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Hedonistic deconsumption and upcycling: active, emotional and pleasurable engagement with waste
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Date
2019
Authors
O'Rourke, Grace
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University College Cork
Published Version
Abstract
A global environmental crisis and climate emergency have been declared. The planet
cannot sustain current levels of resource depletion and waste production. To address
this emergency, it is critical that we understand how sustainable consumption can
become more widespread. Previous sustainable consumption research has directed
attention towards passive or arduous forms of sustainable consumption (e.g.
recycling), however, alternative practices such as freeganism, dumpster diving, and
upcycling in particular, show emotional engagement with waste is evident, but
underexplored. Alternative practices, and their apparent emotional and expressive
nature, could hold the potential for a more widespread, celebrated culture of
sustainable consumption as they hold attractive consumption characteristics.
To gain an understanding of the pleasurable reasons to engage with sustainable
consumption, and specifically upcycling, hedonism was used as a lens for this study.
To understand the intricacies of the active, emotional and pleasurable nature of
upcycling, a longitudinal immersive study was required. A blended-ethnography,
consisting of traditional ethnographic data collection, supported by netnography (to
understand online support networks) and visual ethnography (to understand object
meanings), was required to capture the hands-on nature of the upcycling process.
This study found that the elicitation of positive emotions plays a central role in the
upcycling process. A conceptual framework illustrating the upcycling experience was
developed, contributing to the ongoing research in the field of sustainable
consumption. In practice, this study proposes that the facilitation of hedonistic
deconsumption has the potential to contribute to degrowth strategies, and act as a
desirable stepping stone towards a cleaner environment.
Description
Keywords
Sustainable consumption , Environmental sustainability , Hedonism , Deconsumption , Upcycling
Citation
O'Rourke, G. 2019. Hedonistic deconsumption and upcycling: active, emotional and pleasurable engagement with waste. PhD Thesis, University College Cork.