In recent years, alongside ownership-based individual consumption, innovative forms of collaborative consumption have increasingly developed in which the focus is on access to products rather than their ownership. One form that is developing very dynamically is peer-to-peer sharing. This is the temporary and usually remunerated lending, purchase or exchange of products and services between private individuals, usually mediated by an electronic platform.

Together with the Institute for Ecological Economy Research (IÖW) and the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (IFEU), the IZT investigated the perspectives of peer-to-peer sharing for sustainable economic activity within the framework of social-ecological research. The following research questions were addressed: What ecological and social sustainability effects does peer-to-peer sharing achieve? To what extent can rebound effects arise or be avoided? What motives and obstacles exist on the part of consumers? What role do consumer routines and lifestyles play in the acceptance of peer-to-peer sharing? How can consumers be mobilised for peer-to-peer sharing? What unintended disadvantages for the individual and for society can be associated with peer-to-peer sharing, e.g. an 'economisation of everyday life'? What are hindering and facilitating factors for the viability and spread of peer-to-peer sharing - at the level of business models as well as with regard to suitable framework conditions? What business field and governance perspectives are emerging?

Electronic platforms such as Airbnb and Kleiderkreisel were the focus of this project. In real laboratories, business model and governance analyses, empirical studies of consumer behaviour, life cycle assessment calculations and potential assessments were carried out with four peer-to-peer sharing platforms (Airbnb, Kleiderkreisel, Drivy and flinc).