The “sharing economy” is a new economic model based on accessing resources rather than owning them, that hopes to alleviate our economic and environmental problems while building community at the same time.

Let’s say you need a pickup truck to move some furniture. Your neighbor lends you his truck, and you pay him for the time. Now, extend that model to anything and use web-based social networking to connect with the entire world – not just your neighborhood. That’s the sharing economy.

A campaign on Indiegogo hopes to make this concept mainstream, and TriplePundit and Shareable are teaming up to co-produce an article series on the sharing economy. Supporters can get their hands on a variety of perks from companies leading the sharing economy movement, such as free driving credit, parking spaces, and bike rentals. Check out the video below for more information:

The Rise of the Sharing Economy