Subscription Economy as a Tool for Promoting Sustainable Consumption in Poland

Entities using business models that integrate sustainability principles into business practice are gaining popularity through innovative measures. One such model is the subscription economy, in which customers pay regularly for access to products or services rather than purchasing them once. The study aims to present the subscription economy as a model that can help promote sustainable consumption. The paper uses a diagnostic survey method and a literature analysis and critique. Based on the literature on sustainable business models, the authors have shown that subscription economics, meeting the conditions of a sustainable model, can play an important role in promoting sustainable consumption (in terms of economic, social, and environmental rationality). The authors’ own research showed that Poles are very interested in the subscription model and its greatest importance in terms of economic rationality, which is the most important element of sustainable consumption. This also applies to the younger generation, which, despite being characterized by a high awareness of growing social and environmental problems, identifies sustainability as a secondary motivation to personal benefits such as financial security.