A new perspective on reducing overconsumption

Abstract

This master thesis shows the research and design to tackle overconsumption of products within the context of recreational shopping practices in city centres. Thereby show the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management how they could tackle the ‘Refuse’ strategy of their Circular R-ladder, which is currently unexplored.

Why...
... this approach?

Sufficiency asks to change the way society consume
Merely relying on circular strategies is insufficient for reduce overconsumption. In order to accomplish deep emission reductions, people have to make do with less. Therefore, the focus of this thesis lies on absolute reductions of product purchases.

Practices are embedded in our everyday lives
The strategies from the Ministries National Program Circular Economy focus on product categories, but this implicitly assumes people have a need for those products, while excluding other types of products. The practice perspective shows that the ‘need’ is embedded in people’s ways of doing and if those ways change, the need can fade or shift to non-material alternatives and thereby reduce overconsumption.

... does overconsumption happen?

People like products, even more in certain circumstances
Literature research showed that people like products for multiple reasons and are influenced by the industry. A sustainability label for ‘Refuse’ won’t work and materialistic views should be tackled, especially the question: when are people materialistic?

Shopping in city centres results in unplanned purchases
Through street interviews and generative sessions with recreational shoppers, it was discovered that important elements of shopping are fueling novelty, feeling fulfilled, and bonding with a shopping companion. These are currently predominantly facilitated by the product (environments).

How?
A future perspective that involves long-term happiness
Through explorative research with stakeholder interviews and the Vision in Product approach, different futures of practices in city centres were framed of which this one showed how long-term happiness can be facilitated in the city centre.

Change orientation towards the city centre
This strategy derived from the qualitative research aims to change the current situation by changing the focus from the product environment tot the city environment.

What?
The final design, Wend, proposes a new type of practice for returning visitors in the city centre that support long-term happiness, whilst keeping it a place to achieve fulfilment, enhance bonding and fuel novelty in a low key way.
Wend offers story routes that allow people to engage in specific happiness topics and discover other perspectives together, creating a space for happiness in the current city center context, without feeling like it is a serious and effortful activity. This is achieved through:
•The storyroutes substitute the engagement with stores and instead offer multiple real-life stories of average people, which can be listend to at different points in the city.
•The activities during the route and in the app let people work on their personal happiness together, thereby improve their wellbeing and develop resilience towards materialistic tendencies.

The concepts implementation fits a bottom-up approach best, together with a municipality, and alongside more testing and validation, it could help move towards practices that support a sustainable and happier society.
A multitude of recommendations are proposed for the Ministry to tackle overconsumption that emphasize to look at practices of everyday lives, social embeddedness and long-term happiness.