The limitations of product longevity

Are longer product lifetimes really better for the environment?

Authors

  • Ingun Grimstad Klepp OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway
  • Irene Maldini OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway; Kolding Design School, Denmark
  • Kirsi Laitala OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54337/plate2025-10317

Keywords:

Product longevity, Clothing, Environmental impacts, Literature review

Author Biography

Ingun Grimstad Klepp, OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway

Prof. Ingun Grimstad Klepp is professor of clothing and sustainability at Consumption Research Norway- SIFO, Oslo Metropolitan University. Her contribution has been key in developing methods and knowledge about the use phase of clothing and textiles. She currently leads the projects “Wasted Textiles” and “CHANGE: Environmental systems shift in clothing consumption”.

References

Armstrong, C. M., & Park, H. (2020). Online Clothing Resale: A Practice Theory Approach to Evaluate Sustainable Consumption Gains. Journal of Sustainability Research, 2(2), 1–24. https://doi.org/10.20900/jsr20200017

Beton, A., Dias, D., Farrant, L., Gibon, T., Le Guern, Y., Desaxce, M., Perwueltz, A., Boufateh, I., Wolf, O., Kougoulis, J., Cordella, M., & Dodd, N. (2014). Environmental Improvement Potential of textiles (IMPRO Textiles). In Report EUR 26316 EN (January). https://doi.org/10.2791/52624

Cooper, T. (2020). Slower cycles: An essential characteristic of the circular economy. In S. Eisenriegler (Ed.), The Circular Economy in the European Union: An Interim Review (pp. 99–116). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-50239-3_9

Downes, J., Thomas, B., Dunkerley, C., & Walker, H. (2011). Longer Product Lifetimes: Summary Report.

EC. (2022). EU strategy for sustainable and circular textiles. Brussels Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/environment/publications/textiles-strategy_en

Farrant, L. (2008). Environmental benefits from reusing clothes. Master Thesis. Technical University Denmark.

Fletcher, K., Maldini, I., Klepp, I. G., Laitala, K., Måge, J., & Tobiasson, T. S. (2023). Ecodesign position paper: Textiles and footwear. In: Clothing Research.

Haugrønning, V., & Haugsrud, I. (2024). Comparing Male and Female Wardrobes: Gender Dynamics in the Practice of Dressing. In E. Jacobsen, P. Strandbakken, A. Dulsrud, & S. E. Skuland (Eds.), Consumers and Consumption in Comparison (Vol. 37, pp. 139-165). Emerald Publishing Limited. https://doi.org/10.1108/S0195-631020240000037007

Heidenstrøm, N., Strandbakken, P., Haugrønning, V., & Laitala, K. (2021). Product lifetime in European and Norwegian policies. https://oda.oslomet.no/oda-xmlui/handle/11250/2774663

Iraldo, F., Facheris, C., & Nucci, B. (2017). Is product durability better for environment and for economic efficiency? A comparative assessment applying LCA and LCC to two energy-intensive products. In Journal of Cleaner Production (Vol. 140). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.10.017

Jung, S., & Jin, B. (2014). A theoretical investigation of slow fashion: Sustainable future of the apparel industry. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 38(5), 510–519. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12127

Kagawa, S., Kudoh, Y., Nansai, K., & Tasaki, T. (2008). The economic and environmental consequences of automobile lifetime extension and fuel economy improvement: Japan’s case. Economic Systems Research, 20(1), 3–28. https://doi.org/10.1080/09535310801890615

Klepp, I. G., Løvbak Berg, L., Sigaard, A. S., Tobiasson, T. S., Hvass, K. K., & Gleisberg, L. (2023). THE PLASTIC ELEPHANT: overproduction and synthetic fibres in sustainable textiles strategies (SIFO-Project report 5-2023), https://hdl.handle.net/11250/3086387

Klint, E., & Peters, G. (2021). Sharing is caring - the importance of capital goods when assessing environmental impacts from private and shared laundry systems in Sweden. International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 26(6), 1085-1099. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-021-01890-5.

Kounina, A., Daystar, J., Chalumeau, S. et al. The global apparel industry is a significant yet overlooked source of plastic leakage. Nat Commun 15, 5022 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-49441-4

Laitala, K., Klepp, I., & Henry, B. (2018). Does Use Matter? Comparison of Environmental Impacts of Clothing Based on Fiber Type. Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10072524

Laitala, K., & Klepp, I. G. (2020). What affects garment lifespans? International clothing practices based on wardrobe survey in China, Germany, Japan, the UK and the USA. Sustainability, 12(21), Article 9151. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12219151o

Maldini and Klepp (2025 in press) The EU Textile Strategy: how to avoid overproduction and overconsumption measures in environmental policy. Journal of Sustainable Marketing.

Maldini, I. Klepp, I.G., Laitala, K. The environmental impact of product lifetime extension: a literature review and research agenda. Unpublished

Maldini, I., Stappers, P. J., Gimeno-Martinez, J. C., & Daanen, H. A. M. (2019). Assessing the impact of design strategies on clothing lifetimes, usage and volumes: The case of product personalisation. Journal of Cleaner Production, 210, 1414–1424. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.11.056

Perdijk, E. W., Slob, A. F. L., & Steenwinkel, I. (1995). LOEP - Levensduur Optimalisatie en de E(nergie, economie en ecologie)-aspecten van Produkten.

Roos, S., Sandin, G., Zamani, B., & Peters, G. (2015). Environmental Assessment of Swedish Fashion Consumption. http://www.mistrafuturefashion.com/en/PublishingImages/Single-use pictures/Environmental assessment of Swedish fashion consumption - LCA.pdf

Roos, S., Zamani, B., Sandin, G., Peters, G. M., & Svanström, M. (2016). A life cycle assessment (LCA)-based approach to guiding an industry sector towards sustainability: the case of the Swedish apparel sector. Journal of Cleaner Production, 133, 691–700. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.05.146

Schmidt, A., Watson, D., Roos, S., Askham, C., & Poulsen, P. B. (2016). Gaining benefits from discarded textiles. In Nordic Council of Ministers. http://dx.doi.org/10.6027/TN2016-537

Sigaard, A. S., & Laitala, K. (2023). Natural and sustainable? Consumers' textile fiber preferences. Fibers, 11(2), Article 12. https://doi.org/10.3390/fib11020012

Slocinski, C., & Fisher, B. (2016). Use phase of wool apparel - supplement to the LCA Report.

Stevenson, A., & Gmitrowicz, E. (2012). Study into consumer second-hand shopping behaviour to identify the re-use displacement effect. https://zerowastescotland.org.uk/sites/default/files/Study into consumer second-hand shopping behaviour to identify the re-use displacement affect.pdf

Sun, J. J., Bellezza, S., & Paharia, N. (2021). Buy Less, Buy Luxury: Understanding and Overcoming Product Durability Neglect for Sustainable Consumption. Journal of Marketing, 85(3), 28–43. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022242921993172

Syversen, F., Klepp, I. G., Skogesal, O., Rabben, K., Sigaard, A. S., Berg, L. L., & Laitala, K. (2023). Dypdykk i materialstrømmene for tekstiler fra husholdninger i Norge. https://mepex.no/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/05.01.24_Mepex_Dypdykk-i-materialstrommene-for-tekstiler-fra-husholdninger-i-Norge-1-1.pdf

Thomas, B., Fishwick, M., Joyce, J., & van Santen, A. (2012). A Carbon Footprint for UK Clothing and Opportunities for Savings - Final Report.

Wieser, H., Hofmann, F., Jaeger-Erben, M. & Marwede, M. (2023). Durable economies: towards a new research programme. In M. Jaeger-Erben, H. Wieser, F. Hofmann, & M. Marwede (Eds.), Durable Economies: Organizing the Material Foundations of Society. Transcript, Bielefeld, pp. 7-48 https://www.transcript-publishing.com/media/pdf/46/e7/1d/oa9783839463963.pdf

WRAP (2012a). Valuing our Clothes: the Evidence Base. Technical Report.

WRAP (2012b). Valuing our clothes. The True Cost of how we Design, Use and Dispose of Clothing in the UK. http://www.wrap.org.uk/content/valuing-our-clothes

WRAP (2017). Valuing Our Clothes: the Cost of UK Fashion. http://www.wrap.org.uk/sites/files/wrap/valuing-our-clothes-the-cost-of-uk-fashion_WRAP.pdf

Downloads

Published

24-06-2025

How to Cite

Klepp, I. G., Maldini, I., & Laitala, K. (2025). The limitations of product longevity: Are longer product lifetimes really better for the environment?. Proceedings of the 6th Product Lifetimes and the Environment Conference (PLATE2025), (6). https://doi.org/10.54337/plate2025-10317

Issue

Section

Track 8: Rebound Effects and Critical Views – Extended Abstracts