Share Friday versus Black Friday. Faced with the frenzy of « black friday » — in 2023, 2 out of 3 French people took advantage of this day to make purchases, mainly from e-commerce giants — more responsible initiatives are emerging. Among them, Share Friday: « consume less, share better ! »launched by twenty collaborative consumption companies, including Home Exchange, Geev and Bene Bono. Sharing, exchanging, bartering, renting or selling second-hand items: the idea is to avoid purchasing new items.
But according to Florence Benoît-Moreau, responsible consumption researcher and lecturer at Paris-Dauphine University, it is necessary to deconstruct the myths around the collaborative economy. « Collaborative is very positive, we have the impression that we are in a more united society. It is crucial to move away from this idealized vision »she said to Reporterre. In 2017, she carried out a study on collaborative consumption with Béatrice Parguel, also a researcher.
However, it would be misleading to consider all collaborative consumption as a homogeneous block. Not all initiatives are equal. « There are companies that only want to make a profit and others that are well-intentioned… which still cause rebound effects. »warns the responsible consumption specialist.
Virtuous initiatives
Let's take donations between individuals for example, as offered by the Geev application. The latter move away from market logic. « There is no economic interest in giving, only psychological », explains the researcher. According to a report from Ademe in 2016 (the Environment and Energy Management Agency), ecological motivations are predominant only for non-profit platforms such as those dedicated to donations. « Our vocation is reuse » explain to Reporterre Carole Fouquet, the marketing director of the application. However, only 30 % of donations on Geev avoid the purchase of a new item, according to the latter.
For anti-food waste initiatives, even paid ones, the benefit is clear. Bene Bono, for example, sells « good products » including unsold fruits and vegetables at reduced prices. « On food which is a perishable good, the initiative is always virtuous because the alternative would be to have lost the good »underlines Florence Benoît-Moreau.
Renting offers different advantages. Renting a quality suit for a wedding helps support local sectors and reduce the ecological footprint. « It is an interesting alternative to ownership »notes Florence Benoît-Moreau. « Renting allows you to test a product before purchasing it, reducing impulsive and unnecessary purchases. »
Rebound effects
Would an item purchased second-hand have been purchased new without this possibility? ? Likewise, does selling a good become a pretext to replace it more quickly? ? According to Florence Benoît-Moreau, collaborative consumption can reinforce the desire to buy. « You have a kind of opportunity, which is to have an additional product, for really cheap »she explains. « You can buy four items for the price of one, all in just three clicks, delivered to us. » Consumers feel increased satisfaction from owning a new item, while getting a good deal.
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« The clothes, in particular, have all the faults. They can be stored easily, they do not require maintenance and are linked to the social image »analyzes the researcher. These characteristics encourage compulsive behavior and aggravate the harmful effects of the textile industry, the second most polluting in the world. The fact that selling your property requires an effort (photo, posting online, sending, etc.), this « sometimes helps you realize that you generate a lot. It invites a form of introspection »shade Florence Benoît-Moreau.
This mechanism is accompanied by a « rebound effect » : Savings often encourage other spending. Especially since these platforms cause a form of « good ecological conscience » according to the researcher. They relieve the guilt of users who feel like they have the right to have fun.
« This has a windfall effect »
Another example: the exchange of houses between individuals, offered by Home Exchange — the company behind Share Friday. « This has a windfall effect because the house exchange does not generate any costs [bien que l’inscription au site ait un prix]. This encourages more trips, which has an ecological impact »explains Florence Benoît-Moreau. The press manager of Home Exchange France, however, emphasizes that « 63 % of trips made via these exchanges remain local or national ».
Towards a new relationship with material goods ?
To maximize their positive effects, collaborative platforms must, according to Florence Benoît-Moreau, « go beyond simple guilt-freeness and raise awareness of environmental consequences ». Educational tools, such as consumption meters, could be implemented. Thus, as the researcher suggests, consumers could receive a message: « Be careful, you bought three pairs of shoes recently. »
However, these practices will not be enough to transform our lifestyles, and politicians must take over. Last October, the finance committee of the National Assembly adopted an amendment to the 2025 finance bill which makes Airbnb-type rentals subject to payment of the TVA. « Public measures, such as the tax applied to AirBnb for competition reasons, could be implemented on house exchanges in particular, which result in travel. An environmental tax could encourage more thoughtful choices »suggests Florence Benoît-Moreau.
THE RAVAGES OF BLACK FRIDAY
A major annual event for good deals, Black Friday emerges each year as a symbol of overconsumption. In 2022, according to a study of nearly 9,000 Europeans, households will accumulate an average of thirteen unused electronic devices. According to an Ipsos survey for Le Dénicheur, the French plan to spend 233 euros in two days (Black Friday and Cyber Monday).
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