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?
[email protected] http://kyungeunsung.com/ https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kyungeun_Sung
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