Open Access Journals at Aalborg University
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National leadership for legislating longer product lifetimes: French policies and their interaction with European Union policies
Full text linkCurrently, the European Union (EU) is the “green leader”, globally, in adopting policies to support longer product lifetimes. One reason for this state of affairs is that EU Member States are adopting progressive policies, which put pressure on the EU to set EU-wide laws to replace national ones. The main reason for this situation is that national rules may lead to distortions in trade in the EU Single Market, as corporations will find it difficult to be able to comply with different national rules and would prefer EU-wide standards. Currently, France is the undisputed leader in adopting policies for longer lifetimes, through policies including criminalization of planned obsolescence, modulated fees, repair policies, banning destruction of unsold products, and national indexes for repairability and durability of products. When the EU adopts similar policies, this can have several positive implications, but there can also be negative effects, for instance that the EU rules are less progressive than the national ones. The aim of this paper is to discuss the key benefits and drawbacks with EU harmonization of national rules, using France as an example. This paper maps the key French policies supporting longer product lifetimes and the upcoming EU rules aiming for EU-wide harmonization. Finally, we describe one policy where EU rules are likely to be less progressive than the French ones, mandatory repair information to consumers, to exemplify key trade-offs with harmonization
How “Fast” is Fast Furniture?
Full text linkThis paper explores the emerging concept of fast furniture, a rapidly growing sector characterized by quick production, low costs, and short product life cycles. Despite its substantial environmental impact, fast furniture remains underexplored in academic literature. Drawing parallels to fast fashion in its focus on trends, disposability, and mass production, this study examines the intersections of consumer behaviour, industry practices, and sustainability challenges within the context of fast furniture. Through a mixed-methods approach, combining a quantitative/qualitative survey of UK consumers and interviews with industry professionals, the study reveals significant insights into consumer perceptions, motivations, and the role of fashion-driven consumption in shaping the furniture market.
Key findings indicate that while consumers increasingly engage with trend-driven furniture purchases, many are unaware of the term "fast furniture." Moreover, despite their significant market share, brands like IKEA are not strongly associated with the "fast" model by consumers, who instead view their products as affordable and functional, yet temporary. Industry professionals, meanwhile, emphasize that the "fastness" of furniture is determined largely by consumer choices, not necessarily the manufacturing process.
This research stems from a larger doctoral study that contributes to the growing body of knowledge on sustainable consumption, advocating for a broader understanding of fast furniture as a consumer-driven phenomenon rather than an industry-defined product category. Future research is suggested to further explore the global dynamics of fast furniture consumption, the role of consumer education, and sustainability initiatives within the industry
The rebound mechanisms identification tool: finding rebound effects in circular economy business models
Full text linkCan Circular Economy Strategies Limit the Prospective Dysprosium Demand in the European Union?
Full text linkDysprosium (Dy) is a high critical rare earth element, which is basically used for improving the thermo-magnetic properties in various low carbon products. This research provides a detailed examination on the evolution of Dy demand, in-use stock, and end-of-life (EoL) under ambitious climate targets and demand shrinkages that can be expected due to the implementation of two circular economy strategies: material efficiency and end-of-life recycling in 13 product sectors in the European Union from 2022 to 2050. Our results indicate that future Dy demand, in-use stock accumulation, and EoL generation are likely to be exacerbated by High-APS (Announced Pledges Scenario) and High-NZE (Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario). Moreover, the circular economy strategies used in this study will contribute to significant decreases in the future Dy demand when such strategies are combined and applied in a high magnitude under High-APS and High-NZE scenarios. Recent efforts in the partial and full elimination of Dy mainly in high-tech products such as wind turbines and electrical vehicles are admirable, however, it is necessary to more focus on improving the implementation of circular economy strategies in manufacturing processes to mitigate future Dy supply uncertainties in the European Union
Why Do You Buy? Introducing a Reflective Café Approach to Foster Mindful Clothing Purchases in Generation Z
Full text linkTesting methods of remanufacture of pre-consumer textiles in scalable environments
Full text linkDespite a growing response by multiple stakeholders to address waste issues in the industry, the consumer appetite for newness and the speed and agility of the mass manufacturing system encourages overconsumption Currently, less than 1% of the material used to produce clothing is recycled into new clothing.
As Walter Stahel notes, wasted material is also wasted money, meaning that increasingly industry stakeholders are looking to exploit the potential economic benefit of ‘remanufacture’ or ‘upcycling’. While many micro-businesses are utilising upcycling on a small scale, the impact on the overall resource wastage is minimal.
This paper explores how working in a factory environment can give greater insight into the challenges of working with remanufacture for scale. It will support a greater understanding of the barriers that are impeding the widespread adoption of working with Whole Product (WP) fallout on a production line, while helping to identify the frameworks needed to support methods of WP Remanufacture (WPRem) within the linear commercial environment. 
Development of a Digital Product Passport for iPads to Enhance Student Sustainability Practices
Full text linkThis paper proposes a generic framework for the design and development of Digital Product Passports (DPPs) applicable across various products, sectors, and developers. The framework, established considering information requirements and existing approaches identified in DPP literature, comprises four key phases: (1) Defining the Foundations; (2) Design and Development; (3) Testing and Refinement; (4) Deployment and Evaluation. Its application is demonstrated through the development of a Digital iPad Product Passport for the University of Kentucky iPad initiative (UK-DiPP). An app-based UK-DiPP prototype is presented with three core intended functionalities: (1) Charging Pattern, (2) Battery Usage, and (3) iPad Lifecycle, aiming to promote sustainable charging practices, extend battery lifetime, support end-of-life (EoL) management, enhance sustainability awareness on campus, and mitigate the negative environmental impacts associated with iPad use and disposal. Challenges as a third-party DPP developer, including limited data accessibility and technical obstacles, are discussed with potential workarounds and solutions. This research contributes to the practical development and implementation of DPPs by offering a versatile framework and showcasing real-world application
From Empty Shops to Vibrant Communities: Adaptive Reuse as a Sustainable Response to Retail Decline
Full text linkRapid and significant reductions in global carbon emissions are needed to remain within Earth’s limits. The construction and operation of buildings account for the largest share of the global consumption of raw materials, and they yield around 40% of global carbon emissions. Leading climate researchers therefore recommend adapting housing needs to existing building stock instead of constructing new buildings. This requires shifting the focus from what we desire to how we can adapt our needs to existing spaces. This paper, a work in progress, examines the misalignment between sustainability ambitions and tourism strategy in a Danish municipality. This municipality has yet to fully integrate the potential of its existing building stock into its tourism plans. This oversight is striking, given the municipality’s ambitious goal of achieving CO₂ neutrality and availability of surplus building stock, including vacant retail spaces in shopping streets. Building on this observation, we propose a conceptual framework for incorporating existing buildings into the municipality’s tourism strategies. Rather than expanding their climate footprint by constructing new accommodations for tourists, we suggest a solution centered on using vacant spaces and renovating existing structures. Specifically, we envision repurposing vacant retail spaces into holiday apartments, boutique hotels, or other types of housing. This paper lays a foundation for further research to increase awareness of this issue and to test and refine our proposal. The overarching goals are to support sustainable urban development, promote climate-friendly behavior, and strengthen local community and economic vitality in small and medium-sized towns through longer-lasting buildings
Repair Cafés as Circular Economy Enablers: Exploring Participants Practices through Social Practice Theory
Full text linkIn this paper, we study the repair practices in Danish repair cafés, to understand how repair activities initiated by civil society are organized and sustained within broader social and material contexts. By applying Social Practice Theory, the analysis dissects the interconnected elements of materials, competencies, and meanings that constitute and shape the ongoing practice of repair in Danish Repair cafés. The repair practices form part of "bundles" of interconnected practices within the repair cafes. The study demonstrates that repair cafés are more than spaces for fixing broken items; they hold broader societal and cultural aspects. Through the interconnectedness of repair, learning, and community-building practices, these cafés challenge the "throwaway culture" and foster a collective commitment to sustainability that potentially could have implications far beyond their immediate settings
