Proceedings of the 6th Product Lifetimes and the Environment Conference (PLATE2025)
PLATE is an international, multidisciplinary conference that addresses product lifetimes in the context of sustainable development. Product lifetimes are increasingly prominent in discussions concerning sustainability, particularly in the context of the circular economy, resource efficiency, waste reduction and climate change. A growing number of academic researchers, businesses, think tanks, government bodies and policy stakeholders are interested in understanding the effect that product longevity has on environmental, economic and social sustainability.
The decommissioning of wind turbine blades poses an escalating environmental and waste management challenge, as the composite materials found in these blades are difficult to recycle and often end up in landfills. With the projected growth in retired wind turbine blades, the waste burden is expected to reach 40–60 million tons by 2050. Traditional disposal methods, like mechanical and thermochemical recycling, are costly and result in low-value materials. Repurposing presents a sustainable alternative; however, matching decommissioned blades with appropriate industrial applications requires an innovative governance approach. This study leverages insights from innovation governance research and proposes a conceptual model for reusing decommissioned blades, focusing on bridging the gap between potential suppliers and users in various industries. By examining applications in construction, agriculture, and renewable energy systems, the study illustrates feasible repurposing strategies and explores the regulatory mechanisms needed to facilitate effective matching. Through expert interviews and case studies, the paper identifies barriers, such as logistical constraints and material degradation, and advocates for intermediate and third-party governance forms to support this marketization process. The findings highlight the importance of systematic matching mechanisms and regulatory frameworks in addressing the wind turbine blade disposal issue, underscoring the need for collaborative efforts in shaping sustainable solutions for end-of-life turbine materials.
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Exploring Consumer Behavior on Product Longevity as a Pathway to Product-Service System Adaptation
The growing environmental challenge of consumer electronic waste has become increasingly urgent and is projected to reach 82 million tons by 2030. This paper examines product-service systems (PSS) as a potential approach to minimize e-waste and extend overall product longevity and circularity. The relationships with electronic devices and perceptions of product longevity and ownership versus leasing were explored among 20 participants aged 21 to 65, all from Denmark. Insights gained provided a basis for identifying key technological (e.g., software obsolescence) and psychological (e.g., endowment effect, mistrust of leasing) barriers to PSS adoption. A six-step user-centric PSS model is proposed, advocating product-oriented services where consumers maintain ownership but receive company maintenance and repair. The Ownership PSS model underlines consumer trust via transparent pricing, flexible solutions, and alignment with EU right-to-repair policies. This research highlights the need for further quantitative assessment (e.g., life cycle analysis) and broader cultural sampling to strengthen adoption pathways in the electronics sector.
Enhancing Critical Raw Material Usage through Battery Cell Extraction and Reuse
This paper proposes a circular economy business model for recycling and remanufacturing Bosch Gen 3 batteries to enhance sustainability and economic viability. The model integrates collection, robotic disassembly, and state-of-health-based categorisation to extract the most valuable, reusable cells and then tests a battery remanufacturing option to maximize profit and critical raw material recovery. Two collection methods are analysed: incentivized returns (Option 1) and battery waste sorting at recycling centres (Option 2). A Monte Carlo simulation evaluates profitability with several uncertainties, including logistics and deposit refunds. Option 1 is more likely to obtain higher-quality cells, but is less likely to be profitable due to the high costs associated with the incentive, while Option 2 is more cost-effective, but yields lower-quality cells. This study highlights opportunities to optimize incentives and recycling value, providing a scalable framework for sustainable battery end-of-life management.
Exploring take-back recovery strategies in the Circular Economy
The take-back of end-of-use products has gained increasing importance with the growing focus on the circular economy. However, not all take-back strategies have been thoroughly explored and understood in relation to consumer engagement. This study examines the role of take-back recovery approaches and strategies in the circular economy, integrating a product design and service lens to address consumer return practices. The research identifies four distinct opportunities under the take-back umbrella: Direct Reuse, Ease of Disassembly, Final Recovery, and Safe Disposal. For each opportunity, potential sub-opportunities are identified and expanded upon. Through a multiple case study analysis, these sub-opportunities are further developed using a "Design for X" approach to form nine distinct take-back strategies. This research emphasizes that the appropriateness of a take-back strategy depends on various factors, such as consumer behavior and context, industry specifics, and material flows. The study highlights the critical role of take-back systems and returns behavior in promoting circular product development and consumption.
Collaboration towards the design of sustainable and circular value chains
The transition to a circular economy (CE) is essential for extending product lifespans and maximizing resource use, contributing to resource efficiency and sustainability. Circular solutions demand extensive collaboration across the value chain, encompassing suppliers, distributors, and consumers. Based on a review of literature and existing frameworks for the design of circular value propositions, this study investigates key factors enabling collaboration within circular value chains and evaluates the extent to which existing frameworks address value chain collaboration. Nine key factors for collaborative circular value chains were identified: sustainability leadership, value mapping, shared vision building, trust-building, collaborative governance, collaborative processes, ecosystem perspectives and orchestration, and monitoring and evaluation. The analysis of 38 frameworks showed strong focus on value chain collaboration, but the ecosystem perspective and links to digitalisation and data sharing were underrepresented. The research highlights the role of collaborative governance and ecosystem orchestration in addressing challenges such as stakeholder engagement, data management, and balancing competitive and collaborative interests. Future research should focus on developing tools and frameworks that emphasize the intersection of sustainability, circularity, value chain collaboration, and digitalisation and data management. Comprehensive approaches are needed to help manufacturers develop capabilities for sustainable circular ecosystems, aligning roles and incentives between partners, facilitating collaboration and co-creation, and enhancing data sharing and management. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the factors necessary for sustainable collaborative circular value chains, providing a foundation for further research and practical guidance for industry.
In the transition towards a circular economy, also critical sectors such as the healthcare sector need to be reviewed. A large portion of hospital waste consists of low-value, disposable consumables. Currently, the circular design strategies of reuse, maintenance, and repair in healthcare are predominantly applied to high-value products. This study proposes four reuse value-chain models specifically for small, low-cost medical consumables. Reuse models are distinguished on reprocessing location (internal or external) and product usage (shared or personal). Business model evaluation and value propositioning are used to gain understanding of the models and a co-creation session with a MedTech company verified these understandings. Our research sought to support manufacturers of reusable medical products by addressing the importance of the fit between the reuse model and the hospital’s context (location, infrastructure, staffing, organisational structure, product volume and type). These context features, as well as the hospital’s interest in reusable products should be documented in the tendering documents of the purchasing process. Internal reprocessing makes the hospital more self-sufficient but requires additional staffing for reprocessing and quality control. External reprocessing decreases the hospital’s workload, but requires the involvement of additional service partners. For all reuse models, continuous communication and collaboration (feedback, training and guidance) between the hospital and value-chain partners are vital.
Transformative and community-based participation in collaborative business model experimentation for urban upcycling
<span class="NormalTextRun SCXW62212256 BCX8" data-ccp-charstyle="PLATE - Abstract Zchn" data-ccp-charstyle-defn="{"ObjectId":"2aabb49d-e1f8-55bf-873b-4d16435ccb15|1","ClassId":1073872969,"Properties":[469777841,"Arial",469777842,"Arial",469777843,"SimSun",469777844,"Arial",469769226,"Arial",268442635,"20",469775450,"PLATE - Abstract Zchn",201340122,"1",134233614,"true",469778129,"PLATE-AbstractZchn",335572020,"1",134231262,"true",469777929,"PLATE - Abstract",469778324,"Default Paragraph Font"]}" data-ccp-charstyle-linked-defn="{"ObjectId":"232ed935-540a-5a18-acc7-dc2c97cff6df|1","ClassId":1073872969,"Properties":[469777841,"Arial",469777842,"Arial",469777844,"Arial",469769226,"Arial",268442635,"20",469777843,"SimSun",469775450,"PLATE - Abstract",201340122,"2",134234082,"true",134233614,"true",469778129,"PLATE-Abstract",335572020,"1",335559738,"240",335551550,"6",335551620,"6",469777929,"PLATE - Abstract Zchn",469778324,"Normal"]}">Across cities and urban regions in The Netherlands unusual collaborations emerge which aim to develop new circular business models that facilitate product and resource longevity through various upcycling strategies, such as reuse, repair, refurbish, repurpose and/or remanufacture. Municipalities, social entrepreneurs as well as multinational enterprises use various experimentation methods to initiate, test or improve new collaborations in urban upcycling. However, little is known about the role of transformative stakeholder participation in these experiments and how they affect business models for upcycling. Therefore, this study investigates how initiators in urban upcycling use transformative and community-based participatory experimentation to develop collaborative circular business models that facilitate upcycling in a city context. Through a multiple case study approach, this research contributes to literature on circular business model innovation by investigating how practitioners in urban upcycling collaboratively develop, test, implement and scale business models for product and resource longevity in a city context.
Designing a collaborative ecosystem for sustainability transition in the furniture industry
Humanity faces a period of changes, leading to a global transition with unpredictable outcomes. Design can play a key role in guiding society to face these challenges, helping the different socio-technical system stakeholders cope with the sustainable transition. The change towards more sustainable economic and social systems requires the design of products and services and new business models and integrated systems that deliver them. This implies shifting from individual company thinking towards coalitions and partnerships like collaborative ecosystems. The furniture industry is facing a sustainable transition, therefore, companies and the market are experimenting with new approaches, including collaborative ecosystems. Because of this, it is important to understand how design can contribute to the definition, creation, and development of a collaborative ecosystem for sustainable transition in the furniture industry. The article adopts the single case study methodology, proposing the analysis of Opendesk, a furniture delocalised network. The research shows how the design mindset has enabled Opendesk to create a collaborative, scalable, and resilient business that values stakeholders in the system and local production. It was possible to address the challenges of building and maintaining a community and network, creating engagement through design. Through the design mindset in the creation of a collaborative ecosystem, it was possible to help local manufacturers to be efficient and economically viable, allowing customers to contribute to the local economy and value. The case study shows the potential of design to catalyse relationships for fruitful collaborations between stakeholders with different goals and provide systemic innovations.
Approximately 40% of new product introduction fail when entering the market. Thus valuable resources are spent producing products that never achieve a product lifetime with any users. Companies tend to remove products from their portfolio because of poor sales figures or because they are no longer representing the company’s strategies, but they do so without reflecting on why these exact products failed. This tendency might lead to products repeating the same mistakes that are destined to fail. The purpose of this paper is to investigate failed products from small Danish design companies in order to learn from these mistakes and prevent them from happening again. Factors leading to product failure have been studied by analyzing 35 specific products from two small Danish design companies. By examining the companies’ own reasons for discontinuing these products, the study identifies key contributing factors, including portfolio management, product insecurities, and reliance on existing product success.
In this paper, we study second-hand shopping as an expertise that can be practiced. While second-hand markets are rapidly growing, consumers still find it difficult and challenging to purchase second-hand, as the shopping experience is messier, complex and unpredictable. We investigate the process of skill acquisition to understand the skill development of shopping second-hand. Based on 14 interviews, this research illustrates a progression in second-hand shopping behaviors as individuals gain experience. This study categorises second-hand shopping expertise into six levels, highlighting distinct behaviors and strategies. We find: 1) Novices are overwhelmed, lack confidence, and rely entirely on others to assess quality and price. 2) Initiates show a narrow focus on specific products and apply external expertise but struggle to broaden their scope. 3) Apprentices use structured strategies, targeting pre-researched items and avoiding unstructured second-hand environments. 4) Journeymen demonstrate proficiency within selected product categories, researching brands and quality indicators to compare items with nuanced criteria. 5) Experts possess deep but abstract knowledge of product quality and durability, allowing them to identify high-resale potential items without prior research while maintaining frequent, informed engagement with second-hand markets. 6) Masters showcase comprehensive expertise, relying on intuition, ingrained knowledge, and fast-browsing techniques to navigate diverse product categories effortlessly. These findings offer a framework for improving second-hand shopping skills across expertise levels.
This paper explores the emerging concept of fast furniture, a rapidly growing sector characterized by quick production, low costs, and short product life cycles. Despite its substantial environmental impact, fast furniture remains underexplored in academic literature. Drawing parallels to fast fashion in its focus on trends, disposability, and mass production, this study examines the intersections of consumer behaviour, industry practices, and sustainability challenges within the context of fast furniture. Through a mixed-methods approach, combining a quantitative/qualitative survey of UK consumers and interviews with industry professionals, the study reveals significant insights into consumer perceptions, motivations, and the role of fashion-driven consumption in shaping the furniture market. Key findings indicate that while consumers increasingly engage with trend-driven furniture purchases, many are unaware of the term "fast furniture." Moreover, despite their significant market share, brands like IKEA are not strongly associated with the "fast" model by consumers, who instead view their products as affordable and functional, yet temporary. Industry professionals, meanwhile, emphasize that the "fastness" of furniture is determined largely by consumer choices, not necessarily the manufacturing process. This research stems from a larger doctoral study that contributes to the growing body of knowledge on sustainable consumption, advocating for a broader understanding of fast furniture as a consumer-driven phenomenon rather than an industry-defined product category. Future research is suggested to further explore the global dynamics of fast furniture consumption, the role of consumer education, and sustainability initiatives within the industry.
Guilty (or invisible) materiality in everyday object relations?
In today’s context, demanding radical change even on the scale of our daily behaviour, this article builds on research into guilty materiality to better understand obstacles to changing our everyday material relations. “Guilty materiality“ refers to why materiality and material relations may be stigmatised, invisibilised, ignored and avoided. Daily material relations self-documented by 82 university-level design students provide the tangible basis for exploring and highlighting obstacles and ambiguities in daily-life artefact relations and their materiality. Our study focuses only on what is touched by the cohort, constituting a limited number of artefact encounters. The main analysed material is individual maps produced by students visualising their daily consumption habits. While the long-term aim of this research is to help identifying leverage points and action areas related to current practices and also mindsets, this paper also presents and explores the pertinence of the proposed methodology in this context. This research discusses, refines and adds to an existing list of triggers/influencing mechanisms that may act as obstacles to more environmentally-relevant everyday material relations.
The Consumption Economy - Finding Value in Our Clothing
The fashion industry is one of the largest global polluters, with its linear ‘take-make-dispose’ supply chain model driving unsustainable consumption patterns. With over 100 billion garments produced annually, the industry contributes significantly through over-production and consumption in the multi-billion dollar industry. Overarching Question: This study investigates consumer consumption practices to understand the true ethical beliefs and values of individuals in relation to fashion purchasing, use, and disposal. Consumption practices are rarely explored by understanding consumer deeper thoughts and perceptions in second-hand retail, despite garments having an average lifespan of 3.3 years, many clothing items are unused, with 26% of garments in the UK remaining unworn (SCAP, 2021).Sub Question: The effects of the high and low value of clothing in the second-hand economy need to be investigated with the collection of empirical data of consumption practices. Predominantly unseen activity in Consumer-to-Consumer (C2C) transactions remains underexplored, executed through digital and online selling platforms. Sub Questions: This study examines consumer’s ethical belief systems that influence second-hand purchasing behaviour. Exploring participants’ motivations when engaging in second-hand markets in physical and online spaces, it highlights the complexities of consumer belief systems that shape their purchasing behaviour. The findings emphasise the importance of values and beliefs playing an integral role in the second-hand market landscape—challenging traditional consumption models and shedding light on potential avenues for innovation in a circular fashion future.
The rapid growth of e-commerce and technological advancements has amplified the production of electronic waste (E-waste). Refurbished products offer a sustainable alternative by extending product lifecycles, yet consumer behavior toward these products remains underexplored in many regions, including India. This study investigates key product attributes and psychological characteristics of consumers, analyzing 2,189 refurbished and 4,967 new product reviews using text mining and linguistic analysis tools. The findings highlight significant differences in consumer preferences, with refurbished product consumers prioritizing Battery health, Service-related aspects, packaging, and hygiene, while new product buyers emphasize features and aesthetic factors. Psychological differences are evident as refurbished product consumers exhibit a more positive tone and goal-driven reasoning while the new product consumers show more structured analytical evaluation. Using Constructive Decision-Making Theory (CDMT), the study explains how consumers of refurbished products construct satisfaction by reinforcing their choices post-purchase. The findings offer insights for refurbishers, policymakers, and marketers to foster trust and adoption of refurbished products through marketing strategy, standardized practices, and certifications while aligning with consumers’ decision-making process.
Turning Trash into Treasure is Hard Work!
This paper explores the process of transferring second-hand products from one home to another. It focuses on three key participants: the consumer who is divesting products from their home, the consumer who purchases pre-owned items, and the second-hand and reuse enablers that facilitate this circulation of products. Current literature tends to concentrate solely on one of these groups—either consumers divesting products, second-hand and reuse enablers, or consumers buying pre-used items. This fragmented approach leaves gaps in understanding the complete process of product circulation. To address this knowledge gap, our study examines the entire process, starting from the moment a consumer decides to part with a product until that product finds a new owner. We conducted interviews with 20 consumers who are divesting products, 11 second-hand and reuse enablers, and 20 consumers who purchase pre-owned items. Our research identified three main product circulation processes and eight sub-processes: Donation, Commission Sale, and Sell-It-Yourself. Each circulation process involves a long series of activities carried out by the consumer divesting the product, the reuse enabler, or the consumer buying the item. By comparing these processes, we highlight that successful circular product exchanges require significant effort from all participants. Additionally, we demonstrate how the responsibility for these activities shifts depending on the chosen process, revealing the challenges associated with circular product transactions and how reuse enablers can support recirculation. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of the circular economy and its current struggles and opens discussions on how to overcome these challenges.
Exploring Emotional Attachments in Children's Toy Relationships
<span class="NormalTextRun SCXW182636965 BCX0" data-ccp-charstyle="PLATE - Abstract Zchn" data-ccp-charstyle-defn="{"ObjectId":"2aabb49d-e1f8-55bf-873b-4d16435ccb15|1","ClassId":1073872969,"Properties":[469777841,"Arial",469777842,"Arial",469777843,"SimSun",469777844,"Arial",469769226,"Arial",268442635,"20",469775450,"PLATE - Abstract Zchn",201340122,"1",134233614,"true",469778129,"PLATE-AbstractZchn",335572020,"1",134231262,"true",469777929,"PLATE - Abstract",469778324,"Default Paragraph Font"]}" data-ccp-charstyle-linked-defn="{"ObjectId":"232ed935-540a-5a18-acc7-dc2c97cff6df|1","ClassId":1073872969,"Properties":[469777841,"Arial",469777842,"Arial",469777843,"SimSun",469777844,"Arial",469769226,"Arial,SimSun",268442635,"20",469775450,"PLATE - Abstract",201340122,"2",134234082,"true",134233614,"true",469778129,"PLATE-Abstract",335572020,"1",335551547,"1033",335559738,"240",335551550,"6",335551620,"6",469777929,"PLATE - Abstract Zchn",469778324,"Normal"]}">The existing production and consumption system is causing significant plastic waste in the toy market. Unfortunately, most toys are discarded within six months of purchase, often due to the limited opportunities for extending the lifespan of toys through repairing, reusing, or recycling. To address this issue, this study explores the potential of emotional durability as a strategy to promote sustainable consumption in the toy industry. Utilizing the Emotional Durability Design Nine Framework as a theoretical foundation, this study emphasizes creating long-lasting emotional connections between children and their toys through various dimensions such as narratives, identity, relationships, and evolvability. A mixed-method approach is employed to engage children aged 10 to 12 in reflecting on their emotional attachments to toys, starting with semi-structured interviews with five children to identify their favorite toys, which they have kept for an extended period, and the factors influencing their attachment. Following that, cultural probes in the form of an activity set are designed to explore the stories associated with these toys and tested with four children. Finally, the refined version of the activity set is conducted in the classroom environment with 30 children. Findings indicate that personal memories, the desire for personalization, and the ability to repair or modify toys significantly influence children's attachment and the longevity of their toys. By integrating emotional durability into toy design, the study highlights its potential to encourage sustainable consumption practices and reduce waste in the toy industry, which may also encourage children to see toys as valuable, long-term companions rather than disposable items.
Repurpose is becoming more popular as a circularity strategy. This circularity strategy is specifically promising in the case of furniture. One of the challenges of upscaling repurpose is the negative consumer perception of repurposed products. Studies up to date pertain to consumer perception of refurbished products and products using recycled content. In this study we investigate (1) to which extent the motives mentioned within literature play a role when it comes to consumers’ perception of repurposed furniture and (2) to what extent the visibility of past identity of repurposed furniture and storytelling play a role in consumer perception. The result indicate that aesthetic and functional quality are highly valued. Storytelling seems to be a secondary motive for customers to consider a repurposed product. We further identified three categories of repurposed furniture (i.e., visibly repurposed, non-visibly repurposed and unique look) that appeal to different consumer segments. While further research can be done into the demographic profiles, these categories can be used by designers/makers to make repurposed products that better appeal to their envisioned customer base.
<span class="NormalTextRun SCXW58737630 BCX0" data-ccp-charstyle="PLATE - Text Zchn" data-ccp-charstyle-defn="{"ObjectId":"82a6f845-c61c-59d0-b695-5a9e4165d45a|1","ClassId":1073872969,"Properties":[469777841,"Arial",469777842,"Times New Roman",469777843,"SimSun",469777844,"Arial",469769226,"Arial,Times New Roman",268442635,"20",469775450,"PLATE - Text Zchn",201340122,"1",134233614,"true",469778129,"PLATE-TextZchn",335572020,"1",134231262,"true",469777929,"PLATE - Text",469778324,"Default Paragraph Font"]}" data-ccp-charstyle-linked-defn="{"ObjectId":"649369cc-e27a-5483-b40f-b88b65e3d7e3|1","ClassId":1073872969,"Properties":[469777841,"Arial",469777842,"Times New Roman",469777844,"Arial",469769226,"Arial",268442635,"20",469777843,"SimSun",469775450,"PLATE - Text",201340122,"2",134234082,"true",134233614,"true",469778129,"PLATE-Text",335572020,"1",335551550,"6",335551620,"6",469777929,"PLATE - Text Zchn",469778324,"Normal"]}">Hospitals have a significant impact on the environment due to their size, energy-intensive processes, consumption of resources and waste generation. A trend of increased reusable products usage and so re-sterilized products is becoming visible. Nevertheless, reusable products have to compete with the added values of single use regarding convenience, effort and costs. Although the concept of reusable sterile surgical instrument sets seems valuable to reduce resource consumption compared to single-use instruments, their use is threatened by multiple inefficiencies. This case study aims to understand why the sterile sets usage is not optimal, what the consequences are for the various departments, what journey they take within the hospital, and how communication occurs regarding these sets. Observations and in-depth interviews were conducted in operation rooms, central sterilization department and the healthcare logistics department of a large sized university hospital. This led to a roadmap of the sterile surgical instrument sets within the hospital through each department involved. Using the roadmap, several critical points are discussed to design optimal reuse contexts in hospitals. In sum, we found that sets are often incomplete due to (i) a lack of turnover time for checking completeness, (ii) difficulty of recognizing specific instruments based on their name, (iii) lack of a good communication system to communicate incompleteness. Additional unwanted waste is created due to (iv) extra sets that are opened as a precaution for missing instruments, (v) unused instruments are thrown away or re-sterilized, (vi) broken sterility due to storage problems, which requires repackaging and re-sterilization.
Rapid and significant reductions in global carbon emissions are needed to remain within Earth’s limits. The construction and operation of buildings account for the largest share of the global consumption of raw materials, and they yield around 40% of global carbon emissions. Leading climate researchers therefore recommend adapting housing needs to existing building stock instead of constructing new buildings. This requires shifting the focus from what we desire to how we can adapt our needs to existing spaces. This paper, a work in progress, examines the misalignment between sustainability ambitions and tourism strategy in a Danish municipality. This municipality has yet to fully integrate the potential of its existing building stock into its tourism plans. This oversight is striking, given the municipality’s ambitious goal of achieving CO₂ neutrality and availability of surplus building stock, including vacant retail spaces in shopping streets. Building on this observation, we propose a conceptual framework for incorporating existing buildings into the municipality’s tourism strategies. Rather than expanding their climate footprint by constructing new accommodations for tourists, we suggest a solution centered on using vacant spaces and renovating existing structures. Specifically, we envision repurposing vacant retail spaces into holiday apartments, boutique hotels, or other types of housing. This paper lays a foundation for further research to increase awareness of this issue and to test and refine our proposal. The overarching goals are to support sustainable urban development, promote climate-friendly behavior, and strengthen local community and economic vitality in small and medium-sized towns through longer-lasting buildings.
Evaluating Ecodesign Methodology in Yacht Design
The yachting industry faces increasing pressure to adopt sustainable practices driven by regulatory requirements and evolving consumer expectations. This study explores the application of Life Cycle Design (LCD), also referred to as ecodesign, methodologies within yacht design to address environmental challenges. Despite the critical importance of early-stage design in determining a product's environmental impact, the yacht sector lacks industry-specific sustainability guidelines.This research investigated the practical implementation of a generic LCD methodology - specifically the MPDS (Method for Product Design for Environmental Sustainability) - through an intensive workshop involving young professional yacht designers. Participants were tasked with developing concept designs for a 50-foot charter yacht, applying six LCD strategies: use extension, material consumption reduction, energy consumption reduction, material life extension, toxicity reduction, and resources conservation.The study outlined both opportunities and limitations in applying MPDS to yacht design. While participants achieved incremental improvements in certain strategies, the research highlighted the need for context-specific adaptations. Challenges included the methodology's generic nature and the complexity of yacht design processes.The findings underscore the potential of LCD principles in promoting sustainability within the nautical industry and provide a foundation for developing tailored guidelines that can effectively integrate environmental considerations into yacht design processes.
Novel methodology for the selection and evaluation of R-strategies to support product design for circular economy
EU legislation demands manufactures to improve their product’s circularity. The 9R Framework organizes strategies of a circular economy in a hierarchical manner based on their respective effectiveness in promoting circularity. Manufacturers need to determine which of these strategies can be implemented for their products and how well a certain design meets the requirements of these strategies. Therefore, a methodology is proposed allowing to identify feasible R-strategies that are appropriate for a specific type of product. In the next step, the methodology evaluates how the unique characteristics of a particular component allow for the application of these strategies. This methodology is applied to a case study of a vehicle door, considering and comparing the circularity readiness of various design variants. A set of specific Circularity-indicators (C-indicators) for each strategy is used for this purpose. This methodology enables comparisons among different design options, highlighting their impact on the product and material recyclability. Ultimately, the methodology helps to identify challenges in a targeted manner that guide designers in creating products that effectively support beneficial R-strategies.
Revising regulations unleashes engineered timber buildings potential for climate mitigation
Engineered timber can substitute traditional carbon-intense building materials playing a critical role in climate action thanks to its capacity to store biogenic carbon removed from the atmosphere during forest growth. However, the existing regulations and standards developed in the past along with the development of traditional building practices based on concrete and steel, hinder the possibility to fully exploit the potential of engineered timber within the construction sector. Current standards impose 50 years as reference service life for buildings. While irrelevant for traditional materials, which are not carbon stocks, this imposition belittles this unique feature of timber-based materials. Furthermore, current standards for timber-based materials impose well-defined End-of-Life (EoL) scenarios, each culminating with the incineration of the timber – regardless of any cascading process. However, among the possible EoL scenarios, the possibility of reusing engineered timber materials maintaining the same function is not conceived, although technically feasible. Consequently, LCA of buildings following such standards are forced to neglect the potential positive impact of timber-based buildings possibly providing results that tend to favor traditional over timber-based materials. In this work, we show the potential of timber-based buildings to act as a mean of climate mitigation, calling for an urgent modification of the current standard and linked LCA practices. The case study of a timber-based multi-story building shows that RSL extension and reuse reduce the emission by 13% and 1-2% respectively compared to concrete, except for a RSL of 150 years for which the reduction is marginal.
Leveraging social norms for sustainable behaviour
Communication channels from social media to newspapers abound with examples where static norms, reflecting established behaviours (e.g., eating meat, drinking alcohol at parties) are combined with dynamic norms, illustrating emerging societal trends (e.g., adopting more plant-based diets, attending alcohol-free events). Despite widespread exposure to these combined static-and-dynamic-norm communications, their impact on consumer behaviour remains unexplored. Through two lab experiments, this research investigates how static-and-dynamic-norm communications influence sustainable behaviour towards a reduction of fast fashion consumption. Our findings show that consumers exposed to the combination of unsustainable static and unsustainable dynamic norm purchased significantly fewer fashion items compared to other experimental conditions. This effect is driven by social moral cleansing, as consumers, confronted with widespread unsustainable behaviour of others, felt a highlighted motivation to clean and compensate for the normalized bad behaviour of others by behaving more sustainably in return. This research advances the understanding of social normative influences on sustainable consumption and offers valuable insights for researchers, designers and policy makers. By identifying an effective social norm communication to encourage consumption reduction, it lays the groundwork for future research and policy initiatives aimed at promoting sufficiency in the context of sustainable behavioural change.
One man’s trash is another man’s treasure
The overconsumption of finite resources and the growing climate crisis necessitate innovative manufacturing waste management approaches. This study investigates the untapped potential of redesigning waste materials—specifically, pre-consumer waste or "new waste"—to create value while mitigating environmental impact. Unlike recycling or disposal, this approach leverages the inherent qualities of discarded manufacturing materials derived from virgin resources, aligning with the European Union's waste hierarchy principles. Using a multiple case study methodology, we analysed eight collaborations between manufacturing companies and industrial designers. The actor-resources-activities model was employed to understand how these partnerships foster redesign and prolong material lifespans. Our findings reveal that strategic actor roles and interactions are crucial in activating redesign potential, enabling the transformation of waste materials into new products. The crucial actor roles consist of an industrial designer, a waste owner, a waste processor, and a sales & distribution actor. The results highlight significant business and environmental opportunities, including cost reductions and waste diversion from landfills. However, realising this potential requires targeted interventions to facilitate cross-disciplinary collaborations and align objectives among stakeholders. By illustrating successful constellations of actors and processes, this research provides actionable insights into unlocking new avenues for circular economy practices in manufacturing.
Perceptions of sacrifice in the pursuit of sufficient consumption
This study investigates the role of perceived sacrifice in the adoption of behaviours of sufficiency in clothing consumption. With the urgent need to reduce carbon emissions and consumption to stay within planetary boundaries, this research explores how consumers perceive and are willing to make sacrifices for sustainable consumption. The paper examines seven types of perceived sacrifices—functional, emotional, social, epistemic, conditional, financial, and time/effort—and their impact on the intention to adopt sufficiency behaviours such as reducing purchases, extending clothing longevity, shifting to second-hand items, and sharing clothes. The findings reveal that perceived sacrifices significantly and negatively influence the willingness to adopt these behaviours, with variations across different types of sacrifices and behaviours. This research contributes to the literature on sustainable consumer behaviour and offers insights for policy-makers, marketers and designers to promote sufficiency in consumption
The overproduction and overconsumption of clothing have substantial environmental impacts. Shifting to smaller wardrobes containing fewer, durable, and frequently used garments is a key strategy in transitioning to a sustainable system. Understanding the size and composition of wardrobes is an essential first step to assess the potential of adopting smaller wardrobes. This study maps the current size of individuals’ wardrobes, the fraction actively used, and the fraction individuals deemed essential to meet their needs. It moreover investigates the characteristics of essential garments and identifies barriers to adopting an essential wardrobe. To examine this, participants' wardrobes were first audited and then reduced to only those items deemed essential to meet their needs for the coming year. The wardrobe audit of 30 individuals in Flanders (Belgium) reveals that participants owned, on average, 169 garments, of which 138 were used in the past year (81%), and 90 were considered essential (53%). Participants’ perceived essential clothing needs varied strongly, ranging from 36 to 275 garments, or alternatively, 28% to 98% of their current wardrobe. Combinability emerged as the most important criterion for selecting essential garments. Both practical (i.e., shortages) and emotional considerations (i.e., loss of joy) were anticipated as obstacles to adopting an essential wardrobe. This study highlights the considerable variation in how individuals meet their clothing needs and what they deem essential. Our findings provide an initial range for the minimum number of garments required to meet clothing needs and offer valuable insights for establishing sufficiency thresholds in apparel consumption.
Connecting transition design and everyday fashion practices
Ecolabels in the Textile and Fashion Industry
Hyper-Local Recirculation of Second-hand Clothing Through Donation-Thrift Networks
Environmental Impact factors for Apparel Products
Can Promoting Fashion Innovativeness Move Traditional Luxury Consumers Toward More Sustainable Fashion Behaviours?
The influence of age, gender and income on Australians’ expectations of clothing lifespan
Extending clothing lifespans is a crucial step in advancing the transition to a circular economy. Past studies have highlighted the need to distinguish between social and technical lifespans of clothing (Laitala et al., 2018), as well as how/when to measure lifespan, whether in number of wears or number of years (Klepp et al., 2020). While research has been conducted on clothing lifespans in European contexts (WRAP 2019) and in Europe, Asia and the USA (Laitala & Klepp, 2020), this area remains underexplored in Australia, which presents a unique cultural and economic landscape. This paper investigates the expected lifespans of clothing in Australian households. Factors such as age, gender, and income can significantly impact how long consumers expect their clothing to last. By examining these variables, this research can provide insights into consumer behaviour and preferences, which can inform targeted interventions and educational campaigns to promote sustainable clothing practices.
Analyzing Durability and Failures of Workwear Rain Jackets
Customer Engagement - When do Circular Business Models Pay Off?
Building a Digital Circular Economy for Electrical and Electronic Equipment
Accelerating Circularity in High-Tech Manufacturing
The rebound mechanisms identification tool
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to increased use of disposable products, notably face masks and disposable gloves. While these items serve as a protective barriers against health hazards, they also pose significant environmental risks due to their resource-intensive production and waste generation. This study explores the adoption of disposable gloves beyond healthcare, probing their use and significance in the daily lives of Norwegian consumers. Employing social practice theory, the research investigates the underlying reasons and ways Norwegian consumers incorporate disposable gloves into various practices, and how more sustainable alternatives could be promoted. The methods encompass mobile ethnography and focus groups with Norwegian consumers. The findings demonstrate that disposable gloves are used to reduce health risk and enhance hygiene in daily life conveniently, consequently increasing waste. Alternative methods for increasing hygiene, such as reusable and longer lasting products or hand washing, are perceived as less hygienic and less convenient. Conclusively, the study sheds light on the complexities of changing material-practice entanglements and offers insights for developing more sustainable hand hygiene practices.
Behavioural rebound effects and secondary benefits of sustainability-oriented design
Despite the growing body of research on the role of rebound effects (RE) in offsetting potential environmental gains, understanding of secondary benefits (SB) remains limited. SB are induced behavioural or systemic changes triggered by sustainability-oriented design that strengthen, rather than offset, potential environmental gains. To address this gap, this study aims to uncover the underlying behavioural mechanisms with the aid of a systematic literature review. A total of 59 relevant articles has been selected, resulting in the identification of 17 behavioural SB mechanisms. The mechanisms are clustered into five categories: identity, consistency, efficacy, goals, and motivation. For each mechanism, a definition, explanatory quote, moderator list, and source overview is provided. Although each mechanism is unique, similarities in mediators and moderators suggest an interconnected rather than isolated nature. An evaluation of the research trends indicates an increased number of examined interventions. Nevertheless, limitations regarding the diversity of interventions, the intention-behaviour gap, and self-report bias remain. After interpreting the results, potential connections between SB and RE mechanisms are addressed. This study concludes with three recommendations for research to develop a comprehensive understanding of SB mechanisms. Ultimately, this understanding could contribute to achieving the full environmental potential of sustainability-oriented design and preventing RE.
Nudging as a strategy to prevent behavioural rebound effects in the early phases of design
Despite the recognition that ca. 50% of the potential environmental gains of sustainability-oriented interventions are offset by rebound effects (RE), effective strategies that can prevent the occurrence of rebound effects are currently missing. To address this gap, this paper explores how nudging can be used to prevent RE during the early phases of design of products, product/service-systems and socio-technical systems. Through a Systematic Literature Review, 23 nudges that have the potential to promote sustainable behaviour were identified and subsequently classified into four categories: ‘Decision information’ (e.g. descriptive norms), ‘Decision structure’ (e.g. defaults), ‘Decision assistance’ (e.g. pre-commitment), and ‘Miscellaneous’ (e.g. priming). The identified nudges served as the foundation for the development of a novel design tool that can support the selection of nudges to prevent RE in the early phases of design, with indication of potential additional RE emerging from the implementation of the selected nudges. In addition to the development of the tool, this study mapped existing research gaps that can guide further research in the field.
Leverage Points as an Analytical Framework for Preventing Rebound Effects
Despite global efforts toward sustainability, greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, partly due to rebound effects (RE), i.e., systemic responses that offset the potential sustainability benefits of sustainability interventions. Designers often struggle to prevent RE due to dynamic complexities characterized by non-linearity, feedback loops, and delays. This paper explores how systems thinking, specifically the Leverage Points Framework (LPF), can support design activities in ideating and designing strategies for preventing RE. Through an exploratory case study of an electric car-sharing system, LPF and ideation techniques were applied to devise potential design strategies to prevent RE emerging from five identified RE mechanisms. Our findings suggest that integrating leverage points into the design process encourages a more systemic and comprehensive approach to ideation, expanding design opportunities towards the prevention of RE. We conclude that combining systems thinking with design thinking enhances the potential for creating effective, sustainable interventions and recommend further research to evaluate the practical potential of the proposed framework.
This paper critically examines product durability through an ethnographic study of incontinence pad usage in a Danish municipal nursing home. By focusing on incontinence pads—which are referred to as “diapers” in this setting—we demonstrate that their durability cannot be understood in isolation from their surrounding environment. Instead, diapers attract auxiliary products, which, when integrated into the care practices of the nursing home, take part in enacting the diapers’ durability in distinct ways. We conceptualize these enactments as either supporting or challenging the durability of the diapers. Combining this ethnographic work with design theorist Arturo Escobar’s interweaving of ontological relationality and design theory, we argue that durability should not be viewed as an inherent property of an object or as determined solely by its human users. Instead, we propose understanding durability as a relational effect that emerges from situated sociomaterial practices. This analytical move challenges modernist assumptions that separate subjects from objects and offers a more nuanced framework for analyzing product durability. Future research on product durability would benefit from adopting this relational approach, as it opens—we hope to show—new ways of thinking and designing with sociomaterial practices and for product durability.
This paper takes its starting point from the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles which proposes that: “Increased durability will enable consumers to use clothing for longer and at the same time support circular business models such as reuse, renting and repair, take-back services and second-hand retail, in a way that creates cost-saving opportunities to citizens” (European Commission, 2022). While this statement positions durability as a cornerstone of circularity, and assumes that increasing product lifespan will naturally align with economic, environmental, and social benefits. This paper challenges that assumption by investigating the rebound effects and 'wicked problems' associated with durability as a driver for circular business models. By applying Rittel and Webber’s (Rittel & Webber, 1973) framework, the analysis addresses multiple levels of root problems that complicate this narrative. Empirical data from two ongoing studies will be presented to illustrate how gaps in textile literacy—both in industry and among consumers—undermine the technocratic assessments underpinning EU strategies. These studies highlight how the erosion of textile knowledge over recent decades has left terms like "durability" and "circularity" poorly understood and misapplied. The concluding argument of this paper is that this lack of historical and practical textile knowledge within EU policy-making constitutes a rebound effect in itself. Without a deeper, more nuanced understanding of what durability and circularity entail and how they can be practiced, the strategy risks failing to achieve its intended positive impacts.
Today a large variety of products with various features and designs are available for consumers. In addition to the main functions of a product, there are more and more additional functions, especially for electrical and electronic appliances. This means that looking for the right product may require extensive research by consumers and does not always lead to a sense of making an informed purchase decision. The wide variety of designs and functions can overwhelm consumers. This creates uncertainty and might lead to overrate products functionality and thus significantly shorten the service lifetime of appliances. Furthermore, the environmental impact of such functions is usually unclear, and can vary depending on the actual usage scenario. In this study, a survey was carried out in order to better understand consumers perceptions and experiences related to additional functions of products, with specific focus on domestic hobs, household refrigerating appliances and televisions. The results confirm the large number of additional functions and their overwhelming effect for consumers. Consumers purchase devices with more features than desired, or replaced them prematurely because an extra feature fails while the main function is still available. The findings of the study can be used to better inform consumers and support them to make environmentally sustainable purchasing decisions.
As global industries confront mounting complexity, regulatory mandates, and urgent sustainability targets, end‑to‑end transparency has become nonnegotiable. Design for Traceability (DfT) delivers a transformative blueprint—encoding traceability into the very DNA of products and materials. By harnessing Smart Identification Technologies (SIT)— including Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID), Near Field Communication (NFC), QR codes, IoT sensors, and blockchain—DfT establishes immutable “digital DNA,” realized through interoperable Digital Product Passports (DPPs) and Material Passports (MPs). These passports grant real‑time visibility, secure authentication, and frictionless data exchange, catalyzing circular resource loops while ensuring compliance with evolving regulations.The DfT framework is anchored by five interdependent pillars: Lifecycle‑Centric Design: Embeds traceability at inception via modular architecture, durable materials, and design-for-disassembly, extending product life and simplifying end-of-life recovery. Digital Traceability Infrastructure: Constructs a secure, interoperable data ecosystem by integrating SIT and distributed ledger technology, enabling continuous monitoring, analytics, and decision support through DPP and MP integration. Circular Business Models: Transitions from one‑time sales to service‑based offerings, remanufacturing, and R‑strategies (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle), unlocking new revenue streams and preserving asset value. Stakeholder Collaboration: Builds shared platforms and decentralized governance to unite manufacturers, regulators, consumers, and recyclers in transparent data‑sharing networks, strengthening trust and supply‑chain resilience. Regulatory Alignment: Integrates traceability into corporate strategy to anticipate stringent sustainability mandates, leveraging digital audits and transparent reporting for streamlined compliance. By interweaving these pillars, DfT empowers organizations to mitigate supply‑chain risks, optimize resource utilization, and accelerate the shift toward a resilient, transparent circular economy. This holistic framework equips policymakers, industry leaders, and designers with actionable strategies to embed sustainability, accountability, and innovation at every stage of the product lifecycle.
How Policies are Shaping Longer-Lasting Textiles in Europe
European policies are evolving to extend the lifespan of textiles and reduce waste, but challenges remain in implementation. This study examines how policies have shifted from voluntary measures before 2020 to stricter regulations, such as the Eco-design for Sustainable Products Regulation and Extended Producer Responsibility schemes. While these policies aim to make textiles more durable, most still focus on managing waste rather than preventing it. A key challenge is the lack of repair infrastructure and inconsistent enforcement across countries. Additionally, current policies sometimes prioritize recyclability over longevity, which can lead to unintended consequences like shorter product lifespans. Policies must better support durability through financial incentives, clearer design standards, and better enforcement to make a real impact. Investing in repair and reuse infrastructure alongside recycling efforts will be essential for creating a genuinely circular textile economy.
Getting rid of electrical and electronic equipment
Within the product life cycle, the user's decision regarding disposal (i.e. getting rid of the product) at the end of the utilization phase plays an important role in terms of the service life of a device of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE). This article first examines from an economic perspective whether and how consumers dispose of EEE. The costs of ownership, the utility of ownership, and disposal costs are identified as the key determinants for this decision. It is the costs of ownership that is the actual cause of the will to dispose, and it is the latter two determinants that prevent the user from disposing of them. While the size of the utility of ownership is already frequently analyzed in the discourse on repair, the perspective of disposal costs seems to receive little attention. Therefore, the article continues to investigate the extent to which the determinant of disposal costs can be put to use for regulation towards a circular economy. To this end, three disposal paths (circular, official-final, illegal), the regulatory objectives associated with them (prevention, safe disposal) and the types of hurdles associated with the respective disposal path (pecuniary, transaction costs, spatial, sanctional) are considered. The result is a complex situation for regulation, not least because of a path of illegal disposal that is not easy to control, which makes it difficult to simply apply economic pricing instruments. Instead, the concept of ‘hurdle management’ is introduced, which offers a perspective for future regulatory efforts with regard to disposal costs.
National leadership for legislating longer product lifetimes
Currently, the European Union (EU) is the “green leader”, globally, in adopting policies to support longer product lifetimes. One reason for this state of affairs is that EU Member States are adopting progressive policies, which put pressure on the EU to set EU-wide laws to replace national ones. The main reason for this situation is that national rules may lead to distortions in trade in the EU Single Market, as corporations will find it difficult to be able to comply with different national rules and would prefer EU-wide standards. Currently, France is the undisputed leader in adopting policies for longer lifetimes, through policies including criminalization of planned obsolescence, modulated fees, repair policies, banning destruction of unsold products, and national indexes for repairability and durability of products. When the EU adopts similar policies, this can have several positive implications, but there can also be negative effects, for instance that the EU rules are less progressive than the national ones. The aim of this paper is to discuss the key benefits and drawbacks with EU harmonization of national rules, using France as an example. This paper maps the key French policies supporting longer product lifetimes and the upcoming EU rules aiming for EU-wide harmonization. Finally, we describe one policy where EU rules are likely to be less progressive than the French ones, mandatory repair information to consumers, to exemplify key trade-offs with harmonization.
This research into global and Australian policy in textile circularity focusses on Queensland as a case study. Queensland is still lacking a comprehensive roadmap to textile circularity and does not have a strategy for used clothing collection. These activities are left to charities, which benefit from tax breaks, and industry, which is heavily subsidized with public money, ignoring the reality of an industry that is made of micro and small businesses and is predominantly female. Policies that are not scrutinized through a gender lens could continue to create gender disparities, inequalities and systemic barriers, leaving behind women who want to enter the formal repair economy.
Does the EU Eco-design for Sustainable Product Regulation Address Premature Obsolescence?
Premature obsolescence has significant environmental and socioeconomic impacts. Extending the lifetime of products is a key aim of the Eco-design for Sustainable Product Regulation (ESPR), recently introduced by the European Commission. Several barriers to achieving longer product lifetime have been identified in the literature. By examining the systemic interplay among these barriers and forms of premature obsolescence, we develop a framework to analyse the potential effectiveness of ESPR. Our findings reveal that these barriers are interconnected and mutually reinforcing, confirming the need for public policies that address these interactions and reduce premature obsolescence. Moreover, while the ESPR successfully addresses technical and economic challenges related to product lifetime extension, it remains limited in tackling symbolic obsolescence and ingrained societal consumption patterns.
Sufficiency in European Product Policies
Technological innovations and efficiency measures have been the primary focus of many policies aimed at meeting global sustainability and resource security goals. However, it has been established in literature that these measures alone are unlikely to drive long-term sustainability or reduce absolute resource demands. Sufficiency-oriented approaches, which focus on slowing down and minimising resource use, are often overlooked in current policy frameworks and business strategies, especially in resource-intensive sectors like the electronics industry. Given the pressing need to address resource overconsumption and its environmental impacts, it is essential to explore how sufficiency can be incorporated into product policies. This paper analyses the current state of sufficiency-oriented measures in European product policies, taking consumer electronics and electrical devices as a case study, and proposes supplementary instruments that can advance sustainability targets. We also develop a categorization framework for sufficiency policies to lay the groundwork for future empirical research, which can help guide policy developments and encourage broader adoption of sufficiency strategies.
What’s the Problem with Product Obsolescence?
Extending product lifetimes is a critical aspect of achieving Circular Economy outcomes, however current policy discussions in Australia do not adequately address product obsolescence (PO). Using a problematisation analysis method, this research aims to uncover how PO is framed within Australia's Right to Repair (R2R) Inquiry and how these problematisations impact the effective transition to a Circular Economy. The document analysis results indicate that Australian regulatory interventions shift responsibility for PO onto consumers, framing the issue as one of consumer choice driving rapid disposal. It was found that despite strong support for design stage interventions in submissions to the Inquiry, the report ultimately recommended against placing PO obligations on producers. Instead, the report suggested introducing labelling requirements, placing the burden of obsolescence on consumers. This framing reflects an ideology of economic rationalism, driven by governmental hesitancy to strongly regulate the private sector. In this representation, the environmental impacts of PO, and the importance of regulation in environmental conservation, are minimised. The Australian approach can be contrasted with the European Union approach which places responsibility on producers to design products in accordance with eco-design requirements and disseminate repairability information, emphasising the role of comprehensive policy mixes in driving positive environmental outcomes. The contrasts between these solutions reflect different understandings of not only what the problem with PO is, but also who is responsible for it. This research posits that without a reconceptualisation of the problem representation of PO in Australia, Circular Economy outcomes will not be achieved.
Designing Electronics for a Circular Economy
Repair as a vehicle for grassroots leadership in transition towards circular economy
The Value of Emerging Technologies for Enhancing Consumer Trust and Adoption of Repair Electronics
Repair-focused social enterprises for environmental and social resilience
Transformative repair beyond materiality
The ReMake Cafes as a source of well-being
Dealing with barriers to repair from the repairers’ perspective
<span class="NormalTextRun SCXW33245919 BCX8" data-ccp-charstyle="PLATE - Subtitle 1 Zchn" data-ccp-charstyle-defn="{"ObjectId":"1469504a-7894-5226-a911-e8fbf7e90d3e|1","ClassId":1073872969,"Properties":[469777841,"Arial",469777842,"Arial",469777843,"SimSun",469777844,"Arial",469769226,"Arial",268442635,"24",469775450,"PLATE - Subtitle 1 Zchn",201340122,"1",134233614,"true",469778129,"PLATE-Subtitle1Zchn",335572020,"1",134231262,"true",134224900,"true",469777929,"PLATE - Subtitle 1",469778324,"Default Paragraph Font"]}" data-ccp-charstyle-linked-defn="{"ObjectId":"c2b4236b-528d-5f20-857f-5d04025a3e0d|1","ClassId":1073872969,"Properties":[469777841,"Arial",469777842,"Arial",469777844,"Arial",469769226,"Arial",268442635,"24",469777843,"SimSun",469775450,"PLATE - Subtitle 1",201340122,"2",134234082,"true",134233614,"true",469778129,"PLATE-Subtitle1",335572020,"1",134224900,"true",335551550,"6",335551620,"6",469777929,"PLATE - Subtitle 1 Zchn",469778324,"Normal"]}">Repair is a key component of the circular economy paradigm and holds great environmental potential. Our current linear economies, which rely on constantly expanding markets, are not conceived to be restorative and hence create structural barriers to repair. Through semi-structured interviews and questionnaires we explore the commercial repairers’ perspective on barriers to repair, as well as their agency and the strategies they employ to overcome those barriers. Our research has shown that repairers tend to bypass barriers by means of specific repair techniques and cooperation networks.
Repairing and regenerating the community
AI-powered Consumer Electronics Repair towards a Digital Circular Economy
Navigating Trends and Ecological Sustainability Needs in Germany and Europe's ICT Industry
<span class="NormalTextRun SCXW49705595 BCX0" data-ccp-charstyle="normaltextrun" data-ccp-charstyle-defn="{"ObjectId":"ac0262f4-8a9e-5820-b908-2d943c5f7113|1","ClassId":1073872969,"Properties":[469777841,"Calibri",469777842,"Arial",469777843,"SimSun",469777844,"Calibri",469769226,"Calibri,Arial,SimSun",268442635,"22",469775450,"normaltextrun",201340122,"1",134233614,"true",469778129,"normaltextrun",335572020,"1",469778324,"Default Paragraph Font"]}">The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry significantly impacts the environment across various life cycle stages, including material sourcing, energy use, and waste. To mitigate these effects, the German Ministry for Education and Research established the Competence Center Green ICT @ FMD, focusing on applied research to reduce the environmental footprint of ICT technologies. This paper identifies five emerging areas within the microelectronics sector that are key for ecological sustainability and the economic future in Germany and Europe to address the negative environmental impact of the rapidly growing demand of ICT: (i) Circularity in microelectronics, (ii) Green data centers, (iii) Green power electronics, (iv) Green quantum technologies, and (v) Green procurement and supply chains. These areas were identified through a systematic approach involving surveys, expert interviews, roadmap analysis, literature review, and market research. Criteria such as geographical relevance, time-related relevance and leverage were used to assess the feasibility of each area. Circularity in microelectronics addresses resource efficiency and product lifetime extension, while green data centers focus on hardware, software, and infrastructure optimization to reduce environmental impact. Green power electronics aims to enhance energy efficiency in critical sectors like electromobility and data centers. Green quantum technologies explore innovative applications in sensors and chemical processes, and green supply chains emphasize reducing CO2 emissions throughout value chains.
Digitalisation plays a central role in the transition to more sustainable futures. However, it also has negative impacts, such as rebound effects, significantly undermining digitalisation's efficiency gains. Digital degrowth is a relatively new concept in discourses on sustainable digitalisation. Building forth on the concept of degrowth, first proposed in 1972 and gaining strength in the past 20 years, digital degrowth refers to realigning digital technologies to become regenerative; ecological sound and socially just, while simultaneously contributing to resource efficiency in digitalisation efforts. This exploratory paper reflects on digital degrowth and the rebound effects of digitalisation.
Utilising Digital Technology for Garment Longevity
This research explores methods for repurposing both physical resources and contextual specialist knowledge, offering insights that can inspire and enhance future fashion design and re-manufacturing and archival practices within the industry. It questions whether digital fashion design tools, such as CLO3D can expand from facilitating faster production and consumption to enhancing the use and potential longevity of garments. The study employs an ethnographic approach to practice-based research, where the authors focus on the interaction between the physical and digital worlds, to understand the wider application of CLO3D that promotes the value and lifespan of a garment. Two case studies were investigated to explore the impact of CLO3D on longevity: a historical garment archive that examined historic pattern cutting approaches; a contemporary collection of 30 deadstock sportswear garments. This research aims to enhance the designers understanding and accessibility of archival and
Life cycle assessment (LCA) of remanufactured electrical and electronic products
Coupling LCA and product lifetime modeling to support repair & reuse
Measuring the Impact of Smartphone Reuse Interventions on Consumer Choice and Product Lifetime
Exploring Lifetime Approaches in Life Cycle Assessment of Textiles and Footwear
This paper presents a pilot pedagogical project exploring the potential of experimental design methods to engage students with complex scientific concepts, by focusing on translating these concepts specifically for a public audience. Conducted within the UKRI-funded Textiles Circularity Centre (TCC) at the Royal College of Art, the project tasked design students with designing an experience that can communicate the science of biobased textile recycling, an emerging circular economy process that is complex and typically inaccessible for laypeople. Framed as a process of translation rather than mastery, the project integrated interdisciplinary, multisensory, and speculative design and teaching methods to engage with a range of ways of conceptualizing and communicating complex science to a diverse audience. Students worked closely with scientific researchers, engaging with scientific materials and techniques, including enzymatic recycling and bacterial cellulose production. Through iterative development, the students produced Catalyst, a multisensory installation that employs tactile interaction, visual displays, and soundscapes to create an interactive material simulation of biobased recycling. The study identifies three key pedagogical outcomes with potential for application in wider contexts: enhanced technical comprehension, emotional engagement, and learner agency. We discuss the relationship of multimodal design methods to whole-systems thinking and learning. We propose that interdisciplinary, multisensory methods for enhancing complexity-oriented learning and public engagement, and raise possibilities to scale the model to other contexts that involve communication of complex information, as it may be able to activate new forms of learning and public engagement.
Examining longevity in tools for a circular economy
Industrial production contributes significantly to ecological sustainability challenges. One guiding approach to address these challenges is the circular economy. Slowing down resource flows is one of the main strategies of the circular economy. This involves extending the lifespan of products within and across multiple life cycles and increasing their utilization intensity. Various tools have been developed to support companies in adopting circular economy practices. This study examines how these tools facilitate designing for product longevity. Specifically, the study analyzes 10 tools — five recent tools identified in academic literature and five first emerging through internet scraping. These tools are annotated and coded to reveal qualitative insights regarding the level of longevity they address (theoretical and methodological insights) and how these tools help handling longevity-related aspects (practical and applied insights). The findings highlight how these tools contribute to extending product lifespans and identify the extent to which they could support slowing down resource flows.
This paper explores how garments, which have had circular design embedded within them, can be communicated in industry from the design department to wholesale, shop managers/assistants and lastly the consumer. The research was situated within the ReSuit project as a case study and was a collaboration between design researchers at Kolding School of Design, anthropologists at Behave Green and industry partner Bestseller. The research was conducted in two parts. Firstly, it investigated, through interviews, how designers communicate circular/sustainable design to wholesale. Secondly, a parallel study used interviews to investigate the communication from shop assistants to customers. The findings show that designers find it complex to communicate sustainability and circularity embedded within designs to wholesale, and the information regarding these topics gets diluted as the overall information burden is seen as too overwhelming. It was also found that shop floor staff were not equipped to guide customers towards sustainable/circular choices and that the customers knowledge, though interested, is lacking. However, it also demonstrates a range of methods that brands could draw on to aid communication, namely overview presentations supplemented with physical visuals, diagrams, first-hand experience or changing the presentation location. Furthermore, aids were suggested, such as mini guides, QR codes and websites. This paper proposes that, to communicate outwardly, brands should first look inward, to educate/upskill their sales teams (Business-to-Business and Business-to-Customer) with fundamental sustainable/circular knowledge. The paper concludes that salespeople have the potential to play a pivotal role in the transition to a circular economy.
Development of a Digital Product Passport for iPads to Enhance Student Sustainability Practices
This paper proposes a generic framework for the design and development of Digital Product Passports (DPPs) applicable across various products, sectors, and developers. The framework, established considering information requirements and existing approaches identified in DPP literature, comprises four key phases: (1) Defining the Foundations; (2) Design and Development; (3) Testing and Refinement; (4) Deployment and Evaluation. Its application is demonstrated through the development of a Digital iPad Product Passport for the University of Kentucky iPad initiative (UK-DiPP). An app-based UK-DiPP prototype is presented with three core intended functionalities: (1) Charging Pattern, (2) Battery Usage, and (3) iPad Lifecycle, aiming to promote sustainable charging practices, extend battery lifetime, support end-of-life (EoL) management, enhance sustainability awareness on campus, and mitigate the negative environmental impacts associated with iPad use and disposal. Challenges as a third-party DPP developer, including limited data accessibility and technical obstacles, are discussed with potential workarounds and solutions. This research contributes to the practical development and implementation of DPPs by offering a versatile framework and showcasing real-world application.
The study explores the application of Behaviour Change Techniques (BCTs) in promoting sustainable clothing consumption. The fashion industry significantly impacts the environment, and despite consumer interest in sustainable options, adoption remains low, and a green gap persists. This research aims to identify effective methods to encourage sustainable behaviours. BCTs, a theoretical framework originally used in health contexts, are applied here to sustainable clothing consumption. Four citizen engagement activities were conducted, each incorporating different BCTs. Surveys were conducted before and after the activities to measure their effectiveness. The study found that certain BCTs (providing information on social and environmental consequences, education, and instructions on how to perform behaviours), significantly correlated with participants' intentions to adopt sustainable clothing consumption behaviours. These findings suggest that interventions combining impact awareness through information with action are most effective. The study highlights the potential of BCTs to guide and evaluate interventions aimed at reducing the green gap in sustainable clothing consumption.
This paper examines the critical intersection of waste management and entrepreneurship within the context of sustainability-focused education, emphasizing the importance of integrating these themes into academic curricula to address pressing global environmental challenges. As the world grapples with issues such as resource depletion, excessive waste generation, and unsustainable business practices, the transformative role of education becomes increasingly evident. This study highlights how equipping students with the knowledge, skills, and entrepreneurial mindset to innovate for sustainability can serve as a powerful catalyst for change. The paper proposes a multidimensional pedagogical approach that combines theoretical understanding with practical application, fostering critical and innovative thinking. The paper also explores the role of experiential learning methodologies, such as problem-based learning, design thinking, and value co- creation, in fostering collaboration across disciplines and engaging stakeholders. By doing so, it seeks to prepare the next generation of environmentally conscious entrepreneurs capable of addressing waste management challenges while contributing to a more sustainable future.
Impact of Robotic Circular Wood Processing
Wood is an increasingly demanded renewable resource and an important raw material for construction and materials. Demands are rising, with a growing attention for re-use and upcycling, opening up opportunities for new business models, empowered by the use of digital design and technologies. A KPI framework was developed to evaluate the environmental, social, and economic aspects of using recycled wood in robotic manufacturing. This paper explores the use of this framework, focusing on a case study: the "One Plank" Challenge. The study reveals that environmental gains from using waste wood are comparable to production burdens, with significant variation depending on wood type. Production time, encompassing both human and robotic aspects, significantly impacts cost-effectiveness. The findings underscore the importance of considering lifecycle impacts in promoting sustainable robotic manufacturing practices.
Waste What? is a card game, intended to communicate about linear economy while highlighting sustainable alternatives of local circular economy (CE) practices offered by grassroot initiatives. The objective of this article is to present the applied co-creative game development process and to show identified CE enablers included in the game. Based on the results, lessons learned and recommendations for future projects are formulated. The project that developed Waste What? used a co-creative development process with four phases: 1. Field Trips: That collected perspectives, insights, and impressions from local CE-Stakeholders. 2. Prototyping: Developed the game concept based on observations. 3. Testing & Design: Prototypes are developed into the final game by including the perspectives of stakeholders in testing sessions. 4. Dissemination and Documentation: The game was documented and published with an open-source license and disseminated at events. With an individual design of 110 cards, a game board, chips, and a manual, Waste What? communicates an experience of involvement in local CE- practices. In the game, players from two teams take the perspective of CE-initiatives. They are active in the re-use of items of the categories: Textiles, Electronics, Food, Furniture, Construction Materials and Bicycles. Players have several options, including selling, donating, storing, combining or incinerating items. The game communicates observed CE-enablers connected to people, items, and infrastructure. The study concludes that CE-games can communicate principles and people are interested in the approach. However, it is recommended to tailor games to specific target groups and plan extensive dissemination efforts to maximize its impact.
Co-design, which involves end-users in the design process, has emerged as a promising strategy for developing circular offerings. However, creating such offerings requires collaboration not only with end-users but also between companies forming circular ecosystems centered on shared value propositions. While existing research highlights the importance of inter-company collaboration and co-design with end-users, tools supporting co-creation with both users and multiple stakeholders remain limited. This paper introduces and evaluates a prototype tool called the Collaborative Circular Value Creation Canvas. The tool is designed to facilitate company collaboration in generating concepts for circular offerings, which can serve as structured inputs for co-design with end-users. This paper reports on testing the canvas in a pilot workshop. Initial findings suggest the tool's potential to foster inter-company collaboration and generate valuable inputs for a co-design process with end-users. However, further research is needed to validate its role in a co-design process and its ability to foster business models focused on product longevity. Additionally, the implications of using the tool in a digital format should be further investigated.
Convenience as a Key Driver in Extending the Cumulative Lifespan of Furniture
In response to environmental challenges and overconsumption, design strategies focusing on product longevity have emerged. While product longevity is partly determined by physical durability, it is also heavily influenced by the consumer. Therefore, understanding consumer attitudes toward product lifespans is essential for gaining insights into longevity. Specifically, this study investigates how consumers’ valuation of furniture impacts its lifespan. The findings are based on data from semi-structured interviews and a survey provided by AAU Design Lab, analyzed through reflexive thematic analysis. The study introduces two terms to further specify the understanding of product lifespan: individual ownership lifespan and cumulative lifespan. The study found that emotional attachment is not necessarily essential for achieving prolonged cumulative lifespan of furniture, challenging existing strategies like design for attachment and emotional durability. While these strategies influence individual ownership lifespan, the findings in this paper suggest that convenience is the key driver in extending the cumulative lifespan of furniture by enabling its reuse through accessible disposal methods and platforms. Accordingly, putting a stronger focus on the systems and contexts in which products exist could play an important role in extending their lifetime. As this is a preliminary study with limited data, these findings should be considered an interesting starting point for further investigation.
Value chain emissions constitute the largest share of most company's greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory, making their reduction essential for achieving science-based targets (SBTs) and supporting global climate goals. This study analyses the decarbonization efforts of six Danish early adopters of SBTs, focusing on their strategies to reduce emissions across product life cycles and value chains. Based on publicly disclosed data from company reports and responses to the CDP Climate Change Questionnaires, the findings reveal a primary focus on Scope 1 and 2 emissions, with limited efforts targeting value chain emissions (i.e., Scope 3) during the early years following target setting. The study highlights significant gaps between the reductions required to meet targets and the reported impact of current and planned strategies, with shortfalls ranging from 17% to 75% of current inventory levels. Additionally, the study highlights inconsistencies and gaps in company disclosures making it difficult to assess actual progress. To close these gaps, there is a need for more knowledge on how companies can accelerate value chain decarbonization - such as through circular economy strategies - and improved transparency in reporting. Enhanced corporate action and disclosure are critical to aligning with SBT commitments and ensuring meaningful climate progress.
The transition to a Circular Economy (CE) in the packaging industry is vital to address growing environmental problems. Circularity indicators play a critical role in evaluating progress and guiding decision-making. However, existing indicators lack suitability for packaging and do not factor in the systemic considerations required for successful transition to CE. This study identified 21 circularity indicators relevant to packaging, critically assessing their: suitability for the packaging industry; and inclusion of systemic considerations across lifecycle stages such as sourcing, design and production, distribution, use, and end-of-life. Using a three-point scale (extensive inclusion, partial inclusion and none), the indicators are classified to establish the extent to which they consider systems, such as Packaging Characteristic, Infrastructure, Value and Regulation. The analysis highlights several gaps, including overemphasis on end-of-life systems, limited consideration of value for stakeholders, insufficient alignment with upstream systems, and inadequate consideration of regional infrastructure and regulation. The findings underline the need for future indicators to adopt a holistic approach, integrating diverse systems to enable effective CE strategy implementation. By highlighting these gaps, this research lays the groundwork for developing robust indicators that not only assess circularity but also guide the packaging industry toward a realistic implementation of CE strategies.
Exploring Material Potentials for Product Design
This research proposes a narrative-based approach and two corresponding strategies as part of an interdisciplinary project. The approach could be an initial step in understanding the user’s first impression concerning materials experience and other material potentials, informing designers about translating them into product design decisions. The project combines Material-Driven Design (MDD) and user-centred research methods to develop composite Do-it-Yourself (DIY) materials by upcycling textile and plastic wastes. It aims to transform these materials into seven products designed for office environments that promote sustainability. The project’s design brief includes the product’s primary function, context, and target group. However, the MDD process follows the material exploration to decide on the product proposals formed towards the end. That calls for an alternative method that adapts MDD to broader product development scenarios, particularly those guided by a predefined design brief, to enhance the value of Materials Experience (MX) in conventional design processes. This research initially implements a design probe study to address this gap and to understand forty-six office worker participants’ first impressions of DIY material. Based on the study’s findings and initial material tinkering process within the research group, a need for a contextual elaboration of materials to address material potentials holistically, including experience, form, function, and affordance, became apparent. Hence, a narrative-based approach is grounded with materials agency in mind and strengthened with anthropomorphism and material journey mapping strategies to obtain insights for the abovementioned scenarios.
Design-ability in the Circular Economy of Textiles
Recent research underscores the importance of longevity, defined as the combination of high and long-term usage frequency and durability, in the textile and fashion industry’s shift toward circularity and sustainability. This paper explores and discusses the designer’s ability to design for longevity of textiles. Thus, focus is on the potential role of textile designers, examining the extent to which the skills and competencies of the designer may potentially have an actual influence on longevity. Additionally, the paper discusses the systemic context that creates opportunities for design to contribute to the longevity of textiles and garments. Theoretically, the paper draws on Young’s framework of levels of context—specifically design in context and designing context—as well as Pineda et al.’s emphasis on the relationship between contexts and the designed object. Empirically, the study is based on data collected from an ongoing research project, [Project X], in which a consortium of academic institutions and industry partners explores opportunities for textile recovery through material-led experiments with recycled textile fibres, further processed in a local R&D factory setup. This paper demonstrates that the challenges of recycling extend beyond design strategies and material experiments, encompassing cultural perceptions and the opportunities available to designers. Furthermore, by highlighting the competencies required to facilitate relationships and collective knowledge building through textile prototypes, the paper supports previous research suggesting that designers play a central role in the transition toward sustainability.
Designers are increasingly creating materials from renewable and recycled sources to support a circular economy, aiming to mitigate the adverse effects of linear production and consumption. These materials are considered sustainable alternatives to non-renewable materials, such as fossil fuel-based plastics. While users may be drawn to the sustainability narrative and "biography" of such materials, the highly natural appearance of biomaterials can sometimes evoke unappealing user responses. This study examines how "machine aesthetics"—visible signs of production like graphical embossment and engraving—impact user perceptions of biomaterials. The research explores how surface alterations influence emotional responses and underlying appraisals by comparing reactions to biomaterial samples with a high degree of naturalness against those with embossed and engraved surfaces. Findings reveal that machine aesthetics evoke a sense of order, contributing to favourable responses and minimising other negative evaluations of the material aspects. Although users value biomaterials for their natural origins, structured human-imposed aesthetics satisfy a desire for aesthetic coherence and control. This finding suggests that people appreciate sustainable materials' natural imperfections when presented within a framework of manageability and familiarity.
Can Circular Economy Strategies Limit the Prospective Dysprosium Demand in the European Union?
Dysprosium (Dy) is a high critical rare earth element, which is basically used for improving the thermo-magnetic properties in various low carbon products. This research provides a detailed examination on the evolution of Dy demand, in-use stock, and end-of-life (EoL) under ambitious climate targets and demand shrinkages that can be expected due to the implementation of two circular economy strategies: material efficiency and end-of-life recycling in 13 product sectors in the European Union from 2022 to 2050. Our results indicate that future Dy demand, in-use stock accumulation, and EoL generation are likely to be exacerbated by High-APS (Announced Pledges Scenario) and High-NZE (Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario). Moreover, the circular economy strategies used in this study will contribute to significant decreases in the future Dy demand when such strategies are combined and applied in a high magnitude under High-APS and High-NZE scenarios. Recent efforts in the partial and full elimination of Dy mainly in high-tech products such as wind turbines and electrical vehicles are admirable, however, it is necessary to more focus on improving the implementation of circular economy strategies in manufacturing processes to mitigate future Dy supply uncertainties in the European Union.
Towards an integrative approach for ecodesign principles and sustainable material selection
Through a systematic literature review the scholarly contributions at the intersection of ecodesign, sustainable material selection, and the household appliance sector are explored. A comprehensive search was conducted on the Scopus database, yielding 181 initial results, which were narrowed down to 52 relevant documents for in-depth analysis. Notably, the review revealed a growing research interest in these areas, particularly since 2015, reflecting broader industry trends towards circular and sustainable production models. Key findings include the identification of eco-innovation drivers, approaches for sustainable product design and assessment, and the importance of validating research outcomes through real-world case studies. The analysis also pointed out an evolution in sustainable design strategies and material selection focus, shifting from sole materials recycling towards durability, repair and life-extension. Some overarching themes emerged across the reviewed documents, including the application of Life-Cycle-Thinking approaches together with LCA-based methods and a general push to foster the implementation of ecodesign strategies in early design phases to maximize their effectiveness. The review also allowed to identify and visualize a network of scholars focused on appliance-related research works. A significant finding is the relative scarcity of research that effectively aim at integrating ecodesign and material selection specifically for the appliance industry.
Design for longevity in industrial products
This paper aims to demonstrate the life cycle costing and environmental impacts of different R-strategy scenarios, with a focus on steel moulds. Reuse primarily focuses on remanufacturing steel moulds and exploring the most environmentally optimal strategy, serving as a supplier in a circular economy. The scope of this case study does not include recycling scenarios. The study uses a pedagogical case study in collaboration with The LEGO Group. One approach is to map the CO2-eq footprint of steel mould consumption to prepare for a digital architecture based on material consumption and circular strategies.
Compatible blending for circular textiles with next-gen materials
Emerging next-gen materials such as recycled, renewable, or regenerative fibres promise lower impacts in resource extraction and transformation processes than their conventional fibre counterparts. These materials can be instrumental in a shift to a more sustainable fashion and textiles industry. A key contribution to this transition relies on reducing impacts and waste through circular design measures such as increasing lifespans and recycling at end of life. However, as these next-gen materials tend to have properties and costs that deviate from optimised industry norms, they are often used in incompatible blends, thus negating their circularity potential. This paper puts forward a framework to understand material flows and lifecycles as a relation between fibre type and recycling route for designers to operate within the principles of circularity. The research results in a guidebook to support designer’s choices of material combinations in line with recycling trajectories, and in a series of samples produced by industry project partners and students demonstrating the application of the framework. The samples use a selection of five example next-gen materials, which are integrated to each practitioners’ applications and aesthetics. The underlying aim of the research is to foster a systemic approach to textile design with an increased understanding of material properties and their relation to current and emerging recycling technologies.
Assessing socio-economic impacts of Lithium-Ion Battery recycling through Multi-Regional Input-Output Analysis
The expected rise in electromobility and the increasing use of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is generating new challenges and opportunities, particularly in the End-of-Life (EoL) management of batteries. One of these challenges are the socio-economic impacts associated with the EoL process steps on which this paper focuses on. With the method of Multi-Regional Input-Output (MRIO) analysis, a selected recycling process route in Europe is assessed regarding socio-economic impacts, first at current demand (baseline scenario) and followed by an upscaled demand. The results provide insight into differences in some socio-economic impact categories, such as employment, vulnerable employment, and worker remuneration. The scale-up scenarios show, among other things, an increase in the workforce and remuneration (positive impact). However, with an increase in vulnerable employment, negative socio-economic impacts are also evident in Europe-centered recycling processes. The results furthermore show that changing recycling processes can lead to sustainability trade-offs. Due to the limited number of indicators in the selected method, it is not possible to provide an overall picture of social impacts. However, this research shows a clear change in the individual impacts, which underlines the need for proactive measures to overcome infrastructure problems, expand recycling capacities, and improve employment conditions in all sectors.
Designing materials with living organisms for care-based practices
The unsustainable patterns of human consumption, exacerbated by materialism, digital technologies, disruptive global events and the mounting issue of e-waste, demand a fundamental shift in design approaches. In light of these challenges, this paper discusses how integrating living organisms into materials design can facilitate this transition, fostering innovative interactions and enabling care-based practices. By analysing three case studies in interaction design, the research highlights the transformative potential of incorporating biological matter like plants, moulds, bacteria and fungi into domains such as the one of wearables. The biodesign processes examined reveal commonalities, including the unpredictable, transient and time-consuming nature of designing with living organisms, as well as the evolving commitment and sensitivity of both designers and users towards the artefacts. The findings suggest that embracing non-human agency in the design field can nurture empathy and symbiosis and encourage users’ ethical practices, responsibility, and emotional awareness. The study provides valuable insights into embedding care in design, redirecting the focus away from the traditional environmental products’ durability to a designed temporality, capable of engendering long-term emotional durability.
Upcycling from ‘One-of-a-Kind’ to Industry Scale
Industrial production generates waste in the form of scrapped, returned, or otherwise discarded materials, many of which are downcycled into lower-quality outputs. Upcycling offers a sustainable alternative by transforming waste into higher-value products while maintaining material integrity and leveraging more than just its basic composition. This study examines how product designers upcycle industrial scraps at an industrial scale. Through analysis of ten Danish field experiments with materials such as wood, concrete, leather, and fabric, we identified five leveraging strategies that distinguish the design processes of successful market entries from those that did not. These strategies are: (1) Linking the material to a portfolio to explore gaps and product line-up extensions, (2) Utilizing the material by leveraging locally available processing capabilities, (3) Shaping a by-product by adjusting ongoing production operations, (4) Leveraging the existing brand image, and (5) Leveraging 'Un-qualification as a Quality. The findings propose a framework for integrating upcycling into industrial contexts by strategically aligning products with company goals, resources, brand identity, and market position, to increase the likelihood of scaling upcycling from one-of-a-kind efforts to continued industrial practice.
One of the significant challenges of today’s society is the unsustainable overconsumption of resources, coupled with the generating of enormous amounts of waste. European manufacturing produces over 230 million tons of waste annually, much of which remains unaddressed within existing circular economy frameworks that predominantly focus on post-consumer waste. This paper introduces the Reshape strategy, which aims to respect, incorporate, and utilise pre-consumer industrial waste to create new products, thereby reducing dependence on virgin materials. Positioned within current R-frameworks, the Reshape strategy addresses a theoretical gap in circular economy literature, where the Recycling strategy is commonly used and Reuse often being misapplied, leading to theoretical ambiguity. Reshaping emphasises the extension of material lifetimes rather than downcycling through recycling. Therefore, this research explores the potential of industrial waste as a resource through 19 case studies from a Danish research project focused on designing with industrial waste materials. The findings emphasise the inherent qualities of industrial waste and outline activities within the Reshape strategy that leverage the material’s integrity in terms of function, form, or material composition, thereby extending its lifetime. By leveraging these qualities, this study contributes theoretically to the circular economy by refining terminology and advancing the understanding of pre-consumer waste within circular systems. The Reshape strategy aligns with circular economy principles, aiming to keep materials in productive loops while addressing the significant untapped potential of discarded materials.
This paper investigates industrial waste and its characteristics from a design perspective with the objective of assessing why so many materials are discarded. Industrial waste emerges pre-consumer and poses potential as material resources for new product designs on an industrial scale. Most research assesses post-consumer waste, but more than 230 million tons of waste emerge from manufacturing, hence pre-consumer. Current research on industrial waste divides it into scraps and rejects with varying characteristics of predictability and seriality. We add to the research through a two-year research project on designing with industrial waste from Danish manufacturing companies. Through observations, registrations, and semi-structured interviews, we study 24 discarded material cases and assess the challenges for industrial design. From a designer's perspective, we investigate where and why materials are discarded, the categories, and how they can be further characterised. The result is a division of industrial waste into five types: 1) offcuts, 2) rejected materials, 3) rejected objects, 4) process waste, and 5) excess material. They vary in predictability, uniformity, presence of flaws, and data availability. These are characteristics that designers must consider when extending the material lifetime and keeping the material at its integrity level in new product designs.
Longevity and Biodegradability Assessment of Biobased Lighting Fixture Design for Interiors
Biobased materials are often associated with fast degradation due to their inherent biodegradability, limiting their adoption in long-term applications. This study explores the dual potential of biobased composites, particularly bacterial cellulose-based materials, through the case of lighting fixture design in interior spaces. While these materials naturally degrade under specific environmental conditions, their lifespan can be extended significantly through thoughtful design and controlled usage. The research involves a four stage methodology to focus on developing and testing composite materials by combining bacterial cellulose biofilms with various biobased agents to enhance light transmission and durability. The study then evaluates the performance of these composites in terms of illuminance quality and biodegradation in interior use and composting, comparing them to one of the conventional lighting fixture materials, polypropylene plastic. The results have shown that this study challenges the perception of biobased materials as inherently fast-degrading due to maintenance requirements, by demonstrating their capacity for longevity when utilized in stable indoor environments. The findings contribute to biodesign discourse by showcasing how biobased composites can balance biodegradability and extended usability, offering innovative pathways for a variety of ecological design applications.
Creative research methods for engagement with nature, positive activism and the aesthetics of degrowth
Exploring Parental Engagement in Sustainable Practices for School Uniforms
Circular fashion and new materialities from repurposing waste
Regenerated cellulose fibers synthesized with recycled textiles
Computational Circular Design of Planar Linkage Mechanisms Using Available Standard Parts
Implementing circular design strategies through co-creation
Circular bioeconomy business ecosystem in Finland
Product-service Systems for Regenerative and Long-lasting Buildings
A Shared Vision: The importance of Knowledge Exchange through Co-design in Scaling Circular Strategies for Fashion Remanufacture
Overproduction in the fashion industry poses a significant challenge, leading to excessive resource use and rapidly growing textile waste before garments reach consumers. The Circular Economy (CE) is gaining recognition as a means to reduce resource consumption through various strategies integrated into product lifecycles. However, effectively scaling these strategies to achieve tangible impacts remains underdeveloped. This paper draws on research projects that collaborate with industry partners to incorporate remanufacturing into existing supply chains. It highlights the essential knowledge exchange required for implementing circular production methods, aiming to identify strategies necessary for scaling. The paper enhances understanding of how remanufacturing pre-consumer textiles can be integrated into large-scale fashion business settings. Through two practice-based research projects, one with a major fashion brand and the other with a large garment factory, the research investigates how co-designing pilot projects as a form of knowledge exchange can facilitate the scaling of circular strategies in fashion production. These projects are designed to build capacity, enabling the industry partner to develop systems that can expand the implementation of remanufacturing excess stock. While extensive research exists on circular strategies, there is limited understanding of practical implementation and how collaborations between research and industry can foster a knowledge exchange that supports the transition to circularity. The implementation of remanufacturing, like other circular strategies, depends on adapting processes contextually with a clear understanding of the industry’s existing parameters and developing design responses that can effectively maintain value and recirculate garment stock.
Testing methods of remanufacture of pre-consumer textiles in scalable environments
Despite a growing response by multiple stakeholders to address waste issues in the industry, the consumer appetite for newness and the speed and agility of the mass manufacturing system encourages overconsumption Currently, less than 1% of the material used to produce clothing is recycled into new clothing. As Walter Stahel notes, wasted material is also wasted money, meaning that increasingly industry stakeholders are looking to exploit the potential economic benefit of ‘remanufacture’ or ‘upcycling’. While many micro-businesses are utilising upcycling on a small scale, the impact on the overall resource wastage is minimal. This paper explores how working in a factory environment can give greater insight into the challenges of working with remanufacture for scale. It will support a greater understanding of the barriers that are impeding the widespread adoption of working with Whole Product (WP) fallout on a production line, while helping to identify the frameworks needed to support methods of WP Remanufacture (WPRem) within the linear commercial environment.
Categorising Remaking Methods for Fashion Practitioners
Within fashion and textiles, practices which transform existing textile waste materials are discussed using various terms, for example upcycling, remanufacturing, or redesign, however, this study will collectively refer to these as remaking practices. Through the examination of 38 cases of remake collaborations occurring within the Australian community between November 2019 to July 2023, this study explores how the fashion remake outcomes can be classified to more effectively support the development of different remaking practices. As a result, the paper proposes a remaking lexicon to encompass eight different methods which can be employed individually or in combination: over-dye, over-print, embellish, alter, splice, piece, patchwork and refabricate. This proposed categorisation draws parallels to traditional fashion production processes, yet also recognises that end-to-end production skills are not required for remaking, instead showcasing that the methods may use different skillsets. In identifying different types of skills, rather than different levels of skills, this paper highlights an opportunity for remaking practices to engage a wider range of actors and encourage a broader range of specialisations than has been previously suggested. The eight methods provide a clear categorisation to enable more critical comparison and evaluation of remaking practices, encouraging discussion into how the fashion industry might build a diverse ecosystem of remake practitioners.
This paper explores how to create an objective assessment criterion for ‘worn out’ workwear within an industrial laundry system. Undertaken during the ReSuit project, the research used Elis (laundry service provider) as a case study. Four styles of light workwear (2x t-shirts and 2x trousers) were selected because they represented the products with highest numbers of discards. During a field study, the researchers visually analysed a week’s worth of these discarded garments for a variety of types of wear and tear. The research found that wear and tear could be categorised across four themes: holes, stains, pilling and colour. A traffic light system was created in which garments were assessed as Green: Reusable. Yellow: Normal wear and tear with the potential for reuse. Red: Worn out (discard for recycling). From this assessment guides were created, both digital (to be printed) and physical (exemplars). Working within the limitations of the research, these guides did not provide definitive definitions of worn-out workwear, rather were to ‘start the conversation’ of where the line is drawn between reuse and discard within the workwear sector. This research concludes that there is a huge potential for the workwear sector to reuse clothing and extend the lives of the products and further research should seek to streamline and test this worn out workwear assessment criteria.
Consumers’ interest in using clothing repair services in Finland
Sustainable consumption practices, including garment repair, are vital in transition to a circular economy. Engaging in garment repair through professional repair services is, however, not as widely adopted practice as one might hope. This paper focuses on clothing repairs in the Finnish context, aiming to understand how consumers perceive the use of clothing repair services and what might be the reasons for not using these services. An online survey was conducted in 2021 to address this topic as part of a collaboration between the FINIX research project and the Finnish retail and service network S Group. Based on 1,903 survey responses, consumers generally express interest in the sustainable aspects of clothing and recognize themselves playing an important role in extending garment lifetimes. The use of clothing repair services remains yet relatively moderate among Finnish consumers. Many are competent in repairing garments themselves and do not require professional help. Price and availability are other critical factors that discourage consumers from using such services. Establishing a viable repair business may be challenging, given the price levels consumers are willing to pay for garment repairs.
Post-consumer clothing waste poses significant environmental and economic challenges, with second-hand garments often discarded despite their potential for reuse. Addressing this issue requires solutions that reduce waste and empower communities, especially marginalised groups like elderly women in township settings. This study explores how upcycling post-consumer waste clothes, guided by cradle-to-cradle principles and co-design processes, can enhance sustainability and social empowerment among elderly women in a South African township. Adopting a qualitative, case-based approach, participants were engaged through Grandmothers Against Poverty and AIDS (GAPA). Second-hand clothes sourced from local stores served as raw materials. Data collection included semi-structured interviews, participant observations, and examination of final products. Initially, participants relied on intuitive sewing techniques. Later, an expert introduced a structured, step-by-step upcycling method, encouraging them to apply more deliberate design strategies. Participants exhibited resourcefulness and creativity before the expert's intervention without explicitly recognising their efforts as sustainable. After the expert-led workshops, their products showed improved quality, durability, and potential marketability. Participants recognised upcycling as personally enriching, potentially income-generating, and environmentally meaningful. They also expressed interest in sharing knowledge with other grandmothers, indicating a ripple effect of skill dissemination. This research demonstrates that blending community-based ingenuity with structured upcycling strategy guidance can transform second-hand clothing waste into a vehicle for environmental stewardship, social cohesion, and economic resilience. It illustrates how local craftsmanship, informed by sustainable design frameworks, can foster ecological sustainability and community empowerment
This paper explores how a wardrobe study, the dress audit, was combined with literature on the dress archetype to create a brief for fashion design practice that aims to increase the active wearing of dresses. Overall, clothing utilisation has declined by over a third in the last 15 years, with dresses being the least worn of any significant item. Unworn dresses amount to hidden wardrobe waste, and increasing their utilisation could reduce fashion overconsumption. A cultural examination of the dress through a lens of sustainability reveals an archetype of the Western fashion system, tied to production and consumption discourses with complex socio-political dimensions. In contrast, the wardrobe study provided vital insights into dress-wearing experiences. Most dresses are now mass-produced, creating a disconnect between designers and wearers, and this paper highlights some of the implications of this divide. The wardrobe study identified three leading factors that impact wearing: fit, occasion, and style. If designers address these three factors alone, it could mitigate up to 80% of low usage issues. These findings helped develop five baseline parameters and create a new brief for fashion design practice that prioritises greater garment utilisation by incorporating the lived experience of wearing within the design process.
I feel more like myself when I wear my velskoene
Due to fast fashion, the lifespan of products like footwear has shortened, with consumers discarding shoes prematurely due to poor quality or for newer options. Extending the product lifespan through product attachment offers a potential solution. While product attachment studies have explored multiple product categories, few have focused on one product within a particular context. This study focuses specifically on the velskoen, a leather footwear style known for being durable and long-lasting. The velskoen has not been formally researched in South Africa, nor has its product attachment been explored. Therefore, the study aims to explore product attachment among millennial males in South Africa, specifically velskoen attachment. Qualitative, semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten participants and focused on four determinants of attachment: memories, pleasure, self-expression, and group affiliation. Object elicitation enabled participants to showcase their velskoene and comfortably chat about them to extract valuable insights. Participants described their memories, how their velskoene allowed self-expression, to which groups they affiliated themselves and their velskoene, the different types of pleasure their velskoene afforded, and product care practices. While memories featured strongly, physical pleasure emerged the most. More often than not, these two determinants complemented each other. Additionally, results showed that the velskoen allowed participants to express themselves and feel connected to specific groups on a cultural and national level. This suggests a notable attachment to velskoene among the male millennials in South Africa, which is linked primarily to pleasure and memories, which causes extended ownership, increased care, and improved sustainability.
Exploring spirituality’s location in sustainable clothing consumption through “Black Swan” narratives
“Black swan” events (e.g., pandemics, natural disasters, war) often prompt individuals to clarify their self-concept and boost self-esteem with consumptive activities when their mortality is threatened. Research about the Covid-19 pandemic’s effects on clothing consumption indicates that some consumers shifted toward more conscious clothing consumption habits, which may be associated with a desire for self-transcendence (e.g., spirituality). The purpose of this study was to locate spirituality’s role in consumption practice that strengthens clothing’s longevity. Narrative inquiry methodology was used to engage individuals who reported a spiritual experience relevant to their consumption during the pandemic. The study explores the nature of narrators’ spiritual experiences, insights, and the clothing consumption practices and ideals that are informed by each narrator’s spiritual framework, which is idiosyncratic and deeply personal. The pandemic is described by narrators in this study as an opportunity for personal growth and insight into the value of time and relationships. Narrators describe an increased spiritual consciousness, leading to a sense of interconnectedness and responsibility, beyond their own survival. Their empathy for others expands. Materiality is reevaluated in their spiritual sense of what makes a "good life." Most importantly, narrators squarely negotiate their identity through contemplative spiritual practices and reduce their need for external approval. This allows them to deepen their commitment to reduce or restrain their clothing consumption habits. The narrators illustrate how sustainable clothing consumption is itself a spiritual practice that results in greater freedom of expression and a more meaningful and satisfying experience with clothing.
Since the emergence of the fashion blogosphere, sharing personal fashion choices and inspirations using hashtags such as #OOTD (outfit of the day) have become commonplace. The speed and volume of this content has grown exponentially, providing a mediated view of self-fashioning as well as a common trope of marketing communications adopted by influencers. Recently, there has been a noted change in wardrobe activities being shared on social media, that focus on the challenges fashion users have as they navigate their existing wardrobe. User-generated content (UGC) tagged with #wardrobechallenge draws together diverse posts ranging from how to re-wear wardrobe items through techniques such as the 30 wears challenge, struggles with closet decluttering and laundry tips. This type of wardrobe work is predominantly an activity undertaken in private; however, when shared and mediated through digital channels it offers greater visibility on the use phase of garments. Recognising that the use-stage holds much potential to extend the lifecycle of garments (Gwilt & Rissanen, 2012), this paper explores UGC to understand whether the sharing of wardrobe challenges holds potential to drive sustainable behaviour change. With many fashion users mistrustful or confused by what fashion brands say regarding sustainability and little evidence of industry engagement with the post-purchase phases of fashion – the study asks if #wardrobechallenge content offers an effective way of communicating sustainable fashion practices. This is a socio-material investigation, that draws on data from Instagram and TikTok tagged with #wardrobechallenge. A typology of wardrobe challenge practices has been developed; its classifications offer inspiration for ‘doing’ fashion beyond consumption and designations of the fashion industry. The study concludes by discussing how this form of UGC could build new ways of socialising and supporting sustainable behaviour change.
Discussing fashion entails revisiting history through both individual and collective expressions. However, the narrower meaning traditionally associated with the term has, for centuries, referred to the replacement of the old with the new — something that better reflects the Zeitgeist. By embracing the spirit of the time, fashion has evolved in response to today’s uncertain future and precarious environmental conditions, moving beyond impulsive opulence toward sustainability. The sector may now be prepared to adopt a new definition of fashion as something not transient, but rather enduring. Durability is a cornerstone of the circular economy model, which seeks to keep materials and products in regenerative production cycles for as long as possible. In this context, the present paper introduces CircularMAT, a practical material advisory tool developed to support fashion designers in selecting materials that promote durability and enable circular design strategies. CircularMAT offers a structured system for material exploration, providing comprehensive information on traditional, preferred, and emerging materials. It links material characteristics to core principles of circular fashion and maps them against design strategies intended to extend product lifecycles and reduce environmental impact. The tool is designed to integrate seamlessly into the designer’s workflow, fostering conscious and informed material selection decisions during the early stages of the creative process. By emphasizing the relationship between material properties, durability, and circularity, CircularMAT supports the adoption of more sustainable design practices — without compromising creativity.
Designing for durability, both physical and emotional, has been identified as non-negotiable in the battle against overconsumption, underutilization and the devasting effects of climate change. There is currently no consistent method of measuring physical garment durability or the ability to compare garments on the market. This study presents a reproducible and novel method for measuring and ranking the physical durability of 47 t-shirts. Multiple durability factors were used to modulate the ranking whereas previous studies have only reported on single factors to evaluate durability. The benchmarking results reveal that price cannot be used as an indicator of durability and that fabric composition does influence the physical durability of a t-shirt. The garments in this study were donated by the signatories of the Waste Resource Action Programme’s (WRAP) Textile 2030 initiative as part of their strategy to reduce the environmental impact of UK fashion.
Extending the Lifespan of Garments Globally through Local Upcycling
Extending the lifespan of garments is considered a solution to counteract a culture that views them as disposable objects. However, how this is to be done in practice remains unclear. Using a multimethod approach, this study aims to investigate how garments can adapt to their local environment(s) and user(s) so that they can go through different life cycles. To this end, the authors combined data from semi-structured interviews conducted in five different countries and enriched them through triangulation with available literature. We discovered that the durability of garments is dynamic in nature, and that upcycling is a method to extend their lifespans. Furthermore, how the materials of the garment are perceived locally, influences if it is considered eligible for upcycling. As local conditions have not been considered in the definition of the concept so far, we have defined local upcycling as: a process in which materials and garments that are considered worth discarding in their current state are transformed into a product of higher value that is suitable for the local environment, eliminating the need for a new product. Although the lack of field research at the organizational level is a limitation of this study, the authors view this as a potential avenue for future research.
Reuse is a key strategy to intensify the use of goods. Hence, clothing swaps are typically presented as a sustainable alternative to conventional fashion consumption. However, research into the mechanisms and dynamics behind these exchanges remains limited. Using qualitative and quantitative methods to study a swapping event in a city in Belgium, this study explores the potential of clothing swaps to enable the reactivation and reuse of clothing. The mass flow analysis reveals that about half of the garments brought to an in-person swap using an indirect exchange system found new owners. Certain garment types (t-shirts and sweaters) were more easily swapped than others (pants). Survey responses indicated that participants use swaps to hand off dormant clothing that is no longer suited to their needs. Further, participant stated that most of the garments they acquired will substitute the purchase of garments. When comparing the wardrobe composition of swap participants to a general sample, we found that swappers have a similar wardrobe size but a much higher fraction of pre-owned garments. Unexpectedly, swap participants had a slightly higher fraction of dormant garments in their wardrobes. The observed differences cannot be solely attributed to participation in swap events, as participants are likely also engaged in other reuse activities. Meaning it provides an important glimpse into the potential effects society-wide policies focused on increasing garment reuse could have on wardrobes. To summarize, by combining different methods, this study provides new insight into the dynamics behind swapping, and clothing reuse in general.
The fashion industry is increasingly scrutinized for the environmental footprint it generates. Despite this, less attention is placed on the possibility to reduce part of this footprint thanks to attitudes and daily actions that users can take in their homes. A life cycle assessment of three selected garments was performed to analyze the potential environmental benefits of an extended usage of garments thanks to the utilization of different washing treatments. Results showed that the garment production phase has consistently the highest impact. Within the use stage, the relevance of wash cycles was investigated by comparing various cycles in both the European and North America regions, and by highlighting the contribution of different energy mixes and detergent types. The data demonstrated that washing machine users can reduce the impact of garments by, for example, washing them at lower temperature, as this results in slower deterioration. Therefore, the environmental impacts per wear of garments can be reduced by around 50% by doubling the expected number of garments uses.
Availability of spare parts and product lifetime in Brazilian consumer protection law
Towards Building Circularity in Queensland
This study evaluates Queensland's policies supporting circular economy practices in the building and construction industry. Through systematic review, it reveals that while current initiatives have improved construction waste recovery rates, policies focus primarily on recycling rather than higher-order circular practices like deconstruction and material reuse. The research identifies opportunities for policy reform and incentives to advance Queensland's transition to a circular economy in the built environment.
A Preliminary Review of Service Design for Repair Practices
Repair remains an underutilised strategy in the circular economy, often deprioritised in favor of recycling despite its potential to reduce environmental impact and extend product lifespans (Keulemans et al., 2023). This systematic literature review investigates how service design can be leveraged to strengthen repair practices. By analysing 60 studies, three key levels of intervention emerge: (1) the micro level, where service design can influence consumer engagement, producer-user interactions, and repair motivations; (2) the meso level, focusing on tools, digital platforms, and process frameworks that facilitate repair accessibility and efficiency; and (3) the macro level, where service design has the potential to shape regulatory frameworks, business models, and cultural shifts that embed repair as a societal norm. Despite its potential, repair is hindered by challenges, such as product complexity (Owen et al., 2024) and insufficient legislative support (Cole & Gnanapragasam, 2017). This review highlights the role of service design in overcoming these barriers by fostering co-creation, developing repair-focused services, and integrating repair into broader sustainability initiatives (Rubenis, 2023). By positioning repair as a service rather than an afterthought, service design could offer new possibilities for circularity and resource efficiency.
The belongings at the Arizona State University (ASU) residence halls often have a short lifespan. At the end of each year, dumpsters around campus fill up with discarded personal items, many of which are still in good condition. Despite the efforts of ASU's Zero Waste Initiative to mitigate this issue, the systematic barriers of municipal infrastructure in waste sorting and recycling significantly limit progress. In addition, students often face challenges with practical repair skills, limited resources, and perceived obsolescence. Initial research conducted by the PI of this study through campus-based repair workshops supported the concept of prioritizing repair and offered a potential change of course for personal belongings. This paper explores the conceptualization and implementation of a mobile repair station based on the university's campus through a collaborative case study on the accessibility of repair tools and education on repair techniques. The convergence of campus-based repair initiatives, with the accessibility of a mobile repair station, seeks to cultivate a culture of conscientious consumption amongst the campus community.
Unveiling the Power of Repair Services in Enhancing Consumer Repair Behaviour in the Fashion Industry
Advocates for reducing the fashion industry’s ecological impact emphasize the importance of Circular Economy (CE) principles, with repair being a vital strategy for extending product lifetimes. The current research aims to go beyond merely identifying the factors that influence consumers' perceptions of repair services and their repair behaviour. It explores the types of repair services people prefer and presents actionable and practical design strategies that companies can adopt to facilitate their transition to CE. A quantitative survey (n=265) was set up to identify preferred repair services and factors influencing willingness to repair. Moreover, a focus group with experts (n=10), used the input generated by the survey to further discuss possible design strategies. The survey findings reveal that although consumers strongly support repair, few actually participate in it. While high costs are identified as a barrier, trust and respect for repair professionals serve as motivators for repair behaviour. Additionally, there is a clear preference for local repair services over those offered by fashion brands. The developed design strategies aim at increasing the visibility of repair services, enhancing consumers' repair skills, and leveraging trust in craftsmanship to improve perceptions of quality. The study concludes that improving repair service quality through these design strategies will extend the lifespan of clothing and footwear, crucial for the CE transition. Future research should explore the practical implementation of the proposed strategies and look for possible cultural differences.
This article discusses the case study of “Spring Cleaning”, a one-off event comprising workshops sharing different approaches on extending the use-time of clothing and textiles. Through a qualitative approach, the study aimed to explore if a one-off event can have an impact on the application of skills learnt and how social connectivity contributes to that aim. A secondary aim was to determine if there was a demand for future iterations of this kind of event, in or beyond the university setting. Through the diversity of workshops offered, the event aimed to open up what the parameters of repair, reuse and revival in the clothing and textile sector can be, drawing attention to various timely topics through discussion and practice. These included the preservation of repair skills, celebrating the aesthetics associated with repair and fostering more caring, longer-term relationships with the material world.The findings, gathered through participant observation, a survey and follow-up questionnaire with both participants and facilitators, indicated that for the most part, the event had a positive and lasting impact on attitudes and behaviours around skill-sharing as well as benefits on the social and emotional sides. The sense of opportunity, fulfilment and inspiration was felt from all involved, regardless of their role. Limitations came in the one-off nature of the event, the participant demographic largely having previous experience in clothing or textile repair and in the amount of participant responses only accounting of one third of the total.
Worthy or not worthy? Repair motivations and barriers from consumers across fashion, furniture, and consumer electronics in Denmark
Never has human consumption and demand for products been this high, and the growing demand for products puts a strain on the finite resources available. Therefore, the need for prolonging the lifetime of existing consumer products has received increasing attention from governing bodies such as the European Commission e.g. shown in the ‘right-to-repair’ directive. While 77% percent of European citizens state they want to repair products before buying new, only 64% state that they have done it – and ~90% have never purchased clothing, smartphones, or televisions secondhand. Prolonging the lifetime of consumer products through repair is therefore an important point towards more sustainable consumption. Yet, a lot of broken products never enter a repair process. This paper aims to shed light on the barriers and motivations for repair to help increase the understanding of how more repairable products can get repaired. Through a Danish national survey (N=1068) and 11 semi-structured interviews, we identify main barriers and motivations for entering a repair process within three main product classifications: Consumer electronics, Fashion, and Furniture. We confirm existing findings that price of repair/replacement is a main motivator/barrier. We also identify perceived repairability and ease of cassation or replacement as barriers not previously described.
The rapid e-waste generation poses a significant environmental challenge, necessitating sustainable approaches to managing electronic product lifecycles. This paper investigates how repair practices in Ethiopia affect the lifespan of electronic devices. It has been observed that, compared to several reference countries, electronics in Ethiopia tend to have slightly longer lifespans, primarily due to extensive repair and reuse practices. In this study, we conducted a lifespan analysis by collecting lifespan data from various maintenance shops. The Weibull distribution method was used to analyze the lifespan of different categories of devices. The data revealed that the average lifespans of LCD TVs, LCD monitors, laptops, and smartphones are 12.0, 11.0, 10.7, and 6.4 years, respectively. The findings highlight the significant role of repair and refurbishment in extending device longevity while also revealing a growing trend in e-waste generation. This study explores the impact of repair practices on extending electronic device lifespans in Ethiopia, considering policy approaches that support repair and reuse. It also shows the need for collaboration among repair practitioners, policymakers, and consumers to strengthen sustainable e-waste management efforts. This research aims to contribute to environmental preservation and sustainable development in the country by fostering a circular economy.
This research explores the critical relationship between consumers, brands and the charity retail sector regarding garment care, repair and second-life ownership to encourage responsible wardrobe management. It acknowledges the importance of considered and active garment maintenance practices to ensure the longevity of a garment and retain value to prevent the purchasing of new, replacement garments. A qualitative methodology was informed by an extensive literature review, highlighting the identified problem space and creating a focus on critical gaps in knowledge. The core concepts of care and repair were explored through participatory workshops with charity retail sector volunteers and consumers to gain vital knowledge and skills in sustainable use behaviors. Collaborating with North-East based St. Oswald’s Hospice within the charity retail sector, the project empowers stakeholders to facilitate sustainable clothing behaviors intended to extend the lifetime of clothing. Key insights generated include the critical requirements of resource, skills and knowledge, and motivation to ensure holistic engagement with garment maintenance and care. Moreover, these factors need to be underpinned by an individual’s attachment of value to a garment, to rationalize the investment of time and effort in care and repair practices.
This paper introduces the Making Mends Workshop, a workshop format centering on the practice of visible mending as a means to explore broader notions of repair and care in the context of the Circular Economy. The workshop is structured into three parts: a reflective exercise that encourages participants to consider the practical and conceptual meanings of mending, a brief lecture and practice session that provides basic knowledge and skills of visible mending, followed by the participants repairing a personal item. Findings suggest the potential impacts of the visible mending workshop as a catalyst for fostering user agency through skill acquisition and meaning-making. The workshop highlights visible mending as a communal repair practice supporting the Circular Economy by extending product life and preserving material and emotional value. The notion of Mending for Others was identified as a valuable addition to communal repair, where repair strategies benefit from social interactions that involve sharing knowledge and skills, care, and joy, ultimately leading to durable repairs.
Repair as a driver of community-led behavioural change
Repair has been at the epicentre of place-based approaches led by communities/commons in order to sustain resources and address socio-environmental challenges. This paper presents the initiative Creative Industries, Social Enterprise, Repair and Restoration (CISERR) situated in regional Queensland, which is providing practical and social skilling to at-risk young men by employing creative repair practices. CISERR adopts repair as a wholistic approach targeting not only material restoration but also self and community renewal. To capture its social impact, all phases of the initiative were evaluated through an evolving Monitoring Evaluation and Learning (MEL) framework. The paper focuses on the third round of CISERR for which, the methodological approach and findings were divided in two parts. The participatory Narrative Inquiry (PNI) methodology was used for the first part while the Participatory Scenario Planning (PSP) method and a facilitators’ workshop were employed for the second part. Interviews and visual data collection were conducted for both parts. The findings combined demonstrated how CISERR facilitated the development of adaptation skills related to possibilities of employment by exposing at-risk young men to creatively repairing and reusing local resources. They additionally made evident how CISERR’s wholistic repair approach created the circumstances for a community to use its lived experience and place-based resources to support at-risk youth. The paper concludes with CISERR as an example of repair driving community-led behavioural change; the latter being a response to the growing need for social resilience and an antidote to the failed efforts by governments to activate individual behavioural change.
The growing prevalence of textile waste, largely driven by the fast-fashion model, necessitates a shift towards a circular economy that prioritises the reuse of materials. In Canada, the textile donation landscape is primarily managed by charities and for-profit organisations, which often rely on public donations to generate revenue. Despite high donation rates, many items received by thrift stores are unsuitable for resale, creating challenges for organisations dependent on volunteer labour. This paper discusses the Treat & Clean pilot study, part of a larger investigation into the quality and type of clothing donations received in Canadian thrift stores. The project aimed to assess the feasibility of rejuvenating so-called "substandard" clothing through cleaning and repair techniques, allowing these items to be resold. In total 4946 textile items donated to two large non-profit thrift organisations at nine separate store locations within Alberta and Saskatchewan were sorted. A significant portion of the donations were deemed unfit for immediate resale. A subset of sorted items (N=2271) was analysed off-site and considered for the Treat & Clean pilot. The effectiveness of the pilot was evaluated by analysing the success of treatments (e.g., stain removal) and tracking the resale of treated items. Results indicate that enhancing the quality of donations through simple cleaning and repair methods can increase the likelihood of their sale, thereby promoting sustainability in local communities. This study highlights the importance of increasing consumer awareness regarding donation quality.
Repair Cafés as Circular Economy Enablers
In this paper, we study the repair practices in Danish repair cafés, to understand how repair activities initiated by civil society are organized and sustained within broader social and material contexts. By applying Social Practice Theory, the analysis dissects the interconnected elements of materials, competencies, and meanings that constitute and shape the ongoing practice of repair in Danish Repair cafés. The repair practices form part of "bundles" of interconnected practices within the repair cafes. The study demonstrates that repair cafés are more than spaces for fixing broken items; they hold broader societal and cultural aspects. Through the interconnectedness of repair, learning, and community-building practices, these cafés challenge the "throwaway culture" and foster a collective commitment to sustainability that potentially could have implications far beyond their immediate settings.
With growing concerns over sustainability and waste generation both globally and in Denmark, understanding consumer behavior in product repair is crucial. This study investigates in-house product repair behavior in Danish households, focusing on the motivations, and barriers of repairs related to social upbringing. Data was collected as a mixed-methods approach, using 9 qualitative semi-structured interviews as primary data based on secondary picture data collection of self-repaired products from 30 Danes. The study confirms prior studies that show: lack of emotional value, economic feasibility, tools and knowledge as barriers for consumer repairs. Moreover, it contributes by adding multi-socialization during upbringing and types of knowledge, particularly informal repair knowledge from family members, as a crucial determinant in shaping repair behavior specifically related to the knowledge barrier and motivation. This research sheds light on the nuances of Danish household repair behavior, suggesting the integration of repair education in schools and the utilization of repair cafés to foster a sustainable repair culture.
Designing products that facilitate easy and intuitive repair, an implementation in product design education
When considering circular economy, reuse, refurbish and repair of products is key in many circular business models. Both efficient and intuitive disassembly and assembly are crucial facilitators for these strategies, impacting feasibility, cost and economic viability. Thus, product designers and product design educations should focus on how to design products for easy and intuitive disassembly and reassembly to facilitate repairability. The focus from design educations on these specific processes is however very limited. This paper elaborates on the outcomes of a project-based learning course for design engineering students. The students redesigned an electric device (power tool or household appliance) with special attention to design for repairability strategies. Necessary frameworks and tools were offered to first analyze the disassembly and assembly process of the product and secondly redesign for repair. Unlike many other methods that are about assessing assembly and disassembly processes in terms of the time needed to perform them, here special attention was paid to the interactions, both cognitive and physical, during repair. This premise aligns better with the context of end-user repair where time is less relevant but where interactions need to be easier and more intuitive. Through case studies, it was investigated whether this focus generated valuable results and was feasible to implement. The paper is especially relevant for those concerned with circular product design, the assembly and disassembly of products linked to circular strategies such as repair and the integration within design engineering curricula.
This paper considers the relationship between user expectations of domestic bedlinen, product use-life and repair engagement within an Australian context. Bedlinen, in this instance, includes flat and fitted sheets, pillowcases, and quilt covers - also known as duvet covers, or in Australia, doona covers. There is limited data on this specific textile product within sustainability and circularity research. This paper discusses findings from the survey, Bedlinen and Sustainability (2023), which includes questions focused upon attitudes and behaviour regarding bedlinen purchase, use, care, repair, reuse and disposal. Key findings are identified and are discussed as factors that directly impact the use-life of bedlinen. These include laundering choices, emotional durability, change of mattress sizes, expectations of comfort, maintaining original condition, and repair challenges.
Existing barriers to consumer repair of small household appliances from a product design approach
Small Household Appliances (SHA) and their associated electric and electronic waste are a major concern for the EU, which is tackling this problem with an emphasis in repair as a key strategy to prolong product lifetime. The field of product design plays a fundamental role in the configuration of products to enable their future repair. Therefore, this study explores the main barriers that consumers face when trying to repair their household appliances through a literature scoping review focused on small household appliances, from the product design and the repair ecosystem aspects. This study proposes a novel classification at product system level and product-service system level barriers. The first level relates to the physical product and its repairability, while the second relates to the entire system surrounding the product and the repair experience. According to the literature, most relevant repair barriers from the product system level were ‘Understanding of product operation’ (specially ‘Product complexity’), ‘Product accessibility’ (specially ‘Difficult disassembly and reassembly’), ‘Impossibility to repair’, ‘Obsolescence’ and ‘Safety concerns’. From the product-service system level, the most relevant were ‘Economic factors’, ‘Consumer factors’ (specially ‘Lack of time’), ‘Access to information’ and ‘Lack of support by OEM’. The discussion section points out that some of these barriers may be downplayed by shifting the mindset of the SHA industry, currently focused on cost reduction, towards quality and repairability. Finally, least mentioned barriers in the literature are worth of attention and shouldn’t be forgotten, as they point to possible research gaps.
The rapid advancement of technology, coupled with global digitalisation and the growing demand for innovative consumer electronics, has led to a dramatic increase in the production and consumption of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE). This trend has raised significant concerns regarding the sustainability of EEE usage, particularly in terms of their obsolescence, disposal, and environmental impact. Addressing these concerns, this study surveyed 600 undergraduate students, who reported on 14 different types of EEE, to explore the reasons for obsolescence (RQ1), the most common methods of managing obsolete devices based on their types (RQ2), and students’ awareness of alternative waste management methods (RQ3). Results were reported using frequencies and percentages. Findings reveal that obsolescence is mainly driven by “broken beyond repair,” “worn-out technology,” “outdated technology,” and “lack of required functions,” indicating that absolute and technical obsolescence are the primary factors. The most common way of dealing with obsolete devices is to “keep it” across all device types, with “throwing away” emerging as another frequent method for electrical devices. More than half of the students are aware of accessible alternatives, such as “online sales” and “charity donations,” though irregular or infrequent options tend to have lower awareness levels. This study highlights the behavioural trends and gaps in awareness among students regarding EEE obsolescence and disposal, emphasising the importance of promoting sustainable practices and raising awareness about accessible waste management alternatives.
Improving the sustainability and durability of performance swimwear through consumer knowledge and usage habits
As with any sport, the desire to progress in swimming by any means is unending. There are constant advancements being made in the textile technology of performance fabrics, with most technologic developments being focused on synthetic fabrics. Synthetic fibres, such as polyester can take from 20 up to 200 years to degrade and can release a range of chemicals having a detrimental effect on the planet (Uren, 2024). This paper explores performance swimwear's environmental impact and proposes solutions for both industry and users. Key issues include the reliance on synthetic fibres, fabric deterioration, and insufficient consumer knowledge about reducing environmental impact and extending garment longevity. The study begins with a comprehensive literature review, which dissects the issues at hand and begins to deliberate possible solutions. Gaps in knowledge were identified and addressed through a series of qualitative interviews to gain first-hand insight from consumers and users of performance swimwear. The findings suggest that consumer knowledge around aftercare is insufficient. There is a lack of communication from brands on this subject, as well as a reluctancy from consumers to seek out this information. Thus, the common areas of wear and lack of knowledge on aftercare result in premature disposal of swimwear. The suggestion of designing for emotional durability presents a potential solution to increasing the longevity of swimwear. In addition to this, implementing upcycling schemes could reduce environmental impact and improvements in aftercare, such as improved communication and access to information is recommended.
Have prospects for product life-spans improved?
Employing Pedagogy in the Experience Economy to Extend Product Lifetimes
Design Strategies to Strengthen Epistemic Value in Consumer Electronics and Prolong Product Lifetime
Vulnerabilities of Design Strategies for Retaining Emotional Value in Consumer Electronics
Navigating social sustainability in engineering education
Experiencing Design for Repair, educating circular practitioners
Product Lifetimes: The Current Research Landscape
This is the editorial for PLATE 2025
This is the book of abstracts for PLATE 2025