary to preserve 5ob sources 0he truth is that in current industrial and
technological companies# the processes o$ production are automated so there are not that
many operators wor&ing in the $actories What is more# sometimes repairing a bro&en
appliance can produce more 5ob sources than building a new one
Another ob5ection may also be that appliances today have an e2piration date# so it is
necessary to buy new ob5ects in order not to be le$t out o$ the system 46 7ictor and 4uresh
8umar in their paper -6lanned 9bsolescence : 'oadway to 1ncreasing !;waste in 1ndian
Government 4ector.()*+), state that the automotive sector was the $irst to be accused o$
practicing planned obsolescence in its products -<etractors o$ the industry claimed that
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Maria Laura Gudio
Collaborative consumption
automa&ers intentionally designed and built models that would rust or su$$er critical
mechanical brea&downs a$ter $ive or si2 years# thus ensuring another sale within a $ew
years.(p //=, 6lanned obsolescence o$ the products is used by companies in order to &eep
the levels o$ production in the $actories and# according to 7ictor and 8umar -the constant
upgrades o$ computer programs have helped bolster the revenue o$ so$tware companies. (p
//=,
A third complaint about this new trend may be the $ear o$ ta&ing the ris& to sell or barter
things with some strange over the computer Bostman and 'ogers ()*+*, state that -most
$orms o$ Collaborative Consumption re>uire us to trust someone we don?t &now to di$$erent
degrees. (p +@A, A distinctive characteristic o$ these new web based communities is that
they raise a sense o$ trust with each other 6ersonal relationships are bac& at the center o$ the
scene# what ma&es it easier to re;create this value that has been lost $or a very long time
Nowadays more and more online communities are born in order to 5oin together people
that have concrete needs with those that can $ul$ill them 1n Argentina# there are several
e2amples o$ this &ind o$ communities% Mercado Libre, Freecycle Argentina, Alguien tiene?...
Yo tengo, among others 0his trend is growing in Argentina# and one o$ the newest
communities is called BGratiferiasB ($ree $airs, 0he aim o$ this paper is to &now and
understand the $unctioning o$ a Grati$eria# to loo& $or ways o$ improving it# and to prove how
it is possible to start a switch $rom an economy based on money to an economy based on
resources
What is a Gratiferia?
Grati$erias are an e2ample o$ what Botsman and 'ogers ()*+*, calls -redistribution
mar&ets. 'edistribution mar&ets are the repositioning o$ used or pre;owned goods that are
not needed anymore to another place or person that can ma&e use o$ those goods 0hey state
that -moving unwanted goods $rom nonuse to reuse is now practical# convenient# and
)
Maria Laura Gudio
Collaborative consumption
worthwhile.(p +C), 0he grati$erias are a re$lection o$ this system% it is a $air where
everything is $ree A group o$ people meet in a be$orehand de$ined place# usually a s>uare#
with things they do not use anymore Dnli&e bartering# in which goods are e2change $or other
goods# grati$erias are not based on reciprocity# but on gratuity 6eople place their things in a
sort o$ improvised stand# or in a blan&et on the $loor# while others go and get whatever they
need $rom those things 0he main aim o$ these $airs is to give away ob5ects that are without
use and tend to be accumulated 0he motto o$ the grati$eria is% "Tra lo !ue !uieras "o nada#
y lle$ate lo !ue !uieras "o nada#" (Bring whatever you want Eor nothingF and ta&e whatever
you want Eor nothingF,
Although clothes are the most $ound ob5ects in grati$erias# they are not the only ob5ects
people give away# but also they can ta&e $ood such as vegetables and $ruit produced in their
own gardens# &itchen cutlery# tools# toys# or technological products such as cell phones#
modems# routers# among other ob5ects 0he only rule regarding the ob5ects to give away is
that they be in good shape% i$ they need to be repaired or washed# the owner should ta&e care
o$ them be$ore ta&ing them to the $air
0hese $airs are a good meeting point $or people o$ di$$erent social classes# and many
consider them as a nice way o$ spending an a$ternoon with their $amilies 4ome people may
o$$er services# such as hairdressing# tango or salsa lessons# recycling lessons# &nitting#
etcetera A survey was conducted by Gudio ()*+), in order to study the patterns o$
acceptance o$ this new system# and some participants stated that they en5oy the camaraderie
shared with others and the solidarity among people 9thers highlight the importance o$ the
circulation and redistribution o$ goods# in a way that nothing is e2pected in return
4ocial networ&s are a great tool to match supply and demand% people who need things and
people who own them 0he main way in what people &now when and where a Grati$eria is
organiGed is via Haceboo& 1n Argentina there are di$$erent groups based on the social
@
Maria Laura Gudio
Collaborative consumption
networ& that call $or meetings in di$$erent cities% CIrdoba# 4anta He# 4alta# Buenos Aires# are
some o$ the places where these $airs can be $ound 1n $act# in the same survey about this new
system# J)/K o$ the people consulted about how they &new about the e2istence o$
Grati$erias# say that they got the in$ormation $rom Haceboo&3 while )/K &new about it
through a $riend and A=K heard about the movement in television or other media About
=)K o$ the people have participated o$ more than / $airs# what shows that they actually en5oy
the e2perience And when being as&ed about whether they en5oy it or not# =C/K say they
have a good time and another =C/K state that they love participating in the $airs
!ven though the grati$erias are an en5oyable e2perience# still there are a lot o$ aspects that
can be improved 4ince this is a new concept# many people still do not understand the rules
and comply with them 0here have been cases o$ melees# and they sometimes discourage the
participants 4ome people believe it is because o$ lac& o$ education and in$ormation about the
$unctioning and philosophy o$ grati$erias Nowadays there are some pro5ects o$ seminars in
order to help people understand which behaviors are acceptable and which are not acceptable
during the $air Also# some helpers collaborate with the participants that bring things to place
them and to &eep the rest o$ the people >uiet while they $inish 9ther people thin& that it is
important to spread the word about the meetings in order to have more people visiting and
helping
But what about money?
4o is it possible to switch $rom a money based economy to a resource based economy?
According to Brian Walsh in its article Today%s &'art (hoice) *on%t +,n. &hare ()*++,# -the
ownership society (is, rotting $rom the inside out. 6eople understand that it is not necessary
to own an ob5ect that will be used only a $ew times# so they decide to borrow it 0he increase
in groups and companies as the ones described be$ore is due to the new conscience o$
community and trust Walsh adds at the end o$ his article%
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Maria Laura Gudio
Collaborative consumption
9ne researcher has $ound that people get a spi&e o$ the pleasant neurotransmitter
o2ytocin when theyLre entrusted with anotherLs goods 0hatLs the beauty o$ a sharing
society M and perhaps the reason it might prove more lasting than one built on
ownership (para N,
4o ta&ing part in this new trend may even help to improve peopleLs health and well being
Conclusion
0he world is changing Nowadays it does not seme as important to get the latest car# or to
wear the last and more e2pensive pair o$ shoes as it was a $ew years ago 6eople are trying to
turn bac& to their roots# and to learn new ways o$ obtaining what could only be obtained with
money be$ore 1n order to $ind these new ways# the 1nternet has become a very power$ul tool%
1t helps to create communities that share these aims o$ helping and receiving help# o$ trusting
and being trusted upon Among many e2amples in Argentina# the Grati$erias stand out by
showing how help$ul and generous people can be 0hey prove that it is possible to give new
use to those ob5ects that are accumulating dust at home And at the end they may also prove
that it is possible to build a new society where money is not the most necessary means to
ac>uire what people need
/
Maria Laura Gudio
Collaborative consumption
'e$erence list
Bostman ' and 'ogers ' ()*+*, Whats Mine is Yours the -ise of (ollaborati$e
(onsu'.tion "arperCollins e;boo&s# New Oor& )*+*
Walsh B (March )*++, 0odayLs 4mart Choice% <onLt 9wn 4hare. Ti'es 'aga/ine .
7ictor 46 and 8umar 4 (Puly )*+), 6lanned 9bsolescence : 'oadway to 1ncreasing
!;waste in 1ndian Government 4ector 0nternational 1ournal of &oft (o'.uting and
2ngineering "01&(2#.
Gudio# M L ()*+), Grati$erias survey E4urveyF )= september
Grati$erias Cordoba Grati$eros en plaGa ColIn )*+) E7ideo $ileF retrieved on = 9ctober
$rom% http%QQwwwyoutubecomQwatch?vRN)bgoeeSoTs
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