Share Peterborough
Unlocking the value of under-used city assetsTHE CHALLENGE
Peterborough’s economy, like many in the western world, has a ‘make, use, dispose’ approach to resources. If we continue to live and work in this way, we will need three planets worth of resources to sustain us. Peterborough is dealing with this challenge head on, declaring a vision to become the UK’s first circular city by 2050. In simple terms, this means thinking differently about the way in which resources are used extending their use to gain maximum value.
Peterborough’s practical guide to educate and encourage this different way of thinking is illustrated through the 7 R’s; rethink; redesign; repurpose, reuse and share; repair; remanufacture; recycle and recover.
Many Peterborough businesses operate in silo’s and struggle with limited resources, particularly SMEs. On the other hand a great deal of waste is created, much of which could be put to use elsewhere in the city.
How could we bring businesses together to facilitate the sharing of resources, promoting long term engagement and commitment to the circular vision?
THE SOLUTION
Fengate is a business community on the outskirts of Peterborough, populated by an eclectic mix of businesses from manufacturing, retail and services, ranging in size from micro start ups to large corporations. When asked about barriers to Peterborough’s vision of becoming more economically viable, socially stronger and environmentally sustainable, the key message emerging was lack of resource, access to skills, knowledge, facilities and materials.
By talking to Fengate businesses, it became clear that there were a number of missed opportunities to solve some of these issues by co-operating with neighbours and sharing products, skills and services. What was needed was a mechanism to bring those companies together.
The key to the solution lay in the phenomenon of the sharing economy where peer-to-peer online platforms such as Airbnb, BorrowMyDoggy and JustPark demonstrate the value of unlockeing assets in the consumer market.
Share Peterborough is a B2B platform designed to enable organisations in the city to share and exchange underutilised or unwanted resources and assets such as products and things, skills, knowledge, spaces and places. Businesses sign up and are able to ‘trade’ unwanted resources and ask for the very same things when needed. Membership is free to Peterborough businesses. Sign up today at www.sharepeterborough.com to support Peterborough’s circular vision.