Rec, Barcelona’s social currency
Description / Objectives
This social currency acts as a complementary form of payment, but does not replace the national currency. It gives us the opportunity to measure the impact of consumption on the city. It is estimated that 5,000 people are now using one of the 70 social currencies in Spain.
In Barcelona, the recurs econòmic ciutadà (rec - citizens' economic resource) has been introduced into ten neighbourhoods around Besòs. Developed by the council, in collaboration with NOVACT (International Institute for Nonviolent Action), it is one of a variety of currencies known as social or local.
It aims to create a citizen exchange system that is complementary or equal to the euro, strengthening associative networks. Paying a businesses, charging a client, sending money to someone or checking transactions are just some of the things you can already do with recs.
