Exploring the Impact of Consumer Attitudes on Reusage and Waste Prevention

• Circular economy is a concept whereby organic and extracted materials are used and reused in balanced material loops. As a first step in the concept, effective waste disposal and recycling is proposed, however waste prevention is substantially more effective than waste disposal. This study has investigated current attitudes towards reusing products. The study was conducted at and in the vicinity of a Swedish recycling center.The concept of waste threshold has been investigated and suggestions have been made on how to improve the waste value chain by keeping the value of objects as high as possible and allowing for the interchange of second-hand items at the recycling center. In the study the most common obstacle to reusing is stigmatized attitudes towards reusage and the learned behavior ‘We are so used to buying new things…’. 

Subject headings

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Maskinteknik -- Tillförlitlighets- och kvalitetsteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Mechanical Engineering -- Reliability and Maintenance (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Quality Management

Sustainable Development

Waste prevention

and Circular economy.

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

kon (subject category)