Abstract
Abstract This paper explores user perspectives about product repair to prolong product lifespan towards the circular economy. Product longevity can be effectively achieved by repair and reuse, where no virgin materials are required. Nevertheless, the decision of whether to repair something is initiated by users. Their motivations and choices are vital to postpone product replacement. Therefore, users’ motivations and barriers related to product repair were explored in this research with cultural probes, research through design, and workshops. Fogg’s behaviour model was utilised to get a deeper understanding of the subject. The results were further developed and tested through the workshops with users. Including reversibility, endurance, and aesthetic value nineteen factors were identified that suggest opportunities to understand and change users’ repair behaviour. A relationship among these factors was observed that led to the theoretical construction of the repair motivation and barriers model. This paper makes an original contribution to knowledge with the development of the repair motivation and barriers model based on the identified nineteen factors that affect users’ repair behaviour.
Highlights
A circular economy is a system-based approach to the industrial economy which offers an opportunity to help reduce the global sustainability pressures (European Commission, 2015; Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2013)
By identifying users’ motivations and the barriers related to product repair, this research aimed to understand user perspectives to increase product circularity
This paper makes an original contribution to knowledge by identifying new barriers and new motivation factors related to repair and presenting the repair motivation and barriers (RMB) model
Summary
A circular economy is a system-based approach to the industrial economy which offers an opportunity to help reduce the global sustainability pressures (European Commission, 2015; Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2013). One of the goals of the circular economy is to keep products in circulation for longer and use tighter inner loops. This means maximising the time spent in each cycle by prolonging the use-life of products and enabling maintenance, repair, and reuse, rather than recycling. Maintenance and repair preserve the embedded energy and value in the product (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2015). Users play a key role in closing the material loops (van der Laan and Aurisicchio, 2019; Selvefors et al, 2019) since they decide to end the use-life of a product, reuse or return it to the economic system. By investigating user perspectives about product repair this research challenges still existing user perception of the take-make-dispose model aiming to support the transition towards a circular economy
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