Three questions for Stella Breitzmann from Rentables
Stella Breitzmann is the founder of Profitable, a shop for all the beautiful and practical things parents need for their children. What's special about it is that everything can be rented – for as long as you need it. Whether it's a breast pump, balance bike, travel cot, or stroller – with Rentables, children grow up sustainably. Less waste is also produced, and living spaces remain free for romping and playing, instead of serving as storage space. So, it's better to rent than buy!
1. What was and is your motivation behind Rentables?
A break about 13 years ago showed me that life can fit into just one suitcase and one backpack and that it feels like shedding a burden. It felt so good back then that we've been decluttering our lives ever since. There was nothing in our home that wasn't actually being used. For me, all the "material" that surrounded us was no longer something I was attached to or needed to be happy.
But then our children were born, and with them came all the products you supposedly need when you have children. The motto "less stuff" suddenly became a huge challenge. We were truly put to the test, constantly needing new things and receiving tons of them as gifts. Our house filled up again, and it was almost a struggle to get rid of all the things our children had outgrown far too quickly. No matter how hard we tried, a lot of them ended up unused in the basement.
At some point, I came up with the idea that it would be much easier if we could simply rent all these things. This gives us as parents the opportunity to optimally support our children and constantly provide them with new stimuli without filling the room with things that will quickly become unused. After they've played with them enough, everything can be easily returned and another family can use it. This conserves resources, and at the same time, our children learn, through play, how sustainability works in practice.
However, I hadn't really found what I was looking for in my online research. For me, the most important thing was that it was uncomplicated. No subscription, no obligation, and above all, it should be easy to book, and even renting for short periods (e.g., for a two-week vacation) should be possible. Furthermore, I wanted to be represented not only online, but also in brick-and-mortar stores. Profitable born.
The Profitable The focus is particularly on the first years of life, when children go through many different developmental stages, each requiring different equipment. We started with a smaller range and are now gradually expanding it. We are in contact with various manufacturers for this purpose. Thule is a brand new addition. In the future, it will also be possible to rent child carriers and bike trailers. We're also open to requests for items. Our customers can drop by or have the items shipped to them anywhere in Germany. We look forward to a future in which it's perfectly normal to simply rent things you won't need for long, rather than buy them.
2. What do you advise our readers: What can you do specifically for a better future?
Our future is our children. Only when we are truly aware of this will all our actions automatically lead to a better future. If we always act with the best interests of our children in mind, everything else will automatically fall into place. Who wouldn't want their children to grow up surrounded by green meadows and clear streams, surrounded by fresh, clean air?
3. How do travel and sustainability fit together for you?
I believe that we can only develop a deep awareness of why we should live sustainably if we also get to know the world and its beautiful, diverse places. Of course, HOW we travel is important, and we must be conscious of changing the places as little as possible. Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but pictures, kill nothing but time! Anyone who has truly opened their eyes to what this world has to offer will do much to protect it. Traveling gives us the opportunity to establish a truly personal connection with other cultures and habitats. In doing so, we learn that everything is interconnected and interdependent. Back home, we then have the opportunity, through our actions in the here and now, to preserve these habitats, in other cultures, and for our shared future.
Conclusion: Rent instead of buy – sustainable through family time
Rentables shows how easy sustainable family life can be: rent instead of buy Reduces the burden on the environment, your wallet, and your home. Using only what's truly needed saves resources – and gives children space to grow, play, and learn. A future-oriented concept that rethinks conscious consumption.
If you want to stop by Stella's. Click here to go to their store.
Photos: Private
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Geraldine Voss
Geraldine works as a freelance writer for Good Travel and has just completed training as a sustainability manager. After twenty exciting years in film, she now devotes herself full-time to her other passions - travel, food and design.
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