Use to use – A user perspective on product circularity

Selvefors, Anneli; Rexfelt, Oskar; Renström, Sara; Strömberg, Helena

doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.03.117

Cited by 77 publications

(77 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…In other words, products are looped back into the economy with minimum loss of value [4]. While the recovery of used products has been extensively addressed from a business perspective (e.g., references [5][6][7]) and technical perspective (e.g., references [8][9][10]), the user perspective has been relatively underexplored [11,12]. Therefore, the overarching question we ask in this paper is how can users be enabled and stimulated to return their products at end-of-use in order to ensure circular consumption?…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Several publications in the field of design research consider the user perspective at the end of the use cycle (e.g., references [11,[19][20][21][22]). Selvefors et al (2019) distinguish between design for post-use, design for exchange, and design for multiple use-cycles. Design strategies noted by the authors are for instance "design for detachment," when the product is no longer in use, and "design for easy disassembly and reassembly," which allows for timely upgrades and the removal of (physical and psychological) contamination of products by for example deleting personal information.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Design for Divestment in a Circular Economy: Stimulating Voluntary Return of Smartphones through Design

2020

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For the transition toward a circular economy, it is essential that products are returned for reuse, refurbishing or recycling. In order to address the lack of literature on the topic from a user perspective, this paper explores how users can be stimulated to return used smartphones. Taking a Research through Design approach, we developed a novel set of "design for divestment" principles. Divestment is the process users experience when separating from a product. After introducing a conceptual model of divestment based on an extension of the Consumer Decision Process model by Blackwell, Engel, and Miniard, we describe seven empirical studies (i.e., design projects) into smartphone divestment. The studies explore factors that influence a successful divestment process. We report on a highly complex process with interrelated factors changing over time. While it is impossible to define a blueprint for an ideal divestment process, several patterns emerged such as the need to emotionally support users, to give them confidence regarding data security, and to provide information at the right moment. These unique insights contribute to consumer research (i.e., circular consumption); and by translating the insights to ten design principles for divestment, a novel contribution is made to the field of design research. benefit when returning a high-quality product? Related to the quantity of return flows, how can we create a "culture of return," where users routinely seek appropriate modes of disposition after use, e.g., donating at collection points or selling through a take-back scheme?Within the context of CE, this study focuses on design for divestment from a user perspective. It addresses these questions from a Research through Design (RtD) approach. From a design point of view, it is interesting to observe the imbalance between the extensive care put into the design of product purchase and product use experiences, and the careless way in which the final phase of consumption is often designed. We thus ask, can design contribute to creating more valuable and valued divestment processes from the user perspective?Following Gregson, Metcalfe, and Crewe [14] and Glover [15], we use the term divestment to refer to the final phase of the consumption cycle of purchase, use, and divestment. Divestment represents the combination of physical separation and mental and emotional separation processes that users go through when ending the use cycle of a product (see Table 1). Divestment is depicted here as the combination of disposition (i.e., physical separation) and detachment (i.e., mental and emotional separation of the product).

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Design for Divestment in a Circular Economy: Stimulating Voluntary Return of Smartphones through Design

2020

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“…Yet, the role of consumers in the circular economy has been underexplored and underestimated (Camacho-Otero et al 2018;Lofthouse and Prendeville 2017;2018;Wastling et al, 2018). The discussion on product circularity is often framed around production and design (Selvefors et al 2019). In such views, consumers are treated as passive users to whom the products ought to be designed so that they enable circular opportunities (see e.g.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In such views, consumers are treated as passive users to whom the products ought to be designed so that they enable circular opportunities (see e.g. Selvefors et al 2019). Yet, changes in consumption are equally important (Kirchherr et al 2017, Selvefors et al 2019.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Experiencing Nature through Nordic Restrictions and Freedom

Salminen

2019

Nordic Consumer Culture

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Circular economy‐based new products and company performance: The role of stakeholders and Industry 4.0 technologies

et al. 2021

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While the circular economy (CE) attracts attention from scholars and practitioners, the concept has been challenged by claims that the CE may be seen as a vague concept, or a new label for old green management practices. We propose a new approach to study the effects of the CE on company performance: circular product design (CPD). Consequently, this work investigates how Industry 4.0 technologies and stakeholder pressure influence CPD and, in turn, impact on company performance. Data were obtained from firms which develop products in the electric-electronic and equipment (EEE) sectors in Brazil. Our research results indicate that (i) the application of Industry 4.0 technologies favors CPD, in particular artificial intelligence and big data analytics; (ii) pressure from stakeholders can encourage the adoption of circular strategies, specially from suppliers because they are responsible for developing and delivering smart components; and (iii) although the literature may be seen as controversial, there is a positive relationship with regard to the impacts of CE adoption on market performance. Among its main implications, the article also suggests a set of design strategies oriented towards the development of products for the CE.

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Use to use – A user perspective on product circularity

Cited by 77 publications

References 21 publications

Design for Divestment in a Circular Economy: Stimulating Voluntary Return of Smartphones through Design

Design for Divestment in a Circular Economy: Stimulating Voluntary Return of Smartphones through Design

Experiencing Nature through Nordic Restrictions and Freedom

Circular economy‐based new products and company performance: The role of stakeholders and Industry 4.0 technologies

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