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PREVENTING THE OVERCONSUMPTION AND DISPOSAL OF REFILL AT HOME FAST-MOVING CONSUMER GOODS – INTERVENTIONS THAT SUPPORT CIRCULAR CONSUMER JOURNEYS

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 June 2023

Catriona Tassell  and
Marco Aurisicchio
Catriona Tassell*
Affiliation:
Imperial College London
Marco Aurisicchio
Affiliation:
Imperial College London
*
Tassell, Catriona, Imperial College London, United Kingdom, c.tassell19@imperial.ac.uk

Abstract

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Context and problem: Reuse is positioned as a strategy capable of countering single-use overconsumption and disposal. For refill at home FMCGs, consumers are responsible for carrying out behaviours that enable this, such as keeping and using products for a prolonged period. However, it is not known if consumers actually fulfil these responsibilities. Aim: This research aims to understand the extent to which consumer reuse behaviours supports the intended reduction in impact and, if not, consider how best to improve it. Method: In-depth interviews with 15 consumers were conducted where the behaviour chain method was used to map resource journeys for 31 refill at home offerings. Results: Five models of consumer behaviour increased the impact of reuse. The critical moments which led consumers to carry out these behaviours were identified, uncovering intervention areas. Conclusions: The behaviour models and critical moments offer a first attempt to systematically analyse how and where actual consumer behaviour can increase the impact of refill at home FMCGs. The results call for focussed interventions across the consumer journey that support reuse components as part of a system.

Keywords

Circular economyHuman behaviour in designRefill at homeSustainabilityFast-moving consumer goods
Type
Article
Information
Proceedings of the Design Society , Volume 3: ICED23 , July 2023 , pp. 2935 - 2944
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BYCreative Common License - NCCreative Common License - ND
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is unaltered and is properly cited. The written permission of Cambridge University Press must be obtained for commercial re-use or in order to create a derivative work.
Copyright
The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press

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