Slower consumption: reflections on product life cycles and the "throwaway society"

Cooper, T ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8623-2918, 2005. Slower consumption: reflections on product life cycles and the "throwaway society". Journal of Industrial Ecology, 9 (12), pp. 51-67. ISSN 1088-1980

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Abstract

Sustainable consumption is unlikely to be achieved as long as the quantity of household waste generated in industrial nations continues to rise. One factor underlying this trend is the life span of household goods. This article contributes to recent advances in life-cycle thinking by highlighting the significance of product life spans for sustainable consumption and exploring the current state of research. A theoretical model is developed to demonstrate how, by contributing to efficiency and sufficiency, longer product life spans may secure progress toward sustainable consumption. Empirical research undertaken in the United Kingdom on consumer attitudes and behavior relating to the life spans of household products is reviewed and factors that influence the market for longerlasting products are discussed. A need is identified for further research on product life spans and some themes are proposed.

Item Type:	Journal article
Publication Title:	Journal of Industrial Ecology
Creators:	Cooper, T.
Publisher:	Wiley for Yale University
Date:	2005
Volume:	9
Number:	12
ISSN:	1088-1980
Identifiers:	Number Type 10.1162/1088198054084671 DOI
Divisions:	Schools > School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment
Record created by:	EPrints Services
Date Added:	09 Oct 2015 09:40
Last Modified:	30 Oct 2018 11:01
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/994

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