Kyungeun Sung, Sustainable Consumption Research Group, School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment

Kyungeun Sung

Supervised by: Tim Cooper and Sarah Kettley UK INDEMAND, Sustainable Consumption Research Group School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment

Individual Upcycling Practice: Exploring the Possible Determinants of Upcycling

Based on a Literature Review

Kyungeun Sung, Sustainable Consumption Research Group, School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment

Table of contents

Introduction

Method and theoretical framework

Results

Discussions and conclusion

Kyungeun Sung, Sustainable Consumption Research Group, School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment

Introduction

Kyungeun Sung, Sustainable Consumption Research Group, School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment

The Oxford Dictionary (2014): “reuse (of discarded objects or material) in such a way as to create a product of higher quality or value than the original”

The Dictionary of Sustainable Management (2014): “the process of converting an industrial nutrient (material) into something of similar or greater value in its second life”

Product/object level individual upcycling: “creation or creative modification of any product out of used materials (e.g. second-hand products and waste materials) in an attempt to result in a higher quality or value product than the compositional elements”

Definitions of upcycling

Kyungeun Sung, Sustainable Consumption Research Group, School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment

Trend in industrial upcycling

Promoted and practiced:

By entrepreneurs as part of waste management strategy and towards sustainable production (Szaky, 2014)

Kyungeun Sung, Sustainable Consumption Research Group, School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment

Trend in individual upcycling

Promoted and practiced:

By individuals as a lifestyle of reduction and towards sustainable consumption (Frank, 2013)

Kyungeun Sung, Sustainable Consumption Research Group, School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment

Trend in individual upcycling

An increase in the overall number of practitioners aided by physical and digital resources

Kyungeun Sung, Sustainable Consumption Research Group, School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment

Trend in individual upcycling

Hack/Makerspaces in the USA and the UK: central place for emerging practitioners

SME entrepreneurs, artists, hobbyist makers, crafters, hackers, tinkerers

Get access to public workshop

Utilize used materials

Share skills and knowledge

Kyungeun Sung, Sustainable Consumption Research Group, School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment

Research question

Still marginal practice + Potential as a means towards waste prevention, and sustainable production and consumption

> the question to ask?

How to scale up this marginal practice into a mainstream practice to make a bigger impact on society and the environment?

> generate effective strategies for change

> require understanding what drives and facilitates upcycling (determinants)

Kyungeun Sung, Sustainable Consumption Research Group, School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment

Method & Theoretical framework

Kyungeun Sung, Sustainable Consumption Research Group, School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment

Method

Broad literature review in renaissance crafts, new ways of DIY, and emerging Maker Movement

Most relevant and contemporary

as part of PhD literature review

Synthesis on the basis of the framework of Triandis’ Theory of Interpersonal behavior (Triandis, 1977)

Kyungeun Sung, Sustainable Consumption Research Group, School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment

Triandis’ Theory of Interpersonal Behaviour (TIB)

Inclusive nature of the theory: the most comprehensive social psychological theory of behaviour and change (Jackson, 2005), incorporating four factors suggested by Stern (2000) for an integrated model of environmentally significant behavior (i.e.,

attitudes, contextual factors, personal capabilities, and habits)

My behaviour is a function partly of what I intend, partly of my habitual responses, and partly of the situational constraints and conditions under which I operate (Jackson, 2005, p. 111)

Kyungeun Sung, Sustainable Consumption Research Group, School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment

Modified TIB framework

Kyungeun Sung, Sustainable Consumption Research Group, School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment

Results

Kyungeun Sung, Sustainable Consumption Research Group, School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment

Attitudes: Perceived benefits

1. Economic: (1) fulfilling needs with less financial resources and (2) ‘long tail’ market opportunity (Szaky, 2014; Frank, 2013; Anderson, 2012; Lang, 2013)

2. Creativity: (1) production of something pleasing, useful, authentic, personal, (2) self-expression as a mark on the world, and (3) simply being creative (Gauntlett,

2011; Frank, 2013; Parker, 2012; Soule, 2008; Levine & Heimerl, 2008)

3. Experience: (1) a meaningful journey and (2) learning experience (Frank, 2013; Lang,

2013; Gauntlett, 2011)

4. Empowerment: (1) self-reliance and (2) unlocking potential and becoming more capable (Lang, 2013; Frank, 2013; Gauntlett, 2011; Turney, 2009; Parker, 2012)

5. A sense of a team/community (Lang, 2013; Gauntlett, 2011; Levine & Heimerl, 2008); 6. A way to burn stress and relax (Frank, 2013; Gauntlett, 2011); 7. Clutter clear-out (Frank, 2013)

Kyungeun Sung, Sustainable Consumption Research Group, School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment

Facilitating conditions

1. Physical workshops: (1) community workshops to share tools/equipment and meet with others and (2) school workshops for future generations (Anderson, 2012; Lang, 2013)

2. Internet: internet platforms as communities and marketplaces and for learning materials (Gauntlett, 2011; Anderson, 2012; Lang, 2013)

3. Personal fabrication technology (Anderson, 2012; Lang, 2013)

4. Teachers, companions and collaborators (Lang, 2013)

Kyungeun Sung, Sustainable Consumption Research Group, School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment

Affect/Emotions

1. Inherent pleasure in ‘making and doing’ – a sense of being ‘alive’; and being a participant rather than a viewer (Gauntlett, 2011; Frank, 2013)

2. Sense of accomplishment and pride (Frank, 2013)

3. Happiness from goal-oriented activities and autonomy: goal-oriented activities = a major contributor to happiness through meta-analysis and comparative studies (Lyubomirsky, et al. 2005; Sheldon &

Lyubomirsky, 2009)

Kyungeun Sung, Sustainable Consumption Research Group, School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment

Social factors

1. Environmental and social sustainability concerns (norms) (Gauntlett, 2011; Szaky, 2014)

2. DIY spirit (self-concept) (Frank, 2013; Szaky, 2014; Grauntlett, 2011)

3. Maker mentality (self-concept): universal human nature? (Lang, 2013; Anderson, 2012)

Kyungeun Sung, Sustainable Consumption Research Group, School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment

Habits

1. AnnMarie Thomas carried out an extensive research into the childhoods of famous inventors: great innovations/inventions correlated with childhood making experiences (Lang, 2013)

Kyungeun Sung, Sustainable Consumption Research Group, School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment

Discussions & Conclusion

Kyungeun Sung, Sustainable Consumption Research Group, School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment

Relative importance of attitudes and facilitating conditions?

Attitude (perceived benefits) and facilitating conditions (mostly materials) appear more frequently as drivers and facilitators than emotions, social factors and habits

More frequency ≈ relative importance?

If so…

Kyungeun Sung, Sustainable Consumption Research Group, School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment

Possibility for scaling-up strategies

Effective service design for community workshops may be more successful when focusing on the ways to reinforce the perceived benefits and facilitating materials.

1. A design guide for upcycling with less time, efforts and money

2. Opportunities for semi-professional practitioners to generate income, linking with local businesses

3. Top tips to become micro sellers in Etsy, Folksy, etc.

4. A regular marketplace for bartering, lending, trading, renting, gifting and swapping materials

5. A matching system in which people can easily find suitable teachers, companions and collaborators

If this is the best answer for successful scaling-up, convincing local authorities to allow people to have sufficient access to such workshops may be a prerequisite for improving the service.

Kyungeun Sung, Sustainable Consumption Research Group, School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment

Research limitations

The example unlikely to be only or most effective way for successful scaling up given the following research limitations

Half of the cited literature from USA not applicable to the UK

Review at a preliminary stage neither comprehensive nor conclusive

Literature relies on personal experiences and opinions or limited empirical evidence

Literature not focus specifically on upcycling

Kyungeun Sung, Sustainable Consumption Research Group, School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment

Suggestions for future research

A more comprehensive literature review

Empirical research

Determining relative importance among identified UK-specific drivers and facilitators

Identifying and prioritizing barriers for non-practitioners

Learning from best practice in other fields

Strategizing

Kyungeun Sung, Sustainable Consumption Research Group, School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment

Thank you! Any question?

Kyungeun.sung2013@my.ntu.ac.uk http://kyungeunsung.com/ https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kyungeun_Sung