A new report has estimated the savings and earnings from the UK Sharing Economy at £4.6billion. The research, conducted by Opinium and commissioned by The People who Share, also found 65 per cent of UK adults currently take part in the Sharing Economy through actions such as car sharing, renting or lending goods or space, buying second-hand products and food sharing.

16 May 2013 – New research shows that 65 per cent of adults in the UK are already part of the Sharing Economy, and a further 28 per cent would consider doing so, if they don’t already. The representative research conducted by Opinium of 2,005 adults in the UK was commissioned by The People who Share to demonstrate the growing consumer appetite for the Sharing Economy and launch Global Sharing Day on Sunday 2 June.

“Smart UK consumers who currently share are benefiting from £4.6billion worth of savings or earnings. The Sharing Economy is the people’s sustainable economy and is a good deal for everyone. Consumers are now making and saving money through sharing and renting goods and services, plus they can help their neighbours and the environment. According to this research, those that share, can benefit up to £400 per year per person, with some benefiting as much as £5,000 per year,” said Benita Matofska, CEO of The People who Share.

The Sharing Economy is being driven by both consumer demand and businesses appetite for more sustainable growth. With more than 10,000 businesses now growing the Sharing Economy globally, such as, compareandshare.com, airbnb, Meal Sharing, zipcar, Blablacar, Liftshare, LoveHomeSwap, ParkatmyHouse, Sooqini, Ecomodo, rentmyitems, and the borrowers, according to Collaborative Consumption the economy is now valued at £330billion globally and £22.4billion in the UK.

Food sharing, such as at a picnic, pot luck dinner or street party is one of the UK’s most favourite sharing activities - with 29 per cent of the population saying they currently do this. Global Sharing Day will take place on Sunday 2nd June. In partnership with Meal Sharing, Marks and Spencer shwopping and The Big Lunch, The People Who Share will be aiming to set the world record for the most people sharing food in a single day! Food sharing has a vital to role to play - 15 million tonnes of food are currently wasted between plough and plate that could have been shared with 4 million people affected by food poverty in the UK.

Growing numbers of organisations are now working to divert waste food away from landfill to those that need it. FareShare ensures that surplus food goes to those most in need – last year 10million meals were delivered to people living in food poverty from food that was diverted away from landfill. The Trussell Trust for example, has seen a 170 per cent increase in the number of people given food boxes over the past year and a 76 per cent increase in the number of food banks set up. And Casserole connects people who want to share meals with those that are elderly and are in need.

As pioneers of the Sharing Economy, Zipcar, the UK’s largest pay-as-you-drive car club, has been observing its growth for the last 12 years. Mark Walker, General Manager of Zipcar UK, said: “We are delighted to be supporting Global Sharing Day. The Pay-as-you-live generation is here to stay and Zipcar has been proudly fuelling the Sharing Economy by providing cars and vans, available by the hour in convenient locations to consumers and businesses for the last twelve years. A typical Zipcar member saves over £3,000 per year, and it’s not just money back in your pocket. Car clubs also lead to a reduction of cars on the road, and fewer miles driven. Sharing resources, be it cars, office space or even clothes just makes sense.”

“With 64 per cent of the adults population now already sharing, according to Opinium research, there is potential for this to grow to 93 per cent. Consumers are sharing to save or earn money, to help people in their neighbourhood and because it benefits the environment. This is no longer a niche activity, it’s now part of how people live their lives,” said Kate Hinton, Director, Trust PR.

“The Sharing Economy is growing in the UK with a five per cent increase in participation since last year. With over half the population engaged in it, selling, buying or donating second hand goods is the nation’s favourite sharing activity. 36 per cent of Britons now share transport including a ride to work, that’s a staggering eleven per cent more than last year!” said Sabine Popp, Co-Founder, Marke2ing.

The Sharing Economy is about the efficient use of resources, about saving and making money in a new way (e.g. car sharing, peer 2 peer selling of used goods, crowdfunding, peer 2 peer lending), and about a move away from ownership to the access of shared goods and services. Sharing can include swapping goods, buying and selling second hand goods, group buying, being part of a club such as a car club, renting goods or space, borrowing or lending items such as tools or clothing.

For further information, please visit www.thepeoplewhoshare.com