The 'sharing economy' has become an attractive buzzword for ambitious start-ups looking to leverage its implicit messages of accessibility and sustainability. People rallied around the idea of borrowing stuff rather than buying it, but the vision of a sharing utopia hasn't materialised.

As Millennials increasingly perceive ownership as a burden, car-sharing companies like DriveNow are changing the game. From Dusseldorf to Munich, they’re catering to an ever-growing percentage of young Germans for whom owning a car is no longer a viable or ‘cool’ thing to do.

Car experts think that Europe is already experiencing 'peak car'. With smartphones and the internet offering young people freedom, renting rather than owning feels more appropriate to free-wheeling Gen Y. Could Audi’s sharing scheme signal a turning point in the industry?

With 425 sq ft apartments becoming the norm in North America, space is an issue. But as more people want to eat well, there's nowhere to put the juicer and sous-vide machine. The Kitchen Library in Toronto lets people rent kitchen equipment for a small fee, saving space and money.