Leipzig’s “depot” – the circular economy on every street corner

Posted on October, 8th 2019.

To encourage resource sharing locally, the German city hosts a platform for lending and renting all kinds of objects.

Local people, local authorities and local businesses make all kinds of objects available that can be rented at low cost or even borrowed for free.

Limiting the production of new goods and therefore waste is one of the principles of the circular economy. In support, over the last few years the collaborative economy, also known as the sharing economy, has been developing. Its promoters advocate a more resource-friendly way of consuming, based on people sharing goods and services. Everywhere, initiatives are flourishing: in Beirut, in Paris, and now in Leipzig, a German city in Saxony. In 2018, a new platform was set up with the support of the Veolia Foundation.
The "depot" is an Ali Baba’s cave where all sorts of things can be rented or borrowed! The principle is simple: local people, local authorities and local businesses make all kinds of objects available that can be rented at low cost or even borrowed for free.
Among the resources offered on the platform are DIY tools, home appliances, high-tech appliances, furniture – not to forget musical instruments or reception marquees. Even buildings can be borrowed! The site offers various spaces: rooms for meetings, sports, relaxation, teaching... It leverages resource sharing between residents and encourages the reuse of objects locally.
After barely a year in existence, the Leipzig "depot" has facilitated 80 loans and rentals a month. An encouraging start that proves that more and more folk are interested in this type of responsible consumption. Very soon the founders of "depot" hope to duplicate their model and roll it out on a larger scale in other German cities.

Das Depot #Leipzig, eine Plattform zum Teilen von #Ressourcen, ist eines der sechs neuen Förderprojekte der #Veolia Stiftung. Gestern fand im Rahmen der Leipziger Ökofete die Übergabe eines symbolischen Förderschecks statt. Infos: https://t.co/HcE7lKtkJm #Kreislaufwirtschaft pic.twitter.com/fGYzdq89pN
— Veolia Deutschland (@VeoliaDE) June 25, 2018