CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE REPAIR, REUSE CULTURE. Sustainable Consumption Research Group

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1 CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE REPAIR, REUSE CULTURE CIE-MAP (NTU) Sustainable Consumption Research Group Dr. Christine Cole Research Fellow

2 The Big Picture Material Consumption Reduction in consumption is necessary to meet climate change targets Work within CIE-MAP:- Life Cycle assessment Identifying consumption patterns Behaviour change Identifying repair and reuse Scaling up small enterprises How to establish repair and reuse as the norm recommending policy interventions Measuring impact 09 December

3 More and more people More and more material extraction 1900 global population 1,600,000,000 (1.6 billion) Per capita material extraction 0.84 tonne 2010 global population 6,900,000,000 (6.9 billion) Per capita material extraction 3.28 tonnes Fourfold increase in population AND Fourfold increase in per capita material extraction Source December

4 Dematerialisation but increased demand! Since 1981, the amount of material required to produce one PC declined 68%, whilst each machine housed 250,000 times more RAM. In 2011 PC makers used approx. 54 times more material to create 38 million times more processing power than in Increased efficiency, more affordability, more consumers to access more products. Resulting in resources extracted for every person on the planet increasing expotentially. 09 December

5 Changing the take, make, use, throwaway culture In the past 50 years, humans have consumed more raw materials and created more waste than in ALL previous human history. 09 December

6 A circular model - taking account of the Waste Hierarchy 09 December

7 Resource intensive products Household electrical items each contain on average: 55% iron and steel 27% plastic 2% aluminium Source WRAP, 2014 Understanding consumption patterns when energy efficiency improvements are not enough to reduce resource use and carbon emissions to sustainable levels. Encouraging repair and reuse once an item has reached the end of its first life. Understand the consumer s decision making process at both purchasing and disposal stages. 09 December

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9 Potential for reuse 1/3 of all materials taken to Recycling Centres could be reused. ¼ of ewaste still has significant reuse value. An estimated 6 million tonnes of textile waste is either landfilled or incinerated in the EU each year. Source Valpak, December

10 Potential to do more and how? Currently only 4.5% of waste electrical, electronic equipment is reused. source: WRAP, 2014 Scope to improve this Reuse is included in Closing the loop An EU action plan for the Circular Economy ECO-DESIGN of products making them easier to repair Provision of repair information Waste management legislation to improve preparation for reuse activities Promoting reuse through exchange of ideas and best practice 09 December

11 Collection systems matter! Do consumers know there is a choice? 09 December

12 Source: Valpak, December

13 Communication materials Raising awareness and encouraging behaviour change. 09 December

14 Furniture reuse network Generally locally based, small scale operations. Dependant on volunteers / grants / donations. Need continuity of supply of good quality reusable items. Case studies - some good examples across the UK. How to scale up? 09 December

15 Reuse at Re-cycle Small local run project to rescue unwanted cycles, repair them and donate to local citizens. Children s cycles on a library style loan basis exchange the cycle as the child grows! Teaches repair skills. Reuses cycles and cycle parts. 09 December

16 Industry agreements The Electrical and Electronic Equipment Sustainability Action Plan (esap) is the collaborative framework for sharing evidence and implementing sector-wide actions to improve business efficiency and the sustainability of electrical and electronic products. NTU is one of the esap signatories 09 December

17 New initiatives encouraging repair Samsung 20 support centres Nationwide coverage 1 hour repair service Tablets and mobile phones 09 December

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19 Research next steps Identify best practice Identify barriers Develop strategies to raise levels of awareness and work towards changing consumer behaviour Recommend policy changes to support reuse Recommendations to businesses to scale up operations 09 December

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