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Sustainable living is getting easier as more and more platforms are helping people make the most of their possessions, and we recently saw a startup helping local communities share large, expensive and infrequently used items. Getmii is an app that enables users to broadcast requests to the 1,000 nearest people.

With a phone number and location information, the app connects users with their local community, helping them to share goods and services and cater to real-time, short-term needs. Users first register with their Facebook profile. Then, they post requests to the Need Feed, and can see what others around them are looking for. The app’s chat enables users to arrange payment, pick-up or barter — a particularly important feature in building the Getmii community. Ping-pong balls, a study partner and first date restaurant recommendations are three of the most common requests on Getmii.

The two main guidelines to using the Getmii app are to be positive and helpful. The team say that part of the trust-base for sharing economies is using real identities online, which is why they decided to ask users to link their profile with Facebook. Future iterations of the app are likely to feature in-app points or incentive features.

Are there ways in which a sharing economy could be scaled up?