Repair, Do-It-Yourself and Circular Economy : Alternative Practices for Sustainable Consumption

Repair & Do-It-Yourself activities on the one hand and discussions about the circular economy on the other hand are currently regarded as promising examples of how current modes of consumption and production can be reorganized and redesigned in the sense of a sustainable society. This volume discusses the relevance, the interactions as well as the possibilities and limits of the aforementioned phenomena of repairing, do-it-yourself and longer use on the one hand and the circular economy on the other, from both a scientific and a practical perspective. Preface 5 Contents 7 About the Authors 11 Repair, Do-It-Yourself, Use for a Longer Period of Time 15 1 Introduction 16 2 Repair Cafés, Maker Spaces and Social Movements of Do-It-Yourself and Repairing 18 3 Societal Contexts, Product Life Cycles, Historical Development and the Discussion About the Prosumer 22 4 Do-It-Yourself and Repair as Components of a Circular Economy? 26 5 Do-It-Yourself, Repair and Circular Economy – Approaches and Perspectives 31 References 33 How Much Consumption Is Still In Prosumption? 36 1 Prosumption Everywhere! Consumption Nowhere? 36 2 What Is the Difference Between Consumption and Prosumption? The Ready-Made Status of Goods and Services 37 3 Is Leisure (‘Muße’) the Real Mystery of Modern Consumption? 43 References 48 Do-It-Yourself and the Order of Economy and Society 51 1 Introduction 51 2 Prosuming – A Supply Strategy of the Consumer Age 52 3 Disciplining and Emancipation 55 4 Market and Market Avoidance 56 5 Inclusion and Exclusion 57 6 Rethinking Consumption – With History 59 References 60 About the Way We Deal with Things 62 1 Introduction and Problem Definition 63 2 Terminology in Dealing with Things 65 3 The Handling of Things in the Course of History 67 4 Forms and Problems of Dealing with Things Today 69 5 Aspects of a Sustainable Way of Dealing with Things 75 References 79 A Norwegian Circular Economy? 82 1 Introduction 83 2 From Ethics to Visions and Imaginaries 83 3 Circular Economy: An Emerging Sociotechnical Imaginary? 85 4 Background: Norway and Future in Our Hand’s Early Consumption Critique 86 5 Case Overview 88 5.1 Case 1: “Reduced Consumption Through Increased Reuse, Repair and Redesign” 89 5.2 Case 2: ‘Reimagining’ Public Libraries 92 6 Norwegian Vanguard Visions of Circularity? 93 References 95 “Doing Value”: How Practices of Assigning Meaning Influence the Usetime of Devices 98 1 The Socio-ecological Relevance of Long Usetimes of Electronic Devices 99 2 Theoretical Foundation 100 2.1 Research on Usetime of Electronic Devices 100 2.2 Usetime from a Practical Theory Perspective 101 2.3 Conception of Device Valuations 102 3 Methodological Design 103 4 The Model “Doing Value” 103 4.1 Multidimensionality of Usetime 104 4.2 Characterisation of Value Assignments 106 4.3 Sequence of the Phases of Use 109 4.4 Device Replacement 109 5 Possibilities of Applicability of the Model 111 5.1 Recommendations for the Promotion of Long Usetimes 111 5.2 Focus on Mobile Phones 113 5.3 Focus Washing Machine 114 6 Conclusion 116 References 117 Incentives, Guarantees, Prohibitions? Consumer Policy Measures to Promote Sustainable Products and Their Support by Consumers 121 1 Introduction 122 2 Survey Method and Sample 123 3 Results 125 3.1 Approval of Consumer Policy Measures 125 3.2 Modelling Attitudes Towards Consumption Policies 128 3.3 Consumption Policy Types 134 4 Summary and Conclusion 138 References 140 Is Sustainable Already “Normal”? Sustainability as a Consumption Compass and Self-Moralisation in Dealing with Consumer Goods 143 1 Introduction: Sustainability as a Normative Frame work 144 2 Theoretical Framework: Sustainability as a (Consumption) Compass 146 3 (Self-)Moralization in Dealing with Goods 147 4 Research Design: Is Sustainable (Already) “Normal”? 150 5 Consumption Practices, Sustainable Use of Goods and (Over)Moralisation. A Look at the Study Results 152 5.1 Sustainable Consumption Practices – Use longer or Throw Away more Often? 152 5.2 Sustainable Consumption Practices as a Result of Communicative Processes 155 6 Conclusion: Not Quite “Normal”, But Morally Important 158 References 160 Unsettled DIY Urbanism 164 1 Introduction 165 2 DIY Urbanism 166 3 Research Perspective and Context 167 4 “Look there, free repair” 170 5 “By malt and hops, darning socks” 173 6 Publics by Repairing 175 7 Outlook 179 References 180 Repair and Do-It-Yourself Urbanism: Good Practice in London and Berlin 183 1 Introduction 184 2 Methodology 184 3 Examples from London and Berlin 185 3.1 Repair Initiatives 185 3.2 Open Workshops 186 3.3 FabLabs and Makerspaces 187 3.4 Material Storage and Scrapstores 188 3.5 Swapping and Lending 188 4 Repair and DIY Urbanism Between Civil Society, State and Market Economy Influences 189 5 Sustainability and Resilience Effects of R&DIY Practices 191 5.1 Conservation of Resources 191 5.2 Social Aspects 193 6 Enabling and Constraining Conditions for R&DIY Practices 194 6.1 Economic Framework Conditions 195 6.2 Quality and Availability of (Used) Products and Materials 196 6.3 Laws, Directives and Technical Standards 197 6.4 Required Knowledge and Practical Skills and Their Dissemination 198 6.5 Motivations and Values 199 7 Conclusions 200 References 201 Potentials of Alternative Consumption Models for Sustainable Development 203 1 Introduction 204 2 Obsolescence and Alternative Consumption Models in the Context of National and International Strategies 205 3 Practical Applications and Savings Potentials of Alternative Consumption Models 208 3.1 Sustainable Products and Services 209 3.2 Clothing and Textiles 209 3.3 Electronics 210 4 Perspectives from Practice: Output of the Workshop “Consumption Models in Transition” (18 November 2019) 211 4.1 Challenges from the Perspective of Providers and Users 212 4.1.1 Image and Communication 212 4.1.2 Costs 212 4.1.3 Premises and Location 212 4.1.4 Time and Skills 213 4.2 Recommendations for Action 213 4.2.1 Introduction of a CO2 Tax 213 4.2.2 Fiscal Incentives and Storage Possibilities 213 4.2.3 Legal Standards for the Designation of Products 214 4.2.4 Using Social Media 214 4.2.5 Making Use of Digitisation 214 4.2.6 Product Design 215 4.2.7 Public Procurement as a Driving Force 215 5 User Perspectives from the Field for Further Policy Development 215 References 218