Product-service systems and sustainable features: a comparative analysis of five bike-sharing systems

Abstract

In order to establish alternative forms of consumption and achieve sustainable results, product-service systems (PSSs) appear as competitive and innovative strategies for replacing the sale of products only with the offering of a solution that combines products and services and also provides lower environmental impact. This study identifies fundamental features of PSSs empirically by analyzing cases in Europe and South America. The systems are bike-sharing programs, which are analyzed according to the specific aspects that define their operation and performance from the perspective of a PSS. Comparative tables are obtained from the five selected programs, including their characteristics, examined under the criteria of sustainability.