Careless product use in access-based services: A rebound effect and how to address it

The sharing economy promises to alleviate environmental pressures by optimizing the distribution and use of resources, for example, shifting from ownership to access-based services. Services that grant users access for a long period only improve sustainability if they extend product lifetimes. However, careless use of accessed products reduces product lifetimes. We investigate the problem–solution space of product care in access-based services. A user survey reveals significantly lower product care for accessed than owned washing machines. We then systematically develop solutions to stimulate product care in access-based services, resulting in ten strategies and 23 design solutions. Levers and barriers to promoting product care are uncovered through interviews with access-based service providers; the range of products impacts providers’ ability to implement product-specific care strategies, the service can be designed to deter or attract user groups, and providers’ control over the supply chain determines which product care strategies they can implement.