Share N Save is a website which helps South Australians reduce the cost of living and improve neighbourhood networks by making it easy to share, swap and do things together.

Sharon Ede explains:

“”Share N Save makes visible the often hidden networks of co-operation and collaboration. By highlighting all the great work that communities are already doing, it invites more people to participate, encourages replication of existing activities and uptake of initiatives happening elsewhere, as well as sparking completely new ideas.

The website uses state-of-the art technology to make finding, listing, and starting sharing projects as easy as entering a postcode or clicking on an icon. Share N Save is accessible on all major smartphones with no need for additional software or apps to be installed.

The website continues to be developed with the aim of including one-to-one sharing, ‘haves’ (offers) and ‘wants’ (needs), a calendar function and other enhancements to build sharing networks.

Zero Waste SA wants as many groups as possible in South Australia to list their free sharing activities on the site. It also wants to encourage people to start their own sharing activities and to list these on the website.

The Share N Save program is as much about the outreach, engagement and network building as it is progressively building the online functionality of the website.

Zero Waste SA intends to create a network of ‘Sharing Connectors’ by identifying community leaders and information disseminators to act as a conduit for information between their communities, and as a means of disseminating information to/from Share N Save.
The website is promoted through social media, advertising and a partnership with New Ltd which publishes stories of local sharing activities.

“Worldwide, the sharing phenomenon is rapidly gaining momentum and is identified with the ‘new economy’ movement emerging in the wake of converging ecological, social and economic crises,” says Zero Waste SA’s Sharon Ede.

“It is a positive, tangible way for citizens to have real agency over their lives and communities, and has a range of potential benefits including reducing household costs, supporting health and wellbeing, less resource use, and fostering prosperity through relocalisation of economic activity.”