Jan 5 2017 - The world is running out of resources, yet, not showing any signs of curbing rampant consumerism.

Buying has become synonymous with living. Individual gratification trumps both need and responsibility.

According to Trading Economics, Japans current consumer spending of 296339.19 JPY Billion is estimated to increase to 303206.13 JPY Billion by 2020. Even though the jump may be not so significant, the situation is already dire in the amount of wasteful spending that has been occurring for years. The evidence is there in plain sight.

Despite reports of decreased spending, shoppers can be seen in plain sight on the streets of Tokyo carting bags full of products theyll seldom use. From over-priced luxury goods to everyday items that clutter already restrictive living spaces, modern lifestyles are taking a toll on individual lives, the society and especially, the environment for the worse.

Even Government institutions are prone to this mentality. A total of 3.5 trillion has been poured into reconstruction of the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake region. But many of the allocated funds comprise of careless efforts such as the construction of 15,000 homes in the area. The majority of the displaced for whom these houses are being built currently live in rent-free housing and have clearly refused to move back to the area. Despite this confirmation, the Government is trudging along with plans to complete the remainder of homes despite the almost certain high vacancy. Coupled with the facts that there is hesitancy to imbibe what has already been successful overseas (example: Uber /AIRBNB ) and a general aversion to change, Japan is still far behind in playing catch up to availing of the advantages that the Sharing Economy affords.

But a Hong Kong Based platform ECRENT is hopeful of changing that and warming up Japanese consumers to the idea of renting. Ecrent is the worlds largest and most extensive sharing platform, averaging over 350 million page visits and featuring over half a million items across multiple categories. Gotham Mamik, the firms Global Marketing Head states, "Anything from a hair dryer to a yacht can be rented on our site and App."

Unlike other rental platforms, Ecrent does not charge a fee or commission to rent items and services. Visitors to the site can freely browse and search for the item theyre interested in and then contact the owner directly. "The possibilities for savings are endless," Mamik goes on. "For example, one can rent the trendiest handbag for the weekend for a party they have to attend. It makes absolutely no sense to spend hundreds of thousands of yen, even if one can afford it, for something that youre going to use only a few times anyway. This isnt limited to just luxury items. We had a customer just last week who found a drill on our App in to do some repairs on his Front door in Kyoto."

With advanced Geo-mapping features on the APP, users can easily locate items within close proximity. Ecrent isnt just a platform for users to get items in their neighborhood, one can also earn a substantial rental income by uploading their own items for rent. For a low posting fee equivalent to $6 US, individuals can create a product page on which they can include pictures, description and the rate that they want to rent the item at (hourly, daily, weekly, monthly etc.) along with contact information. "The posting fee is minimal and mainly to eliminate fraudulent listings," Mamik explains, "which are so rampant on other sites like craigslist."

This way Ecrent allows users to both save and make money too. People have dozens of idle assets scattered across their homes that can be rented out to earn a substantial income. "The end goal is to create a community lifestyle where people spend less and share more."

Expanding upon this ecosystem of renting, Ecrent has diversified its interests into the B2B space and is creating new revenue streams for businesses. Case in point is a Battery Charger rental service that Ecrent operates out of Seven-Eleven Stores in Hong Kong. Customers can rent a charger for their mobile phone for $10HKD for a 24-hour period. For added convenience, the charger can be returned at any of the other 400 participating Seven-Eleven outlets within the city. A deposit amount is electronically held which is automatically refunded upon return of the charger. In this day and age of global connectivity where phones have become an indispensable part of our daily lives, its bewildering why more of these services dont exist. Ecrent is currently in advanced stages of similar partnerships with leaders across industries, from Car Manufacturers, Coffee Chains and Hospitality Groups, providing them with rental items and other features for their customers which will add to their Bottom line while also helping them to meet their CSR Mandates. "The philosophy is that less products does not mean less sales," Mamik states. "By intelligently utilizing the advantages that the Sharing Economy offers, everyone benefits. People dont alter their lifestyles and continue to experience the products and services theyre used to while saving money, Businesses cater to their customers more efficiently, manage inventory and costs and have measurable CSR goals and best of all, there is a substantial positive effect on the environment with less wastage of physical resources with reduced manufacturing."

We need to move towards a model of sustainable development. If one were to take just the clothing industry as an example (worth over $3 Trillion US), the environmental cost of conspicuous consumerism is overwhelming. Chinese factories alone produce over 4 billion tons of soot to service the manufacturing of fashion items. And this doesnt include the millions of tons of water that is wasted or the societal impact of disparity in income and exploitation experienced by factory workers.

But then again, Ideological practices that demand people change the way they carry out their daily lives is unrealistic. But a platform that imbibes the power of the internet and makes it easier for peer to peer sharing with a built in financial incentive, can bring about the needed changes. One can do good for the planet and for oneself simultaneously.

The Ecrent website already has a fully functional local Japanese page: www.ecrent.com/jp with hundreds of listings being added daily.

Ecrent HK is a wholly owned subsidiary of SEG (Share Economy Group) a listed company on the HK Stock Exchange (Code 1178)

ECrent Worldwide Company Limited

Address:

Flat C5, 26/F, TML Tower, 3 Hoi Shing Road, Tsuen Wan, NT, Hong Kong

Room 1201, 12/F International Commerce Centre, 1 Austin Road West, Hong Kong

T: +852-2156 2176 F: +852-28458161

Website: http://www.ecrent.com

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