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Sustainable consumption is about more than choosing the right product in the shop. It is also about how we use what we already have – how we take care of things, repair them, share them and reuse them.
The idea of sustainable consumption is often linked to buying products or services that have a lower environmental impact than regular options. But buying is only one part of the picture. How products and resources are used, cared for, reused, repaired, and shared over time also matters.
In a new scientific article, researchers at KTH have developed a taxonomy, a kind of classification system, that divides sustainable consumption into three types of practice: buying, using, and making. These include everyday actions such as buying locally produced food, repairing furniture or borrowing things instead of owning them.
– We want to move the discussion beyond the idea that sustainable consumption is mainly about buying better products, says Vishal Parekh, one of the researchers behind the article.
From buying to circularity and participation
Too much focus on purchasing in research, politics, and debate risks slowing down the development toward sustainability. The taxonomy can therefore be a support for decision-makers and other actors who want to promote more circular and inclusive ways of consuming.
The researchers highlight three perspectives:
- Resources need to circulate to reduce waste.
- Sustainable consumption is about how resources are used, maintained, shared, and reused.
- People are not just consumers but active co-creators of resources.
Beyond individual responsibility
The researchers also stress the importance of social values such as community and local involvement. Sustainable consumption is not only about individual choices, but also about how society supports people in sharing, repairing and making things together.
– For those of us living in wealthier parts of the world, sustainable consumption means using fewer resources and using them in different ways, says Vishal Parekh.
ARTICLE:
Read the article here: Buy, Use, Make—A taxonomy of sustainable consumption practices
CONTACT:
Vishal Parekh
PhD candidate, Division of Strategic Sustainability Studies, KTH, Stockholm
parekh@kth.se