Renting consumer “products as a service”: costly gimmick or green dream?

About this webinar

Are consumers ready for the end of ownership? Do they trust companies to look after them and their product and do they actually want a closer relationship with a manufacturer?
Or is it a new way to lure consumers into long-term contracts where they will end up paying more for sustainable products? Might other approaches like raising the bar via eco design standards be a more effective boost to a sustainable product market? September’s Start Talking will look at product as a service through the eyes of those who will be impacted the most by this new way of paying for products.

"Products as a Service" (PaaS) is a business model where consumers rent or subscribe to products instead of owning them. This approach separates ownership from usage, much like how streaming services have replaced physical DVDs by offering access to thousands of movies and TV shows.
Now, this model is expanding to a wide range of consumer goods, from socks to washing machines. Advocates say it could promote longer-lasting products and support a circular economy by reducing waste and encouraging manufacturers to create durable, repairable items. Businesses see it as a way to strengthen customer relationships, while the EU views it as vital to moving away from the traditional linear "take-make-dispose" cycle.
But is the hype justified? Will consumers embrace the end of ownership, trust companies to care for their products, and actually save money? Or is this just another way to lock people into costly, long-term contracts? Could other strategies, like stricter eco design standards, be more effective in promoting sustainability?

September’s Start Talking will look at product as a service through the eyes of those who will be impacted the most by this new way of paying for products - the consumers. The webinar will bring together experts from different angles to explore questions like:

- What’s the verdict on the existing consumer product as a service models out there?
- Is it cost effective for consumers?
- Are consumers ready to rent? Or are we tied to owning our ‘stuff’?
- Are these models the best way to reduce waste and keep products in use for as long as possible?
- How does the right to repair fit with consumer product as a service? And the right to share?
- What policy measures will support and speed up consumer products as a service?
- What needs to be in place to make sure models relying on aftercare deliver for consumers?
- Will constant upselling and notifications be the price of a new relationship with subscription model services?
- Is competition/consumer law able to stop lock in and keep subscription choices open?
- The chicken or the egg: isn’t quicker and easier to raise eco design standards to secure affordable sustainable products to consumers?