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Re-Introducing Consumption to the ‘Circular Economy’: A Sociotechnical Analysis of Domestic Food Provisioning

Author

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  • Josephine Mylan

    (Sustainable Consumption Institute, The University of Manchester, 188 Waterloo Place, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK)

  • Helen Holmes

    (Sustainable Consumption Institute, The University of Manchester, 188 Waterloo Place, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK)

  • Jessica Paddock

    (Sustainable Consumption Institute, The University of Manchester, 188 Waterloo Place, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK)

Abstract

The paper makes two contributions to the advancement of the ‘circular economy’ as a blueprint for a more sustainable society. The first is to highlight the importance of understanding the dynamics of consumption and waste in the domestic sphere. The second is to illustrate two ways in which using insights from socio-technical literature on sustainable consumption, in combination with the sociology of food, could contribute to redressing this shortfall. This includes understanding why people use or consume particular goods or services, and how this might be altered; and what drives the production of waste and the adoption of strategies for its reduction by consumers. We mobilise insights from a socio-technical perspective on consumption, which highlights the importance of everyday interactions between routine activities, mundane technologies and cultural meanings in (re)producing patterns of consumption. These insights are illustrated with reference to domestic food provisioning, using empirical data generated through twenty semi-structured interviews with consumers in relation to meat consumption and thriftiness. Two suggestions for the development of the ‘circular economy’ to better take account of consumption within the domestic sphere are made. The first is a shift from imagining consumers as ‘users’ of particular products or services, to conceptualisation as ‘doers’ of everyday activities. The second is a broadening of the principle of ‘eco-effectiveness’ to take account for the social value of consumption.

Suggested Citation

  • Josephine Mylan & Helen Holmes & Jessica Paddock, 2016. "Re-Introducing Consumption to the ‘Circular Economy’: A Sociotechnical Analysis of Domestic Food Provisioning," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(8), pages 1-14, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:8:y:2016:i:8:p:794-:d:75896
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    Cited by:

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    2. Bonno Pel & Wouter Achten & Ahmed Z. Khan & Thomas Bauler, 2018. "Reconfiguring which systems? An interdisciplinary reflection on units of analysis in the Circular Economy transition," ULB Institutional Repository 2013/276428, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    3. Hamid El Bilali, 2020. "Transition heuristic frameworks in research on agro-food sustainability transitions," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 22(3), pages 1693-1728, March.
    4. Rita Henriques & Filipa Figueiredo & João Nunes, 2023. "Consumers’ Perspectives on Circular Economy: Main Tendencies for Market Valorization," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-26, September.
    5. Phemelo Tamasiga & Taghi Miri & Helen Onyeaka & Abarasi Hart, 2022. "Food Waste and Circular Economy: Challenges and Opportunities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-30, August.
    6. Massimiliano Borrello & Francesco Caracciolo & Alessia Lombardi & Stefano Pascucci & Luigi Cembalo, 2017. "Consumers’ Perspective on Circular Economy Strategy for Reducing Food Waste," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(1), pages 1-18, January.
    7. Kirstie J. O’Neill & Adrian K. Clear & Adrian Friday & Mike Hazas, 2019. "‘Fractures’ in food practices: exploring transitions towards sustainable food," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 36(2), pages 225-239, June.
    8. Do, Quynh & Ramudhin, Amar & Colicchia, Claudia & Creazza, Alessandro & Li, Dong, 2021. "A systematic review of research on food loss and waste prevention and management for the circular economy," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 239(C).
    9. Hamid El Bilali, 2019. "Research on agro-food sustainability transitions: where are food security and nutrition?," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 11(3), pages 559-577, June.
    10. Aitor Salesa & Raúl León & José M. Moneva, 2022. "Is Business Research Shaping the Circle? Systematic and Bibliometric Review of Circular Economy Research," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-24, July.
    11. Juana Camacho-Otero & Casper Boks & Ida Nilstad Pettersen, 2018. "Consumption in the Circular Economy: A Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-25, August.
    12. Rudolf Messner & Carol Richards & Hope Johnson, 2020. "The “Prevention Paradox”: food waste prevention and the quandary of systemic surplus production," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 37(3), pages 805-817, September.

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