Collaborative consumption (CC) is growing around the world, through the use of technological networks to do more with less, through hiring, lending, exchanging, bartering, giving away or sharing products on a previously unimaginable scale Proliferation ofCCPlatformshas boosted CC, with more than half of all EU citizens knowing about the collaborative economy and one person in six already using it (Eurobarometer, 2016). CC represents an innovative complement to a production economy in the form of a use-based economy offering economic, social and environmental benefits and offering a way out of the economic and financial crisis (Collaborative or participatory consumption: a sustainable model for the 21st century. European Economic and Social Committee. 2014) CC promotes cooperative values and solidarity in practice, leading to more environmentally friendly behavior in terms of the life cycles of the goods that people use. CC also provides an opportunity for the most vulnerable groups, experiencing economic hardship (Collaborative or participatory consumption: a sustainable model for the 21st century. European Economic and Social Committee. 2014) However, Elder persons (> 60 years old) are not enough benefiting from the opportunities offered by Collaborative Consumption (CC), mainly because; • Theyare not so aware about the application of CC patterns because they are used to apply Traditional Consumption • They lack of knowledge and Digital Skills for using of CC Platforms • They have not been subjected to the same educational and awareness activities about environmental and social impact of Consumptionthan the younger part of the population • There are legal and security risks which prevent them to use CC Platforms This means that Elder persons (> 60 years old) are not effectively participating in CC and, therefore: • The potential for reducing the environmental and social impact of their Consumption Patterns is not exploited • The potential for saving money or getting essential goods and services through this alternative way is not exploited • The potential for increasing their social integration through community participation is not exploited COL-SUMERS is launched with the main objective of increasing the competences (attitudes, skills, knowledge) of Elder Persons(>60 years old) about how to exploit Collaborative Consumption (CC)through an innovative training program The project has the next specific objectives: • To raise awareness and motivate the full collective about the benefits of CC patternsand transfer knowledge about selected CC Platforms enhancing the responsible and sustainable consumption • To transfer guidelines about how to use CC for improving the environmental and social impact of consumption • To transfer guidelines about how to use CC for enhancing the access to goods of persons witheconomic hardship • Develop properDigital Skills for exploiting CC Platforms Through the execution of this Project the next results will be obtained; • Co-Created Methodological Guide (I.O.1) will be developed, with the direct participation of End Users, with the main objective of determining the key contents, methodologies and tools needed for creating and improving the critical competences of Elder Persons (> 60 years old) for improving their access and exploitation of Collaborative Consumption • Training Materials (I.O.2)will be developed addressed to Elder Personsfor increase their access and exploitation of Collaborative Consumption • Designed Experiential Training Activities (I.O.3); They will be the core of the Training Program and they will be based inpractical and experiential traininginvolving Elder Persons, focused in the optimal and oriented exploitation of aforementioned Training Materials within real environments. • Development of an e-Training Platform (I.O.4), for supporting the implementation of the Training Methodology, including Training Materials(I.O.2),Designed Experiential Training Activities(I.O.3), Workspace and link to applicable ICT Tools and Collaborative Consumption Platforms. • Creation of 4COL-SUMERS UNITS in the ConsumersAssociations belonging to the Consortium in order to ensure the sustainable exploitation of the project after the project lifetime. • Development of Dissemination Actions addressed to the European collective related to Consumption. COL-SUMERS will benefit a number of persons during the project lifetime: • 170 Elder Consumers will be trained (40 in Romania, Spain, Slovenia and Bulgaria and 10 in Greece)through their participation in the validation actions of Training Materials, Designed Experiential Training Activities and e-Training Platform. • 2.500 Persons, including Elder Consumers and other stakeholders (500 in Romania, Spain, Slovenia, Bulgaria and Greece) will be aware, through multiplier events and dissemination actions to be carried on through the project website, newsletters, leaflets, etc…
Although we witness a proliferation of collaborative consumption platforms, especially in times of Covid19 pandemic restriction, when so many services moved to online, Elder persons (> 60 years old) have some specific challenges in front of these opportunities: lack of knowledge and Digital Skills for using of CC Platforms, lack o awareness of these opportunities and the risks (online security) which prevent them to use CC Platforms; This where our project steps in, by providing an innovative training program with the main objective of increasing the competences (attitudes, skills, knowledge) of Elder Persons(>60 years old) about how to exploit Collaborative Consumption (CC) Through the execution of this Project, 7 partners from 5 countries have: • developed Co-Created Methodological Guide, with the direct participation of End Users, determining the key contents, methodologies and tools needed for creating and improving the critical competences of Elder Persons (> 60 years old) for improving their access and exploitation of Collaborative Consumption • developed Training Materials addressed to Elder Persons for increase their access and exploitation of Collaborative Consumption. The structure of the Training materials is organized as follows: 1. Introduction to Collaborative Consumption (CC) 2. Impact of CC in Sustainability. 3. Evaluating my competences and expectations in CC. Self-assessment. 4. CC in the field of Wellbeing. 5. CC in the field of Energy and Water Consumption. 6. CC to reduce Wastes (inc. Food) and promote Recycling/Reusing. 7. CC in the field of Mobility. 8. CC for Sharing essential goods. 9: COL-SUMERS LAB. • developed Experiential Training Activities : based in practical and experiential training involving Elder Persons, focused in the optimal and oriented exploitation of aforementioned Training Materials within real environments. • developed an e-Training Platform (I.O.4), for supporting the implementation of the Training Methodology, including Training Materials(I.O.2), Designed Experiential Training Activities(I.O.3), Workspace and link to applicable ICT Tools and Collaborative Consumption Platforms. The platform is available at: https://platform.col-sumers.eu • developed 4 COL-SUMERS UNITS in the Consumers Associations belonging to the Consortium in order to ensure the sustainable exploitation of the project after the project lifetime. (Romania, Spain, Slovenia, Bulgaria and Greece) • dissemination Actions addressed to the European collective related to Consumption. The e-Training Platform (I.O.4), Training Materials(I.O.2), Designed Experiential Training Activities(I.O.3) have been produced in English, translated and available also in Spanish, Romanian, Greek, Slovenian and Bulgarian. From the COL-SUMERS project benefited a number of persons during the project lifetime: - 126 persons involved in the Co-Created Methodological Guide • 178 Elder Consumers have been trained through their participation in the validation actions of full training methodology which included: Training Materials (IO2), Designed Experiential Training Activities (IO2) and e-Training Platform (IO4). • more than 7.000 Persons, including Elder Consumers and other stakeholders (Romania, Spain, Slovenia, Bulgaria and Greece) have been made aware of project results, through multiplier events (175 persons) and dissemination actions to be carried on through the project website (>3000 page visits), newsletters (>3.500), leaflets (>3.500) .