About a quarter of all Poles consciously limit their consumption and buy less, new research has revealed.According to the research, 'Poles and the shared economy,' over half of respondents buy used items and almost nine out of 10 try to buy something new only when an old product has worn out. However, 45 percent of those polled said they had many items at home that they do not use.Slawomir Grzelczak, president of economic information agency BIG InfoMonitor, which commissioned the survey, said that when in need, some people try to monetise the excess goods they have accumulated. "Growing awareness of the negative effect of consumption on the environment has caused an increase in the tendency to buy things second hand," Grzelczak explained. "The research conducted for us shows that as many as half our compatriots have no problem with that. Many of them will probably use sharing services, given the chance, with a view to limiting purchases."The survey, conducted in cooperation with product rental firm Gleevery, showed that 51 percent of Poles choose to buy second-hand goods when possible. The poll also showed that 18 percent of the public were aware of the shared economy model, with awareness rising with the level of education. Awareness was also much higher in the under-25 age group than in those aged 55 or more. A total of 73 percent of polled said they perceived the benefits of such solutions.The researchers said that of all the goods available for rent, only medical equipment was more popular to borrow (54 percent) than to buy (25 percent). In second place came sports equipment while 8 percent said they rented an apartment, 7 percent rented bikes or scooters and 5 percent cars.The research found that product rentals were most popular among younger respondents, which was facilitated by the possibility of renting online.Grzelczak said the research had found that more than one in four people (27 percent) had unpaid debts, adding that data from BIG InfoMonitor and credit-scoring company BIK showed that one in 11 adult Poles had trouble paying their debts on time. "In total, 2.7 million Poles," Grzelczak said. "So it's no wonder that rental companies are careful and try to (credit) check potential customers to avoid the unreliable ones." The survey 'Poles and the shared economy' was conducted by Quality Watch using the Computer-Assisted Web Interview method between September 15 and 18, 2023, on a sample of 1,065 people.  (ICE VARSAVIA)

Fonte notizia: PAP