The emergence of electronic repair practices in Circular Craft Centres

Abstract

This study examines the practice of electronics repair within Circular Craft Centres (CCCs), identifying barriers, enablers, and opportunities to support the adoption and scaling of repair practices. The current throwaway consumer society has led to increased waste and e-waste production. This is leading to considerable environmental and human health risks because E-waste is inadequately managed. To counter the problematic developments of the throwaway culture, we need to transition to a circular economy (CE) where resources are reused through strategies such as repair and recycling. Currently there are systematic barriers that prevent the uptake of repair practices in society. Creating a need to gain insights into the complex dynamics of repair practices and what is needed to stimulate their uptake in various forms in society (Yuan, 2023).
CCCs are collaborations between second-hand shops and recycling points, focused on increasing circular practices through repair and reuse. Despite increased interest in CCCs and their potential role in the CE and the efforts of implanting them nationwide, CCCs remain largely understudied. This thesis thus aims to explore the current practices of repair in CCCs and the influences of their embeddedness in the CCC and the broader repair system. CCCs face a lot of practical barriers for the repair and reuse of electronics. This research seeks to address this by examining how CCCs can optimize and upscale electronics repair practices and work towards CE objectives. Therefore, this research aims to answer the following question: What are the current practices of e-repair in Circular Craft Centres (CCCs) in the Netherlands, and how can the growth and scaling of these practices be supported? To address this, the study first seeks to understand the current e-repair practices in CCCs. It then examines the barriers and enablers that influence the potential for scaling these practices. Finally, the findings are used to design tools and services that support CCCs in expanding their e-repair efforts and strengthening their role in a circular economy.
Social practice theory (SPT) was used as framework to analyse the practice of e-repair within CCCs and identify barriers, enablers and opportunities of the adoption and upscaling of the practice. Data was collected through interviews with CCCs and a co-creation session. The results were analysed using SPT concepts such as material, meaning and competences. The findings reveal significant barriers to e-repair in CCCs such as regulatory restrictions, access to spare parts, poor-quality electronics, and low profitability of repaired electronics. These barriers originate in broader systemic regulatory, economic, and cultural contexts. Addressing these barriers requires reforms to align regulations with CE goals, and cultural changes through awareness campaigns and increased accessibility to repair facilities.
A practice-based design approach was employed to design services based on the barriers, enablers and opportunities that were observed. The co-creation session was used to initiate ideas for how to improve e-repair and reuse in CCCs. The barriers, enablers and opportunities were translated into design guidelines. These were used to brainstorm ideas for services and tools. Throughout the process various design tools, such as mind mapping, reverse brainstorming and a decision matrix, were used to develop the final idea. The final idea is the repair hub plan, which outlined services and tools that CCCs can provide to citizens. These services and tools are aimed at stimulating citizens to engage in e-repair by providing free access to tools and knowledge. The plan contains several services, namely a free workspace where citizens can try repair and a tools and electronics rental service for free or low prices. The CCC can also give e-repair workshops and collaborate with educational facilities to exchange resources. CCCs can also hive out repair yourself kits, which challenge customers to repair a broken second-hand electronic product and win a small price. The designed services aim at using the CCCs social and collaborative nature and goals to create a repair hub through which a community of e-repair can emerge, stimulating the upscaling of the e-repair practice.