Open Access Journals at Aalborg University
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Adaptable customer engagement strategy for utilising energy flexibility
No full textThis paper provides a comprehensive framework for effectively involving customers in the utilisation of flexibility resources. The work is built upon social science principles to enhance customer recruitment, onboarding, and retention. The engagement strategy embraces methodologies such as actor-network theory and a hybrid collaboration approach. These tools are considered instrumental in shaping the engagement process, which is designed to be attractive to customers through incentives, educational initiatives, continuous feedback, and regular evaluations. A timeline and a set of engagement activities guides the implementation of the strategy. The strategy is adaptable and suggests customisation of engagements to suit different customer profiles. To measure the effectiveness and overall impact of the engagement activities, the strategy includes an evaluation component with proposed metrics. By applying the methodologies, insights, and activities detailed, the use of appropriate approaches to engage customers and foster the uptake of flexible energy practices can be facilitated
The Laundry Care LCA project
Get PDFThe fashion industry is increasingly scrutinized for the environmental footprint it generates. Despite this, less attention is placed on the possibility to reduce part of this footprint thanks to attitudes and daily actions that users can take in their homes. A life cycle assessment of three selected garments was performed to analyze the potential environmental benefits of an extended usage of garments thanks to the utilization of different washing treatments. Results showed that the garment production phase has consistently the highest impact. Within the use stage, the relevance of wash cycles was investigated by comparing various cycles in both the European and North America regions, and by highlighting the contribution of different energy mixes and detergent types. The data demonstrated that washing machine users can reduce the impact of garments by, for example, washing them at lower temperature, as this results in slower deterioration. Therefore, the environmental impacts per wear of garments can be reduced by around 50% by doubling the expected number of garments uses.  
Evaluating Ecodesign Methodology in Yacht Design: A Professional Workshop Case Study
Get PDFThe yachting industry faces increasing pressure to adopt sustainable practices driven by regulatory requirements and evolving consumer expectations. This study explores the application of Life Cycle Design (LCD), also referred to as ecodesign, methodologies within yacht design to address environmental challenges. Despite the critical importance of early-stage design in determining a product's environmental impact, the yacht sector lacks industry-specific sustainability guidelines.This research investigated the practical implementation of a generic LCD methodology - specifically the MPDS (Method for Product Design for Environmental Sustainability) - through an intensive workshop involving young professional yacht designers. Participants were tasked with developing concept designs for a 50-foot charter yacht, applying six LCD strategies: use extension, material consumption reduction, energy consumption reduction, material life extension, toxicity reduction, and resources conservation.The study outlined both opportunities and limitations in applying MPDS to yacht design. While participants achieved incremental improvements in certain strategies, the research highlighted the need for context-specific adaptations. Challenges included the methodology's generic nature and the complexity of yacht design processes.The findings underscore the potential of LCD principles in promoting sustainability within the nautical industry and provide a foundation for developing tailored guidelines that can effectively integrate environmental considerations into yacht design processes
From Matching to Making: A Canvas for Collaborative Circular Value Creation
Get PDFCo-design, which involves end-users in the design process, has emerged as a promising strategy for developing circular offerings. However, creating such offerings requires collaboration not only with end-users but also between companies forming circular ecosystems centered on shared value propositions. While existing research highlights the importance of inter-company collaboration and co-design with end-users, tools supporting co-creation with both users and multiple stakeholders remain limited. This paper introduces and evaluates a prototype tool called the Collaborative Circular Value Creation Canvas. The tool is designed to facilitate company collaboration in generating concepts for circular offerings, which can serve as structured inputs for co-design with end-users. This paper reports on testing the canvas in a pilot workshop. Initial findings suggest the tool's potential to foster inter-company collaboration and generate valuable inputs for a co-design process with end-users. However, further research is needed to validate its role in a co-design process and its ability to foster business models focused on product longevity. Additionally, the implications of using the tool in a digital format should be further investigated
Does the EU Eco-design for Sustainable Product Regulation Address Premature Obsolescence? A Systemic Perspective on Barriers to Longer Product Lifetime
Get PDFPremature obsolescence has significant environmental and socioeconomic impacts. Extending the lifetime of products is a key aim of the Eco-design for Sustainable Product Regulation (ESPR), recently introduced by the European Commission. Several barriers to achieving longer product lifetime have been identified in the literature. By examining the systemic interplay among these barriers and forms of premature obsolescence, we develop a framework to analyse the potential effectiveness of ESPR. Our findings reveal that these barriers are interconnected and mutually reinforcing, confirming the need for public policies that address these interactions and reduce premature obsolescence. Moreover, while the ESPR successfully addresses technical and economic challenges related to product lifetime extension, it remains limited in tackling symbolic obsolescence and ingrained societal consumption patterns
No Product is an Island: The Case of Incontinence Pads in a Nursing Home
Get PDFThis paper critically examines product durability through an ethnographic study of incontinence pad usage in a Danish municipal nursing home. By focusing on incontinence pads—which are referred to as “diapers” in this setting—we demonstrate that their durability cannot be understood in isolation from their surrounding environment. Instead, diapers attract auxiliary products, which, when integrated into the care practices of the nursing home, take part in enacting the diapers’ durability in distinct ways. We conceptualize these enactments as either supporting or challenging the durability of the diapers. Combining this ethnographic work with design theorist Arturo Escobar’s interweaving of ontological relationality and design theory, we argue that durability should not be viewed as an inherent property of an object or as determined solely by its human users. Instead, we propose understanding durability as a relational effect that emerges from situated sociomaterial practices. This analytical move challenges modernist assumptions that separate subjects from objects and offers a more nuanced framework for analyzing product durability. Future research on product durability would benefit from adopting this relational approach, as it opens—we hope to show—new ways of thinking and designing with sociomaterial practices and for product durability
I feel more like myself when I wear my velskoene: Exploring South African male millennial consumers’ attachment to their velskoene
Get PDFDue to fast fashion, the lifespan of products like footwear has shortened, with consumers discarding shoes prematurely due to poor quality or for newer options. Extending the product lifespan through product attachment offers a potential solution. While product attachment studies have explored multiple product categories, few have focused on one product within a particular context. This study focuses specifically on the velskoen, a leather footwear style known for being durable and long-lasting. The velskoen has not been formally researched in South Africa, nor has its product attachment been explored. Therefore, the study aims to explore product attachment among millennial males in South Africa, specifically velskoen attachment. Qualitative, semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten participants and focused on four determinants of attachment: memories, pleasure, self-expression, and group affiliation. Object elicitation enabled participants to showcase their velskoene and comfortably chat about them to extract valuable insights. Participants described their memories, how their velskoene allowed self-expression, to which groups they affiliated themselves and their velskoene, the different types of pleasure their velskoene afforded, and product care practices. While memories featured strongly, physical pleasure emerged the most. More often than not, these two determinants complemented each other. Additionally, results showed that the velskoen allowed participants to express themselves and feel connected to specific groups on a cultural and national level. This suggests a notable attachment to velskoene among the male millennials in South Africa, which is linked primarily to pleasure and memories, which causes extended ownership, increased care, and improved sustainability
Entrepreneurship and Waste Management: Cultivating Sustainable Solutions Through Education
Get PDFThis paper examines the critical intersection of waste management and entrepreneurship within the context of sustainability-focused education, emphasizing the importance of integrating these themes into academic curricula to address pressing global environmental challenges. As the world grapples with issues such as resource depletion, excessive waste generation, and unsustainable business practices, the transformative role of education becomes increasingly evident. This study highlights how equipping students with the knowledge, skills, and entrepreneurial mindset to innovate for sustainability can serve as a powerful catalyst for change.
The paper proposes a multidimensional pedagogical approach that combines theoretical understanding with practical application, fostering critical and innovative thinking. The paper also explores the role of experiential learning methodologies, such as problem-based learning, design thinking, and value co- creation, in fostering collaboration across disciplines and engaging stakeholders. By doing so, it seeks to prepare the next generation of environmentally conscious entrepreneurs capable of addressing waste management challenges while contributing to a more sustainable future. 
A Preliminary Review of Service Design for Repair Practices
Get PDFRepair remains an underutilised strategy in the circular economy, often deprioritised in favor of recycling despite its potential to reduce environmental impact and extend product lifespans (Keulemans et al., 2023). This systematic literature review investigates how service design can be leveraged to strengthen repair practices. By analysing 60 studies, three key levels of intervention emerge: (1) the micro level, where service design can influence consumer engagement, producer-user interactions, and repair motivations; (2) the meso level, focusing on tools, digital platforms, and process frameworks that facilitate repair accessibility and efficiency; and (3) the macro level, where service design has the potential to shape regulatory frameworks, business models, and cultural shifts that embed repair as a societal norm. Despite its potential, repair is hindered by challenges, such as product complexity (Owen et al., 2024) and insufficient legislative support (Cole & Gnanapragasam, 2017). This review highlights the role of service design in overcoming these barriers by fostering co-creation, developing repair-focused services, and integrating repair into broader sustainability initiatives (Rubenis, 2023). By positioning repair as a service rather than an afterthought, service design could offer new possibilities for circularity and resource efficiency