Simplify possessions, maximize lifestyle: that's the approach of Poppins, the Airbnb-style platform for items
In the heart of Paris, a new app called Poppins is making waves, connecting neighbours to lend or rent out underutilized objects. The brainchild of Lucie Basch, the app is part of a growing movement towards circular growth and sustainable consumption.
According to a 2024 Eurobarometer study, over 80% of the population in countries like France and Germany are open to sharing occasional-use items. This sentiment is reflected in the growing popularity of Poppins, which boasts over 40,000 users in France.
Poppins follows the same principle as Basch's previous app, Too Good To Go, which aimed to reduce food waste. The app encourages a change in mindset, advocating for "Own less, live more". It allows users to visualize available objects in their area, differentiating between free loans and rentals.
One-third of the objects owned by an average person in France are never used, according to Basch. By promoting sharing, Poppins aims to make sharing objects more popular than buying, thereby reducing waste and strengthening communities by facilitating local networks of trust.
Major electronics companies are adopting rental models, signifying a shift in the ownership paradigm. Libraries of objects and lending banks are multiplying across Europe, including cities like Berlin, Amsterdam, and Copenhagen. Poppins aspires to be at the forefront of this movement, digitizing and professionalizing the practice of sharing.
The app does not allow announcing weapons or sex toys and has active moderation to ensure a safe and respectful environment. It also incorporates insurance, moderation, and user reputation systems to build trust among its users.
The app takes a commission on rentals, but its ambition goes beyond business. Basch seeks to establish a culture of sharing, believing that this approach can significantly impact consumption patterns, reduce waste, and lower the environmental footprint of consumption.
While the specific impact and growth potential of Poppins are yet to be determined, the app represents a promising step towards a circular economy, where resources are kept in use for as long as possible, and the value of products and materials is maintained in the economy for as long as possible.
The United Nations estimates that over a thousand billion meals are lost worldwide each year, and this waste translates to lost energy, materials, and space when applied to objects. Platforms like Poppins have the potential to address this issue by promoting reuse and recycling of goods, thereby reducing the demand for new, resource-intensive products.
As the world grapples with the consequences of overconsumption and waste, platforms like Poppins offer a glimmer of hope for a more sustainable future. By fostering community engagement, promoting circular economy principles, and reducing waste, such platforms have a significant role to play in shaping a more sustainable and equitable world.
- Lucie Basch, the founder of Poppins, is extending her efforts to combat climate change by promoting a circular economy, following the success of her previous app, Too Good To Go, which aimed to reduce food waste.
- In the realm of environmental science, Poppins stands out as a solution to mitigate the waste created by underutilized objects, inspiring a shift from ownership to sharing within communities.
- Apart from promoting a sustainable lifestyle, Poppins ventures into fashion-and-beauty and home-and-garden products, demonstrating the app's broad reach in addressing overconsumption across various sectors.
- Providing a platform for lending and renting out underutilized objects, Poppins intertwines with the burgeoning technology landscape, potentially influencing industries like electronics to adopt rental models, thus facilitating a sustainable future.
