Circular plastic consumption in everyday life: a nexus of practice perspective

Abstract

Plastic consumption is posing a critical challenge to global sustainability. Yet our understanding of the social and everyday dynamics of how and why people use plastics remains limited. Particularly, significant gaps in understanding exist concerning how plastics are embedded in households’ daily routines and practices and how this varies across different daily life settings. This article aims to bridge this gap by offering an in-depth exploration of the social and material dimensions of plastic consumption in varied Dutch households. Employing a theoretically and methodologically innovative approach, the article advances understanding of the connectivity of daily practices influencing household plastic use. Combining a social practice theoretical framework with a future-oriented, multi-modal imaginary methodology, we explore practice dynamics across diverse households of distinct life stages and compositions. Our analysis uncovers the complex interplay between daily practice arrangements and their systemic integration, revealing how daily life’s material, spatial and temporal dimensions are shaped and enabled by plastics. The study highlights the nuanced ways in which social variations in the organisation and institutional structures of daily life and engagement with socio-technical systems lock people into plastic consumption or enable transformative possibilities for sustainable change. By shedding light on the often overlooked social and everyday dynamics of plastic consumption, the article deepens theoretical understanding of practice connectivity while also opening new avenues for envisioning and facilitating transformation towards circular plastic consumption.