People across the UK are being encouraged to share their food this Sunday as part of Global Sharing Day.
The theme for this year is food sharing and organisers will be attempting to set a world record for the most people sharing food in a single day.
They want more people to get together around a meal to reduce the amount of food that ends up in the bin and increase the amount that makes it to people's plates.
Global Sharing Day 2013 is taking place in partnership with Meal Sharing, Marks and Spencer's shwopping initiative, The Big Lunch, and The People Who Share.
A survey of more than 2,000 UK adults by Opinium for The People Who Share found that just under one in five (19%) regularly share food, whether its through a pot luck dinner, a picnic or street party.
Sabine Popp, cofounder of Marke2ing said the sharing economy is growing in the UK with a 5% increase in participation in the last year, with over half the population engaged in selling, buying or donating second hand goods. Over a third (36%) are sharing transport, an 11% increase on last year, she said.
The idea behind the sharing economy is to move away from individual ownership and towards the access of shared goods and services.
Benita Matofska, chief executive of the People Who Share: "UK consumers who currently share are benefiting from £4.6bn worth of savings or earnings. Consumers are now making and saving money through sharing, or renting with their friends and neighbours. According to our research, those that share can benefit up to £400 per year per person, with some benefiting from the sharing economy as much as £5,000 per year."
