sustainable production and consumption by individual upcycling in the uk
TRANSCRIPT
Kyungeun Sung, Sustainable Consumption Research Group, School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment
Kyungeun Sung Supervisors: Tim Cooper and Sarah Kettley
Sustainable Consumption Research Group School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment
CIE-MAP consortium meeting
Sustainable Production and Consumption by Individual Upcycling in the UK
Kyungeun Sung, Sustainable Consumption Research Group, School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment
What is individual upcycling?
Creation or modification of any product out of used products, components or materials in an attempt to result in a product of higher quality or value than the compositional elements
Kyungeun Sung, Sustainable Consumption Research Group, School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment
Why individual upcycling? – Benefits
More sustainable way of making, crafting or personalising products
Contributing to reductions in waste
Eliminating the need for a new product
Reducing new raw materials use and conserving the natural resources
Reducing (industrial) energy usage
Leading to greenhouse gas emissions reduction
Creating strong product attachment for product longevity
Saving money + potential income opportunities
Psychological well-being and socio-cultural benefits (e.g. learning & empowering)
….
Kyungeun Sung, Sustainable Consumption Research Group, School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment
Why individual upcycling? – Increasing upcyclers
contemporary Maker movement
readily available physical resources
shared digital resources
Kyungeun Sung, Sustainable Consumption Research Group, School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment
“How might individual upcycling significantly contribute to sustainable production and consumption in the UK by influencing household behaviours and industries through appropriate interventions?”
Central question
Kyungeun Sung, Sustainable Consumption Research Group, School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment
Why they are upycling when they do?
Why they are not doing it when they don’t?
What drives, facilitates or hinders the behaviour?
What interventions do we need?
How to intervene behaviours?
Kyungeun Sung, Sustainable Consumption Research Group, School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment
To gain insights into individual upcycling in the UK
To identify the UK-specific key drivers and facilitators for and key barriers to individual upcycling
To formulate policy and design interventions for successful scaling-up of individual upcycling
Objectives
Kyungeun Sung, Sustainable Consumption Research Group, School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment
Research design
Kyungeun Sung, Sustainable Consumption Research Group, School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment
What I have done
1. Behaviour model identification
2. Interview (+ exploratory questionnaire study) with 23 UK-based consumers
3. Interview analysis with NVivo
4. Exploratory questionnaire study analysis with SPSS
5. Behaviour model refinement for operationalisation
6. Survey pretests + pilot test & analysis
7. Survey proper with 227 responses (online)
8. Ongoing survey proper analysis
Kyungeun Sung, Sustainable Consumption Research Group, School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment
Main findings – from interview
Perceived benefits – practical, environmental, and psychological
Social factors – social norm of ‘environmentally conscious’ + occupational and relationship roles
Emotions – both negative (frustration) and positive (happiness & satisfaction)
Habits – art and craft / hacking, tinkering, DIY, repair, etc. both concurrent and childhood memories
Facilitating conditions – competence, materials, space, social situation and cultural perception, tools, spare time, and interest
Demographic differences
Kyungeun Sung, Sustainable Consumption Research Group, School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment
Main findings – from exploratory questionnaire
When people feel attached to their upcycled products:
Higher degree of attachment
Intend to use products longer
Self-expression, group affiliation, (special) memories and pleasure confirmed as ‘product attachment determinants’
Women and older consumers + ornamental products, personal belongings and furniture to consider for potential scaling up
Kyungeun Sung, Sustainable Consumption Research Group, School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment
What to do next?
Kyungeun Sung, Sustainable Consumption Research Group, School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment
Sung, K. and Cooper, T. (2015). Sarah Turner – Eco artist and designer through craft-based upcycling. Craft Research, 6(1), pp. 113-122.
Sung, K. (2015). Source reduction; Appropriate technology; Renewable resources; and Waste. Bloomsbury Encyclopedia of Design (publication in November)
Sung, K., Cooper, T. and Kettley, S. (2015). An Exploratory Study on Individual Upcycling: Links with Product Attachment and Product Longevity, and Implications for Designers. International Journal of Design (queued for review)
Publications
Kyungeun Sung, Sustainable Consumption Research Group, School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment
Conference proceedings
Sung, K., Cooper, T. and Kettley, S. (2015). Individual Upcycling Practice: Exploring the Possible Determinants of Upcycling Based on a Literature Review. Copenhagen, Sustainable Innovation 2014 Conference, pp. 237-244.
Sung, K. (2015). A Review on Upcycling: Current Body of Literature, Knowledge Gaps and a Way Forward. Venice, International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic and Social Sustainability 2015 Conference, pp. 28-40.
Sung, K., Cooper, T. and Kettley, S. (2015). An Exploratory Study on the Consequences of Individual Upcycling: Is It Worth Making People Feel Attached to Their Upcycled Products?. Nottingham, CADBE Doctoral Conference 2015. (selected as the best paper)
Sung, K., Cooper, T. and Kettley, S. (2015). An Exploratory Study on the Links between Individual Upcycling, Product Attachment, and Product Longevity. Nottingham, Product Lifetimes and the Environment 2015 Conference, pp. 349-356
Kyungeun Sung, Sustainable Consumption Research Group, School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment
Thank you! Any question?
[email protected] http://kyungeunsung.com/ https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kyungeun_Sung