EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

AsurprisinglysimpleanswertoaverybigproblemIn2016,EarthOvershootDay1was8August.Putbrutally,inlessthan8months,today’sgenerationexhausted its annual budget of natural resources and started plundering that of its children, andtheirs.Thissituationisgettingworse.Overshootdaywas24Decemberbackwhenitwasinventedin19712.Thatdirectioncouldcontinue,aseconomiesstartgrowingoutofthe2008crisisandpoliticalinstability.Herethen isoneofhumanity’sgreatestquestions-howtomarrytheconsumptionofbillionswiththelimitsrequiredforahealthyplanet?Theanswertosuchahugequestionissurprisinglysimple.Itlies at our feet, around us in communities already creating solutions in a thousand ways. For ahundred reasons, from saving money to convenience and reigniting social links in theirneighbourhoods, people are rejecting the classic take, make, and dispose approach of today’sconsumption in favour of amore circular version, giving this new economy its name. The circulareconomydoesnothaveauniquedefinition. It isratheranattempttoconciliatetheenvironmentalandeconomicagendas inwhichgovernments,businessandconsumersallhave theirparts toplayandaresponsibilitytoshare3.Buttowhatextentcanconsumersjoinamorecirculareconomy?Thatisthequestionaddressedinthis report, through highlighting some of the many outstanding examples. The result is a deeplyinspiringpatchworkwitha focuson Italy,buta relevance for thewholeofEurope.We investigatewhatobstaclesexisttotheirmassuptake,andwhatlocal,regionalandnationalgovernmentcandotohelp.

ConsumersfirstThis report will focus on options for the average consumer with concrete examples of circularconsumptionroutes.Farfrombeingsomethingfrustratingorboring,thecircularapproachenhancesconsumptionexperiences,extendsfreedomsandhandsuscontroloverwhatwebuyanduse.Whiletoday’s throwaway society has locked us into some trivial consumption patterns, the economic,socialandenvironmentalcrisesareforcingchange.Necessity isthemotherof inventionanddigitaltoolsarenowspreadingnewconsumptionpatternsandreclaimingoldones.Peopleareatthecentreofthecirculareconomy“notaspassivetargetsofthelatestmarketingpromotion,butasthegreatestpotential force for value generation and change.”4 And their motivations to change habits arenumerous.

DifferentCircularEconomyconsumptionpossibilitiesThis report gathers existing, mainly economic, ideas rather than developing brand new concepts.Whilethescopeofcircularconsumptioniswide,rangingfromtransporttohousing,foodtoleisure,

1http://www.overshootday.org/2http://www.overshootday.org/newsroom/past-earth-overshoot-days/2http://www.overshootday.org/newsroom/past-earth-overshoot-days/4RethinkConsumption,Consumersandthefutureofsustainability,BBMG,GlobeScan,SustainAbility,2012p4

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we concentrate on products and services in Italy and Europe. We classify possibilities open toconsumersasfollows:

• Madetolast- Preferringthingsmadetolast–e.g.heirloomgoods,productswithalongwarrantyperiodor

reusableitemsetc.- Buying things that can be repaired or upgraded, reused or given for reuse and of course

buyingsecond-hand,refurbishedorremanufacturedproducts.

• Disownownership- Sharingitemsthatwedon’tuseeveryday,- Rentingorleasingthings,- Swappingorexchanging.

• Getlocal- Buyinglocalandseasonalfood,- Usingtheservicesofferedatcommunitylevelbylocalorganisations,- Buyingfairtradeproducts(forproductsnotavailableatlocallevel).

• Getclean- Choosingthingsthatdonotconsumemorematerialsthanneededorgeneratewaste–e.g.

reusingcontainer/bagsandbuyinginbulk,- Avoidingthingwithtoxiccomponents–e.g.certifiedtoxicfreeproductsorthingsthatcanbe

easilyrecycled.The process of segmenting5 consumers can help identify the potentials and the challenges ofspreading circular economy consumer patterns. We conclude that groups like ‘occasionalpurchasers’,‘aspirational’and‘practical’consumersshouldbetargeted,sincetheycansystematicallyadoptcircularconsumptionpatternswhenbarriersareremoved.Theyrepresentboththemajorityofconsumersandthegroupmorereadytochangepractices ifconvenientandnotovercostly.Youngconsumersshouldalsobetargeted,sincetheyinfluencetheconsumptionbehaviouroftheirpeers6.

BarriersandhowtoovercomethemThe second part of the report examines the barriers and leverage points facing each form ofconsumption.Insummary:

• Access is important. Circular consumption possibilities must be enhanced, mainstreamedandpromoted.Theyshouldbeeasytoaccess,supportedby informationthat isstructured,trustworthyandcompelling.

5 Segmentation of Green Consumers, Meera R. Mayekar, K. G. Sankaranarayanan, International Journal ofScienceandResearch(IJSR),2014ShiftingMainstreamConsumptionPatternsaTowardsCircularEconomyTransition,KseniaBenifand,2015RethinkConsumption,Consumersandthefutureofsustainability,BBMG,GlobeScan,SustainAbility,20126ShiftingMainstreamConsumptionPatternsaTowardsCircularEconomyTransition,KseniaBenifand,2015

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• Costandaffordabilitybarrierscanbeovercomewith informationabout full lifecyclecostsandeconomicincentives.

• Resource efficiency services, information & advice platforms could be established, alongwithdedicatedplacestoswap,repairandexchangeexperiences.

• Fearofunfashionableorout-datedgoods,canbeoffsetbypromotingupgradability.Toaddnewcomponentstooldproducts, theymustbemade inawaythatallowsnon-destructivedisassemblyandreplacement.

• Short-termfadscanbeanobstacletocircularconsumptionpatterns,butvintagecanbecoolandwhenitcomestogadgets,long-termcompatibilityofsoftwarecanbestipulated.

• Repairservicescanbeperceivedaspoorqualityandyoualwayshavetowait.However,thiscanbeaddressed throughquality standards, contractual clausesandcourtesy replacementschemes.

• Changing buying habits is hard, especiallywhen it is so easy to order online. But there isgoodscopeformakinglocallevelalternativesmoreaccessibleandappealing.Moresupportand promotion of community based initiatives and sharing should be undertaken to helppeoplebreakoldhabits.

• Lastly,psychologicalfactorscanbeproblem.Manyofusaredelugedwithinformation,butfeel isolated, unable to question claims or navigate the information maze. However,circular consumption can lead to inclusiveness through local and virtual communities thatseem to be key to activating certain consumer groups most ready to adopt sustainableconsumptionpatterns.

Thecirculareconomyisnotperfect.Themorerepairableproductmaynotbelocal,thelesstoxiconemay not last so long, for example. Trade offs and the need formore claritywill always exist.Ouradviceforconsumersistodotheirbestgiventheselimitations,ratherthanbefrozenbydoubt.

CasestudiesVariousItalianandEuropeanexamplesandadviceareintroducedinthethirdpartofthisreport.Wefocusonappliances,clothing,ICT,furniture,food,cleaningproducts,toysandleisure.Theimportantthingtokeep inmind is thatcircularconsumptionpossibilitiesarealreadytakingplace in ItalyandEuropeinalmosteverysector.Examplesandgoodpracticeexistandneedtobescaleduptomultiplythebenefits.

ThepotentialsofdigitalsocietyThe fourth chapter in this report focuses on the role of digital tools in enhancing the circularpatterns. As journalist Anne-Sophie Novel stated it in her “La vie share”7 essay, an economic,

7 The title is aplayonword inFrench since it ispronounce the samewayas«la vie chère»meaning«theexpensivelife»

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financial, social, environmental, philosophical andpolitical crisis has combinedwith theuseof theinternettochangedailylivesandconsumptionpatterns8.Indeed ICT has the ability to create networks and enhanced transparency bymaking informationreadily available. For example, pairing a circular economy approach with smart appliancesmakessense: It informs how to make, use and reuse appliances by improving the knowledge of theirlocation,conditionandavailability:

• Granularproductusageinformationenablescontinuousimprovementsindesign• Automatedguidanceforusageavoidsappliancewearorfacilitatesshareduse• Predictivemaintenanceandreplacementofcomponentspriortofailure• Accurateinformationfordecision-makingonfutureloops(e.g.reuseversusrecycling)• Automatedlocalisationofappliancesavailableforreuseorrecycling• Optimisedrouteplanningforcustomerandrepairservices/endoflife(alsocalledreverse)

logistics• Digitalmarketplaceforrefurbishedappliancesand/orspareparts

RecommendationsInconclusion,priorityrecommendationsfornationalandlocaldecisionmakerscanbemade.Atthenationallevel:

• Fiscal and financial incentives can be introduced – e.g. reduced VAT on circular economyconsumptionpossibilities

• Exchangeplatforms,bothvirtualandphysical,shouldbecreatedandsupported.• Informationandeducationarekeypartsofthesolution.• Aproperregistrationofenvironmentalprofileofproductsinanationalbasecouldbesetasa

technicalspecificationinpublicsectortenders,sothatwecanincentivisemorecircularoffersandeventuallyscalethemup.

Atlocallevel:• Creatededicatedpublicspacesforgoodsswappingandexchangeofpracticalexperiences.• Multiplyrepairworkshopstofosterrepairandexchangeofknowledge.• Supportrepairshops.• Makedealswithretailerstohaverewardschemesformorecirculargoodsandservices.• Cooperate with retailers in promoting greener products (‘choice editing’) and guiding

consumerstowardsthose(‘consumernudging’).Ofcourse,adoptingaconsumercentricpointofview,which is to say lookingonlyon thedemandside, isnecessarybutnotsufficient.Thisapproachneedstobecomplementedwithrenewedeffortontheoffersideandstrongproductpolicyoptions.Newproductionsystems,betterproductdesignand new businessmodels should be put in place and their development fostered to unleash thepotentialsofmorecircularconsumptionpatterns.

8 La vie share mode d’emploi, consommation, partage et modes de vie collaboratifs, Anne-Sophie Novel,Manifestô,2013

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INTRODUCTION In 2016, EarthOvershootDay 9was 8 August,whichmeans that in less than 8months, humanityexhausted the Earth’s ecological budget for the year and after this day until 31 December it wasconsumingthebudgetofthenextgeneration,violatingtheplanet’sboundaries.Thisdate,calculatedby theNGOGlobal FootprintNetwork, illustrates theurgent reality of the current ecological crisislinkedtooverconsumption.Thesituationisworsening. Indeedin2015,overshootdaywasonedayearlier,while it fellon24Decemberwhen itwas firstmeasured in1971.10On theotherhand, theEconomy has not completely recovered from 2008 crisis and unemployment is still high togetherwithsocial,politicalandgeo-politicaltensions.Inthiscontext,onewondershowtheeconomycouldabidebyenvironmentalconstraints,orevenifitcouldnotbecomeakey featureofanyeconomicrecovery.Unlimiteduseofresources,pollutionandclimatechangeneedtobeaddressed.Andthetransitionfromtoday’s“take,make,anddispose”productionmodeltoacircularmodel,i.e.thecirculareconomy,isoneofthesolutionsandsurelyaviablewayforward,asprovenbymanyrecentreportsissuedbytheEllenMacArthurfoundationandthe Club of Rome in 2015 (http://www.clubofrome.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/The-Circular-Economy-and-Benefits-for-Society.pdf).The circular economy does not have a unique definition. It is rather an attempt to reconcileenvironmentalandeconomicagendasinwhichgovernment,businessandconsumershaveaparttoplayandaresponsibilitytoact11.The question addressed in this report will be to what extent consumers can help reconcile theenvironmental and economic agendas by changing their consumption habits. It is an attempt tohighlightthepossibilitiesofnewcircularconsumptionpatternsinItalyandEuropeandaskwhattheobstaclesareandleveragepotentialfortheiruptake.Indeed,inthisreport,wefocusonconsumptionpatterns,thusadoptanindividualconsumerpointofview. Consumption can be defined as “[t]he selection, purchase, use maintenance, repair anddisposal of any product or service” (Campbell, 1995)12.We focus on what is feasible for a private

9http://www.overshootday.org/10http://www.overshootday.org/newsroom/past-earth-overshoot-days/11RethinkConsumption,Consumersandthefutureofsustainability,BBMG,GlobeScan,SustainAbility,2012p612 Quoted in Sustainable Consumption: Perspectives from Social and Cultural Theory, David Evans and TimJackson,RESOLVEWorkingPaper05-08,p6

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consumer,whatisunderhis/hercontrol,atleastwhatisfeltunderacertaincontrol.Wewillprovideconcreteexamplesofconsumptionpossibilities.Far from the impression that circular consumption is frustrating or boring, people canmake newexperiencesanddiscovernewopportunitieswhileenjoyingcircularconsumptionpossibilities.Thesepossibilitiesrepresentanextensionofourconsumerpowerandexperiences.Indeed,thethrowawaymodelhaslockedustotrivialconsumptionpatternsanddenyingusarichrangeofalternatives.Theeconomic,socialandenvironmentalcrisiscombinedwithdigitaltoolsisacradleofinventiontowardnewconsumptionpatternsandthereclaimingofoldones.Intheend,notonlyconsumptionpatternsareshifting.Consumersinacirculareconomyperspectiveare given an important role “not as passive targets of the latestmarketing promotion, but as thegreatestpotential forceforvaluegenerationandchange.”13Theirmotivationstochangehabitsarevarious.Thescopeofapplicationofcircularpatternsiswidefromtransporttohousing,fromfoodtoleisure.WewillinthisreportmainlyconcentrateonproductsorservicesandpresentItalianandEuropeanexamples.Identifyingcircularconsumptionpatternswouldbuildonapproachesandideasalsodevelopedinthecontextofsustainabledevelopmentactions.Inthisreport,wegathertogetherexistingideasratherthandevelopingbrandnewconcepts.Westartwithasimple list -atypologypresentingdifferentroutes-ofconsumptionmodels.Someexistingbarrierstotheiruptakearereferredto.Thosebarriersareanalysedabitmoreinasecondpart, also mentioning potential leverage points to help increase adoption. To provide concreteexamples inmore detail, the third chapter presents a deployment on certain specific sectors andtypesofgoodswithcasestudiesfromItalyandothercountries.Asectionisdedicatedtoenhancingthepossibilityofuptakeofcircularpatterns throughdigital tools,andpresents some ideasaroundtheconceptofproductprofile.Finally,thereportisconcludedwithsomepriorityrecommendationsfornationalandlocaldecisionmakers.

13RethinkConsumption,Consumersandthefutureofsustainability,BBMG,GlobeScan,SustainAbility,2012p4

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CHAPTER 1: TYPOLOGY OF CONSUMPTION PATTERNS

1. AgrowinginterestincirculareconomyconsumptionpatternsWemake the assumption that circular economymeansmore possibilities for consumers throughreusing,repairing,upgrading,sharing,swapping,etc.andthesepossibilitiesalsoreflectthegrowingroleofthecollaborativeeconomyanddigitalplatforms.SuchconsumptiontrendsseemtobemoreandmorecommoninEurope14.Theinterestinthesenewpossibilities is also growing. The multiplication and the success of circular economy consumercentredeventsorbooksareanillustrationofthisphenomenon.Forexample,theFestadelRiusoedel Riciclo is held in Padova and attracts every year around 10,000 persons. In other Europeancountries too, themotivation of consumers is becoming clear. Alternatiba15 is another example, a“citizenmobilisation on climate change andmovement in Francewith events presenting concretealternatives to fight climate change”. It started in 2013 with an event in Bayonne had attracted500,000peoplein94eventssincethen.TheZeroWasteFestivalthattookplaceinParisinJuneandJuly2016gathered5,000peopleasadebutevent.Tensofthousandsofbookssoldonthetopicofhowtoavoidfoodwaste,DoItYourself,orthezerowaste way of life. In another example from the United Kingdom, over 30,000 people recentlyregistered to take the Waste less, Live more Challenge16 organised by the Keep Britain Tidyassociation. It consists of encouraging people to complete asmany of the 101 suggestedways towaste less and livemore as they can and share their experiences with on Facebook, Twitter andInstagramusing#wastelesslivemore.Asimplelist(typology)ofconsumptionpossibilitiesisproposedbelow.

2. Typology(listofapproaches)forCirculareconomyconsumptionpatterns

2.1. Buythingsthatlast

In the first instance, consumers can choose thingsmade to last17. Indeed, durability is a toppossibility tomakethebestoutofournatural resourcesandbecomemoreandmoreamarketingargument.

14StudycarriedinNovember2012byCetelemObservatorybasedonasurveyof6500personsin12countriesinEurope,QuotedinLavieSharep2015https://alternatiba.eu/16www.wastelesslivemore.com/challengeCentreforSocialInnovation,KeepBritainTidy17E.g.agrowingwebbasedorganization:http://www.buymeonce.com/

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2.1.1. Heirloomgoods

Whenwethinkaboutthingsthatlastwecanpictureheirloomgoodsasaniconicexample.Theyare iconicbecausetheirquality isenoughtocrossthetimes,betransmittedand inherited,andwemight take better care of them because of their sentimental value. A piece of family jewellery,furnitureorinheritedgarmentsarepossibleexamplesofheirloomgoods.

2.1.2. Itemswithgoodguarantee

It canalsobegoodswitha longer thanaveragewarranty.13NGOs recently launched the “10years warranty” campaign in France18, a plea for 10 year mandatory warranty on some productsinsteadofthenormal2years.Accordingtothem,theproducershavemoreeconomicincentivestomakegoodmoredurable if it is theirresponsibilitytorepairorreplacethemovera longperiodasopposedtoplannedobsolescence-artificiallylimitingusefullife.

2.1.3. Alternativestodisposableproducts

Finally,buyingthingsthatlastcanmeanpreferringdurablealternativesoverproductsdesignedfordisposal.Forinstance,usingreusablepackagingcontainersinsteadofdisposableplasticorpaperbagsorusereusablecottonpads.

2.1.4. Systemsgrantinglongersoftwareandconsumablescompatibility

Beyondextendedwarranty,itshouldalsobepossibletocontinueusingourproductsaslongaswearehappywiththem.Toooftenproductlifetimesareshortenedduetoincompatibilitywiththebroaderoperatingsystemanditschanges.IntheICTsector,it’stoocommontobe‘forced’toreplaceproducts in order to continue playing the games we like, running the programmes we like andnavigatingtheinternetbecauseofsoftwareorapplicationincompatibility.Orwehavetochangeourprintersascartridgesarenotavailableanymore.

Consumers should be guaranteed a minimum usage time during which they will find thenecessaryaccessoriesandconsumablestoenjoytheirproductsandthiscouldbecomeamarketingargument. At themoment the necessary information and certainty aboutmedium and long-termcompatibilityismissing.Remediatingsuchashortfallcouldalsobeaddressedthrough‘upgradability’ofproducts.

2.1.5. Obstaclesandwaystoaddressthem

Althoughtheavailabilityofthingsbuilttolastseemsobvious,thereareobstaclesimpedingtheiruptake.

Atfirstsightthepricecanbeabarrier,asstudiesshowthat itremainsan importantcriteriafor

purchasingdecisions.Nevertheless,havingmoreinformationondurability,suchasalongperiodoffreewarrantyordisplayingestimatedlifetime,canhelptheconsumertoreconcilepricecomparedtoutility.Thisinformationcanbecomparedwiththesituationofbuyingcheap,shortlastingitemsand18http://www.journaldelenvironnement.net/article/les-ong-repartent-en-campagne-pour-une-garantie-etendue-a-10-ans,74763

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havingtoreplacethemseveraltimesinthesameperiod.Lifetimecost,combiningupfrontcostwithenergyandconsumablesuse(suchaswateranddetergentsforlaundry,orcartridgesforprinters)aswellas likely repairor replacement requirements, couldbemoresystematically referred to.Reusecould also be stimulated by indicating a residual value after a certain number of years and offerchannelsforresellingtheproducttoasecondoreventhirduser.

Nevertheless, in some cases the lack of trustworthy information is a problem and in order to

“invest” in more expensive durable goods, information on durability must be perceived as highlyreliableandnotonlyamarketingploy.Indeed,consumersknowthatitmaybehardtocomplaintandbe compensated by suppliers if durability promises are not fulfilled (notably if being asked theburden of proof for such durability complaints). Thatmay stop them from investingmoremoneyunlesstheyarefirmlyconvincedaboutlongproductdurabilityclaims.Certificationoralongerperiodof freewarrantycanhelp,astheyaretangiblesourcesof information.Finally,economic incentivescanbeintroducedtoenhancethispractice’suptake.

2.2. Choserepairableandupgradablethings

2.2.1. Non-destructivedisassemblyandsparepartsavailability

Anotherwaytoextendlifetimeandtoembracecirculareconomyconsumptionpatternsistobuythingsmadetoberepairedor/andupgraded.Repairmeansthepossibilityto fix failuresorreplaceworn out parts/components. Upgrading refers to the possibility of adapting the product to newfunctionalities, new features, notably those boosting the performance of the product andpersonalisation.Thisstronglydependsonthedesignoftheproductandtheabilitytodismantlewhilenotdestroyingit.Thisisacommonpracticeintheautomotiveindustry.

Basicpersonalisation,suchaschangingthecasingofasmartphone,canbeperformedbyconsumersthemselves. But repair and upgrade may require skills and may not be easy for everyone.Nevertheless,reparableproductscanberepairedinspecialisedstoresorinrepaircafes-avolunteer-basedrepairservicethatteachespeoplehowtorepairtheirbrokenitemsthatdevelopedquicklyinrecent years19 - when not by consumers themselves. Support tutorials are blooming on the web.According to a Cetelem Observatory 2012 study on Europe consumers, 64% consider fixing theirappliances.20

2.2.2. ObstaclesandwaystoaddressthemMainobstaclesforrepairandupgradearelinkedtodesignandbusinessmodelsassociatedwiththe products. If design does not allow a non-destructive disassembly to replace parts and orcustomiseaproduct, forexamplebecausematerialsareunnecessarygluedorweldedtogether,the repair and upgrade potential is lost. Furthermore spare parts and accessories need to bemadeavailable fora longperiodof time,andthatdependsonthebusinessmodelsadoptedbythe producers. Some companies even use proprietary fixings and screws andmake spare parts

19 A Longer Lifetime for Products: Benefits for Consumers and Companies, Directorate-General for InternalPolicy,StudyforIMCOCommittee,2016,p6520QuotedinLaviesharemoded’emploi:consommation,partageetmodesdeviecollaboratifs,Anne-SophieNovel,Manifestô,2013p10

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andinstructionsunavailable.Repairersalsofaceincompatibilityofsoftwareand‘defeatdevices’tothwartrepair(suchasthe“error53”forAppleproducts21).Embeddedelectronicsinmoreandmoreofourgoodsarealsoconsideredabarriertorepairandupgradeastheyfrequentlyrequirespecialistdiagnosisdevicesasapreconditiontorepair.Severalthingscouldbedonetofosterreparationandupgradesuchas:- prohibit design-inhibiting repair (e.g. proprietary screws, using glueorweldingwhere it is

notneeded),- developcertificationfordurability,partlybasedonreparability- set up economic incentives to lower the cost of reparable products and help repair

workshops,sincecostsremainabarrier.

2.3. Reuseandbuysecond-hand

2.3.1. Afullrangeofpractices

Reuseorgiveforreuse,sellandbuysecondhand,theseareexamplesoftraditionalconsumptionpatterns that staged a comeback in recent years. According to the Cetelem Observatory studymentionedabove,63%ofEuropeanconsumersdoreuse,59%buysecondhandproductsand68%declaredtheywilldoasmuchormoreinthecomingyears.22

We can transfer goods to family or friends, bring unused goods to charity and social economy

networksforsecondhandmarketsinsteadofthrowingthemawaywhentheyarenolongerwanted.AlmosteverytowninItaly(butalsoinUKandotherEUcountries)hasasecondhandshopoftenranbycharities,suchasthewell-establishedsecondhandnetworkEmmaus.Theycanalsobeprivatelyowned,likethefranchisingnetworkofsecondhandshopsIlMercatino23.

Il BazardelDono24 is a project developedby anNGO in Lecce/Puglia thatmerges a secondhandshop,anup-cyclingworkshopandaco-workingspace.Flea markets are also good occasions to buy and sell second-hand products. The use of internetplatformsandauctionsalsoenablespeopletosell theirunusedgoodsandbuysecondhand like inpeer-to-peeronlinemarketplacessuchasleBonCoininFranceorsubito.it25inItalyandworldwideITcompaniessuchasEbay.

21SeetheIfixitarticleonerror53http://ifixit.org/blog/7889/whats-up-with-error-53/22Idemp2023http://www.mercatinousato.com/24http://www.ilformicaio.eu/bazardeldono/ 25http://www.subito.it/

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Morerecentlyinternet-basedplatformsstartedgivingpeoplethepossibilitytopassonthingsfor

free or share information on objects and furniture abandoned in the street, e.g. GEEV/FreecycleNetwork/AdopteUnObjet26.

2.3.2. Obstaclesandwaystoaddressthem

Nevertheless,therearestillbarrierstoreuse,suchasincompatiblefunctionality,toxicresiduesinmaterials, resources consumption during use (e.g. energy, consumables), fear of data privacyviolation(mainlyfor informationandcommunicationappliances),productfailureorthebeingseenasnottrendy.But things can be done to overcome these obstacles such as ensuring full deletion of data,establishing reuse centres, offering warranty for second hand goods, informing people aboutresourceconsumptionduringuseandre-brandingsecondhand.

2.4. Donotbuythings,justenjoythemAs noted in theRethinkConsumption study, there is a “tensionbetweenmaterial possessions

andsocialandenvironmentalprogress”and“theveryconceptof“sustainableconsumption”holdsaninherenttensiondrivenbyimpactsfromeachproduct’sdevelopment,dissemination,useanddisposalononehand,andmarketpressureforeverincreasingsalesvolumeandscaleontheother“27.Onewaytoaddress it istodevelopalternativestoproperty. Indeed,amajorpathwaytowardsthecircular economy is in slowing down on the consumption of resources and enjoying things ratherthanbuyingthem.Whybuyacarwhenweonlyneedtransportation?Whybuyadrillwhenweonlyneedholesinawall?Compellingalternativestoownershipnowexist.

2.4.1. Share,rentandlease

Insteadofeverybodybuyingthingsconsumerscanshareitems.Thisisparticularlyattractiveforitemsrarelyused,orwhichareexpensive.Adrilloracararegoodexamples.Theycanbeshared,forinstance,viacooperativeownershipschemes,shareshopsorinternet-basedplatformspromotedbycollaborativeconsumptionor sharingeconomycommunities.Thesecanbebothconvenientandpossiblycheaperfortheoccasionalborrower.Sharingandrentingcanalsobeawaytooffsettheinitialinvestmentcostsforproductsthatareusedinfrequentlyand/orhavehighupfrontinvestmentandmaintenancecosts.Itcanbeapossiblereturnoninvestmentfortheconsumerthatboughtonpurposealonglastingitemandhelpjustifyeffortstomaintain its durability. With the use of the internet, numerous specialised websites have beendevelopedandthesharingeconomyhastakenoffinrecentyears.

26http://www.adopte-un-objet.fr/27 Rethink Consumption, Consumers and the future of sustainability, BBMG,GlobeScan, SustainAbility, 2012p20

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Consumerscanalsoleaseproductstomeetongoingneeds.Leasingconsistsofrentingforalongtimeoftenwithanassociatedassistanceservice,asitexistsforinstanceforcars28.Thiscanbedonevia numerous specialised shops and websites. It is a convenient way to enjoy a service withoutrequiringownership.Leasingcanavoiddiscardingitemswhennotdesiredanymoreorthereisaneedforachange.Leasingschemesallowtheuseofaproductforagiventimewithpotentialbenefitsofincludedservicesandupgrades.

AsAnne-SophieNovelunderlinesinLaVieShare,thereisoftena“tribe”phenomenoninsharedeconomy websites, where people tend to lend not only objects but eventually also services. Shenotesthatthereisasortofescalationprocess,wherepeoplestartbyrentingonethingandenduprentingmore,includingservicesinwhatdevelopsintoatrustedcommunity.

2.4.2. Obstaclestosharing,rentingandleasingandwaystoaddressthem

Some consumers might hesitate to lease, fearing inconvenience stemming from lack of fullownership.WilleverythingnotbecometooconstrainingtorentorshareeachtimewhenIneedtheproduct/servicecomparedtohavingitalwaysathandbecauseIownit?Theymightalsofearlackofavailability:what ifwhenIhavetimeandneedtheproduct,none isavailableoraccessible?This isalsotrueandmorecommonforbusinesstobusinesssituationsthanforbusinesstoconsumers.

In this respect, a leverage point can be the multiplying of the usage of convenient digitalplatforms.Indeed,thesesharingpracticesoperatedthroughdigitalplatformsaregeneralising.Webcatalogues, as well as rating and booking systems can help overcome some shortcomings. A keyargument for sharing is that itmakespossible access tomoreprofessional typehighperformanceappliances.

Finally, the price of some renting and leasing services can seemhigh compared to buying lowqualityitems.Consumersmayhavedoubtsaboutthequalityandreliabilityoftheservicesprovided.As renting and leasing for individuals from professional and peer-to-peer platforms is developing,these remaining barriers could be lowered by introducing tax rebates and improving contractualclauses granting full confidence for users (e.g clauses to swift repair or replacement in case offailure).

2.4.3. Swapandexchangethings

Swapping or exchanging things is also a way of limiting the extraction of resources andproductionofnewgoodsandavoidthrowingawayanitemthatcouldbeusedbysomeoneelse.Itisanancestralpracticethatismakingacomebackinrecentyears.

Thisapplies to, for instance,books,clothes forchildrenofdifferentages,butalsoservicesand

skills, suchaspaintingorgardening.Manyspecialisedwebsiteshavesprungup for thispurpose inrecentyears.

28http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2012/12/buying-vs-leasing-basics/index.htm

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Non-profit swap places and swap events are also becoming more popular . ‘Free’ shops areappearinginseveralcountriesinEuropeincludingItaly’sPassaMano29inTrentino,whereeveryoneisallowedtotakeawayupto5itemsforfree,leavingavoluntarytip.

TheAssociationManaManà,basedonitsexperienceoforganisingseveralmoneylesseventsinTurin,hascreatedanonlinemethodology forall thosewhowould like toorganise sucheventsor shops,andalldocumentsarelicencedundercreativecommons30.

2.4.4. Overcomingobstaclestoswappingandexchanging

However,even if swapping isdeveloping,obstacles remain, suchasa lackof trust, fearofnotbeing seen as trendy or simply the absence of networks and opportunities. To overcome theseproblems,communitylevelactionsandnetworkscanbesetupandtheconvenienceofofferscanbeimproved(regulartimelinesanddedicatedadaptedplacesforexample).

2.5. Getlocal

2.5.1. Buylocalandseasonal(organic)food

Anotherconsumptionpatternforacirculareconomyistobuylocal.Consumerscanembracethispossibilitybybuyinglocalandseasonal(andaspossibleorganic)foodinsteadofignoringthecountry/ region of origin or the way it has been produced. It limits the impact of transportation on theenvironmentandhealth,ensuresrespectoflocalnorms(evenifsometimesqualityisnotaxiomaticto localness) and supports local agriculture. By buying seasonal food, consumers are sure to havemoretastyingredientsandavoidlongsupplychains.

Asshowninthefourthpartofthereport,purchasinggroupssupportinglocalorganicagricultureandotherinitiativeshavebeenmultiplyingsincethe2000s.

2.5.2. Obstaclestobuyingseasonalandorganiclocalfoodandwaystoaddressthem

29http://www.giacimentiurbani.eu/company/passamano-bolzano/ 30www.senzamoneta.it

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Inaperiodinwhicheveryonecanreadilybuyamangoallyearroundandlowcostsupermarket

strawberries indeepestwinter,buying localandseasonalcanseemscostlyand time-consuming. Itmightalsorequirechangingofcookinghabits,butontheotherhanditissometimestheoccasiontodiscovernewproductsandrecipes.

Moreovereveniftheyhaverecentlymultiplied,alternativesarenotalwaysavailable.Education,information anddevelopmentof collaborative, neighbourhoodand communitybasedplatforms toaccessgoodsorservicesareamust.

2.5.3. Usecommunityservices

Getting local can alsomeanusing community services. Indeed, social business - these arenon-profitorganisations,cooperatives,charitiesandnot-for-profitcompanies-offerbothenvironmentalandsociallyusefulservicesforsocietyasopposedtomerelyprofit-maximisingcompanies.

If theprice, the availability and accessibility still pose a problem, consumers shouldnot be left

with the frustrationanddiscouraged. Efforts canbemadebydecisionmakers to creatededicatedspacestofosterdevelopmentofcommunityservices,structuretheofferandevensetupeconomicincentives.Thatcouldbepartofmunicipaleventstoraisetheprofileandopportunityofsuchsocialbusinessandcommunityservices.Thosecanbepromotedaspartof thepublicservicesofferedbymunicipalities:e.g.walkingchildrentoschooltoreducecartrafficduringrushhours;etc.Butthankstotheuseofinternetpeer-to-peerservicesarealsodeveloping.

Finally,when local is not feasible, consumers can choose fair trade products. Indeed, the waygoods and food are made is also an important aspect of circular economy and the origin is noteverything. In fair trade schemes, fair prices come togetherwith quality specifications providing amore complete social, environmental andeconomy sustainablebackgroundof theproduct. In thisrespect, EU wide standards and organisations, such as OXFAM, are sources of information.Interestingly,fairtradeproductsaremoreandmoreavailableinstoresandsupermarkets.

2.6. Getforclean(toxicfree)/smartmaterials

Thechoiceofmaterialsmakingupproductsiscrucialinacirculareconomypathway.Itcandrivemorepossibilities to repurposeor ‘loop’ thematerialsandmaydetermine thecostof its recyclingandabilitytoberecycledandreused.

2.6.1. Choosethingsnotconsumingmorematerialsthanneededorgeneratingexcessivewaste

Firstofall,itisuptoconsumerstochoosethingsnotconsumingmorematerialsthanneededorgeneratingunnecessarywaste,forinstancethroughusingtheirowncontainersorbagsandbuyinginbulk.However,manyofusaretrappedbypackagingbasedmarketingandendupbuyingexcessivelypackageditems,whetheritisfoodorothergoods.Orwebuytoomuchandgeneratefoodwasteandwaste in general.Whynotprovidingamore systematicpossibility to get the justneededquantitybeing for a whole family or a single person (for examplemedicines can be supplied in the exactquantity instead standard containers not matching the needs)? Furthermore, prices do not

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necessarily reflect thewhole burdenof dealingwith the packaging, notably if disposable andnoteasilyrecyclable.Asstated inthefourthpartof thisreport, therecentdevelopmentandsuccessofproductssold inbulk,forfoodandothergoods,isanimportantleveragepoint.

2.6.2. Obstaclesandwaystoaddressthem

Barrierstouptakeofsolutionsoffering‘justneeded’amountofmaterialsare,forexample,time,convenienceandavailability.Nevertheless,thereisroomforimprovementbye.g.offeringdiscountsandvouchersforresource-savingpurchasingorchoiceediting,twophrasesthatcanbedescribedasa strategy to decide which products to offer and to highlight with reward schemes in the retailsector.

2.6.3. Chooserecyclablethingsandthingswithouttoxiccomponents

Consumerscanchoosethingsthatcanbedisassembledandrecycled(andrecyclethem)insteadofproductswithpartsthatarehardtodisassembleanddifficulttorecycle.

Withtheriseofenvironmentalandhealthconcernscomesanadditionalpossibilitytoconsumeinacirculareconomyperspective:choosingproductswithouttoxiccomponentsbygettingtoxic-freecertified products (e.g: hygiene products without parabens, furniture without flame retardants,paints without volatile organic compounds). Hazardous content of materials is one of the biggerbarrierstoreuseofmaterials.Onthismatter,theCLP(forClassification,LabellingandPackaging)EUregulation31 aims at easing and harmonising hazard communication through clear symbols and

warnings(suchas ).

2.6.4. ObstaclesandwaystoaddressthemHowever,recyclingpossibilitiesandandtoxicrisksneedtobegivenmoreemphasis.Recyclability

is not often well specified on products. Moreover, consumers are not likely to look for thisinformationspontaneouslywhenshoppingandwhereavailabletoxicfreerecyclablealternativesmaybemoreexpensive.Asregardstoxic-freeproducts,perceivedlackofperformanceof‘clean’productscanactasabarriertoabroaderuptakeofcleanalternatives.Efforts canbemadeon labellingandprovidingeconomic incentives to increase salesof recyclableand toxic-free products, or products containing recycled materials, such as penalty schemespenalising toxic and problematic materials while rewarding clean and fully recyclable materials.Complementarily, it should be kept in mind that things can be recycled only if they are properlycollectedandthenecessaryinfrastructureandinformationisprovidedbythecompetentauthorities.

3. Consumers’segmentationsConsumer segmentation can help us understand how consumption patterns for a circular

economycoulddevelop.Interestingly,studiesshowthatthesealternativeconsumptionpatternsare

31http://ec.europa.eu/growth/sectors/chemicals/classification-labelling/

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not adopted primarily for environmental reasons.32 Studies show the most frequent reasons areprice,convenienceandthedesiretosharegoods.Thissuggestsconsumerscanbemobilisedwitharangeofincentives.

3.1. Thebenefitsofconsumersegmentation

Market segmentation can help identify the opportunities and challenges to spreading circulareconomy consumption patterns. It provides an understanding of changing consumer values,motivations and behaviour. These help inform action by addressing different consumer segmentsspecifically. They help identify which type of consumers could adopt which type of circularconsumptionpatternsandwhatarethebarriersholdingthemback.

3.2. Mainfindingsofdifferentstudies:theneedtotarget‘occasionals’,‘aspirationals’and‘practicals’

Astudyonsegmentationofgreenconsumers,published inthe International JournalofScienceand Research 2014 33, examined the environmental concern of consumers in Goa, India, anddeveloped a methodology for segmentation of green consumers applicable elsewhere34. Theyidentified frequent purchasers (33,5%), occasional purchasers (48,2%) and ones rarely makingpurchases (18,2%). The first are already convinced and integrate sustainability criteria in theirpurchasingchoices.Anditmaybehardtomaketherarepurchaserschangeradicallytheirhabits.Incontrary occasional purchasers, which represent the biggest group, could adopt more systematicgreenconsumptionpatternsifbarriersareremoved.This simple segmentation is echoed in the “ShiftingMainstreamConsumption Patterns a TowardsCircularEconomyTransition”study35,inwhichtheauthordistinguishesbetween:

- the ‘OccasionalEnthusiast’ (60%)mainlydrivenbycost savingsand reducing thehassleofpurchasingnewproducts,

- the ‘Value Conscious Enthusiast’ (10%) a ‘practical’ and value conscious group taking intoaccount the environmental impact but first financial considerations, convenience, andproductquality,

- andthe‘CircularLifestyler&Advocate’(25%)“deeplyconnectedtotheirvalues(…)[who]willgoaboveandbeyondtoreducewasteandlivesustainablelifestyles.36

Finally, a similar but more complete conclusion was drawn by the Rethink Consumption study in2012.Acrossallmarkets,‘Aspirationals’,countforthegreatestnumberofconsumers(37%),theyaredriven by both consumption and sustainability and could adopt more regular circular economyconsumptionpatternsifproductsmettheiraspirationsforsocialstatus,community,style,shoppingand trying new things. They are followed by Practicals (34%) driven by price and performance.Practicalswillmostlyfollowthesustainablebehavioursoftheothergroupsastrendsbecomemore

32POLFREEPolicyBrief33 Segmentation of Green Consumers, Meera R. Mayekar, K. G. Sankaranarayanan, International Journal ofScienceandResearch(IJSR),201434EvenifthestudywasnotcarriedoutinEuropewechosetouseitbecausethefindingsandthetypologyareapplicableelsewhereandbecauseitdoesnotstartwiththeassumptionthatmostpeopleareaware.35ShiftingMainstreamConsumptionPatternsaTowardsCircularEconomyTransition,KseniaBenifand,201536ShiftingMainstreamConsumptionPatternsaTowardsCircularEconomyTransition,KseniaBenifand,MasterThesisinDesigninStrategicForesight&InnovationOCADUniversityToronto,Ontario,Canada,April,2015

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mainstream”37. On the other hand, the less engaged Indifferents (16%) and Advocates (14%) arealreadyconvincedandhighlycommitted.Neitheraredeemedprioritygroupstotarget.38Toput it in anutshell, ‘occasionalpurchasers’or ‘aspirationals’ and ‘practicals’ canbe targetedaspresenting the highest potential for uptake of circular consumption patterns, as they are morenumerousandwithsufficientwillingnesstoact.

3.3. PotentialoftheMillenials

Inherstudy,KseniaBenifandpointstotheneedtotargetMillenialstospreadcirculareconomyconsumptionpatterns.The“WorldEconomicForumreport“EngagingTomorrow’sConsumer”(2013)statedthattheyare“theworld’smost influentialshoppers”,(and)theyhavethepotentialtoshapethebehaviourofotherpeopleandconsumermarkets”and(…)believeintheirpowertobeagentsofchange.”39

In order to make these consumers change their habits and adopt more systematic circularconsumingpractices,barriersneedtobeidentifiedandremoved.

37Rethinkconsumptionp4338RethinkConsumption,Consumersandthefutureofsustainability,BBMG,GlobeScan,SustainAbility,2012,p6and3839ShiftingMainstreamConsumptionPatternsaTowardsCircularEconomyTransition,KseniaBenifand,OCADUniversityToronto,Ontario,Canada,2015

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CHAPTER 2 : MAIN BARRIERS AND LEVERAGE POTENTIALS

AsstatedinKseniaBenifand’sstudy,“Peoplearenotalwaysabletoexerciseadeliberatechoice,and 'lock-ins' occur in part through the architecture of institutional structures such as marketmechanisms, optionsof availablegoodsand services, geographical accessibility; cultural and socialnormexpectations;aswellasvaluesandbeliefs-influencinghabitsandroutines.“40.Thesebarrierstothecirculareconomyremain,buttherearewaystoprogress.

1. Costandaffordability

1.1. Barrier

Costandaffordability remainsan importantbarrier to thecirculareconomy.As reported in theRethinkConsumption study, perceptionsof price are crucial,with78%of consumers indevelopedcountries (Germany,UnitedKingdom,UnitedStates)agreeingorstronglyagreeingthattheywouldpurchasemoreproductsthatareenvironmentallyandsociallyresponsibleiftheydidn’tcostmore.Inthe Segmentation of Green Consumers study in India, the “high price of green products”was thereasonfornon-purchaseofgreenproductsin23%ofcases.

1.2. Leveragepoints

Itshouldbefirstnotedthatsomecirculareconomyconsumptionpracticescanbeawaytosavemoney.Forexample,thisisoftenthecaseforreusedorsecondhanditems,DoItYourselforsharinggoods and services. In fact, some consumption practices in a circular economy offer significantsavings opportunity for consumers; for instance, when selling unused goods, renting infrequentlyused objects, eating more local seasonal vegetables etc. In their book ‘La famille (Presque) zerodéchet–zeguide’thefamilyadoptingazerowastelifestyleexperiencedlowerlivingcosts.41Goingcircularisthusnotalwaysmorecostly.Solutionsthatarebothmorecircularandcheapershouldbepromotedandmaybeusedasgoodexamplesandstartingpointsforshiftingconsumptionhabits,ascombiningbotheconomicandenvironmentaldimensions.

Beyond that, educating consumers about more holistic lifecycle cost of products could be apriorityforraisingawarenessontheeconomicconsequencesofsomeofourdecisions.Indeed,it isimportant to show that up front purchasing cost need to be balancedwith usage and end-of-lifecostsorrevenues.Aclearexampleisinthefieldofenergyefficientproducts,wheretheenergysavedduring the lifetimeof a productmore thanoffsets thehigherpurchasing costs of amoreefficient

40Idem41LaFamille(presque)ZeroDechet–Zeguide,JéremyPichonetBénédicteMoret,Broché,2016

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model. This lifecycle cost information could be deliveredmore systematically and also go beyondenergy aspects alone, such as by highlighting how durability/repairability help avoid the cost ofreplacingabrokenproduct,orevenincreasingthepotentialresellprice.

Information about the expected lifetime of products would also help. Indeed, households

benefit from buying longer lasting goods, as emphasised in the “A Longer Lifetime for Products :BenefitsforConsumersandCompanies”study42whichstatesthat“householdscanenjoymoreofaproduct’sutility,fromalonger,betterormoreefficientuseofcapitalstock.”43Interestingly,arecentstudycommissionedbytheEuropeanEconomicandSocialCommittee44showsthatlifespanlabellinghasaninfluenceonpurchasingdecisionsinfavourofproductswithlongerlifespansevenifthepriceisstillan importantcriteria.Onaverage,there isa13.8%increaseofsalesofproductswitha labelshowingalongerlifespanovercompetingproducts.Finally,thisinformationcouldbecomplementedwithotherleveragepoints,suchas:

- Developingeconomicincentivesformoreresourceefficientitems.Forexample,establishingrewarding/paymentsschemesrewardingorpenalisingproductproperties(sometimescalled‘reward/penalty’ schemes), reducing VAT applied to repair activities, or making ExtendedProductResponsibility(EPR)systemsrewardbetterreparability,etc.

- Fosteringcommunity/grouppurchasingtodrivedownproductprices- Banning theworstperformingproducts toavoid lowest commondenominatorand race to

bottompricescenarios- Extendingwarrantiesandaftersalesservicestoincreasetrustinmorecircularpurchasing- Rewardvouchersforpurchasingsustainableproducts(likeeco-chèquesforexample)

2. Availability

2.1. Barrier

Theadoptionofsustainableconsumptionpracticesalsodependsontheiravailabilityofbeneficialalternatives.AccordingtotheRethinkConsumptionstudy,58%ofconsumersindevelopedcountrieswouldpurchasemoreproductsthatareenvironmentallyandsociallyresponsibleifthesewereeasiertofindanduse.ThesameobstaclewasconfirmedintheSegmentationofGreenConsumersstudyinIndia,inwhich“non-availability”isthereasonfornon-purchaseofgreenproductsin20%ofcases.

2.2. Leveragepoints

First of all, venues for circular economy consumption should be multiplied, both virtual andphysical.

42 A Longer Lifetime for Products : Benefits for Consumers and Companies, Directorate-General for InternalPolicy,StudyforIMCOCommittee,201643 A Longer Lifetime for Products: Benefits for Consumers and Companies, Directorate-General for InternalPolicy,StudyforIMCOCommittee,2016p3744 Jahnich M., G. Boulbry, M. Dupre, É. Ferreira, V. Ramirez (2016) ILLC study: The Influence of LifespanLabellingonConsumers,Brussels:EuropeanEconomicandSocialCommittee(EESC)

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Theinternetcanbeausefultooltopromoteexistingpossibilitiesandcreatenewpossibilitiesofconsumption–e.g.platformslikeEbay.

Choiceeditingbyretailerscoulddirectconsumerstowardsmorecircularsolutions,whichmightotherwisebeoverlookedinthevastdiversityofproductsandservicesonoffer.

Moreover, positive practices should be mainstreamed and the best products promoted. Thiscouldbedoneusingtrustworthyindependentinformationchannels,ratherthanrelyingprimarilyonindividual owndeveloped claimsby producers. Indeed, theremight be better results if promotiondoesnotsolelyrelyonmanufacturerorretailerinitiatives,butincreasinglybyconsumergroupsandpublicauthoritycampaignspromotingcertifiedproductsfromindependentsources.

Finally,consumerscanthemselvestriggerthepossibilitytochangetheirhabitsbystartingtheirown initiativespromoting sustainable consumptionpatterns.Associations could spreadguides andtoolkitssothatcommittedcitizenscanstartaninitiativewheretheyliveinsteadofwaitingforothersto do it for them. In the case of L’Alveare che dice si!45citizens were encouraged to form a localpurchasinggroupandAssociationManaManà,whichorganisedfreeeventsorfreeshops.

3. Accessibilityandconvenience

3.1. Obstacle

Accessibility, lack of information and poor convenience of purchasing and using can also causeconsumerstoabstainfromcircularsolutions.

3.2. Leveragepoints

As stated in the Ksenia Benifaand study, at a timewhen everybody can order almost anything

online,adoptingnewhabitscanrequireeffortanddedication.“Shiftingbehavioursonalargescalerequiressystemicsolutionstoincreaseaccessibility”46.Thisisthereasonwhyextensivepossibilitiesand incentives of circular consumption should be multiplied and made more broadly accessible,eitherthroughlocalinitiativesorviavirtualplatforms.

On top of that, consumers need to be given advice on how they can benefit from circular

consumption patterns and suggestions on how these can be developed. Resource saving servicescould be set up along the lines of energy efficiency services such as the ‘Espaces info énergie’,present inallmajorFrenchcities,whichprovidesconsumeradviceonenergyconsumption. Infact,bothenergyefficiencyservicesandresourcesavingservicescouldbecombined,inlinewiththeideathatenergyisalsoaresource.

There isgoodpotential toboostunderstandingofplaces incities for repair, reuse,buying local

etc. Fortunately, websites have started to fill the gap, such as Giacimenti Urbani47, which gathersinteresting experiences, especially about Milan. Finally, improving convenience factors can help

45https://alvearechedicesi.it/it46ShiftingMainstreamConsumptionPatternsaTowardsCircularEconomyTransition,KseniaBenifand,OCADUniversityToronto,Ontario,Canada,2015,p8247http://www.giacimentiurbani.eu/

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motivatemore sceptical consumers48 For example, if borrowing a tool from a local tool library ismademoreconvenientthanbuyingitnewintheshops,consumerscouldchangetheirhabits.

4. Lackoftrustworthyinformation

4.1. Barrier

Trustworthyinformationonwhatmakesaproductcleanerandsaferinacirculareconomyisalsocrucial.According to theRethinkConsumptionstudy,a lackof“understandingaboutwhatactuallymakes products socially and environmentally responsible” is a barrier to 55% of consumers indevelopedcountries.49IntheSegmentationofGreenConsumersstudy,the“lackofinformation”andlack of trust about green claims made by companies are the reason for non-purchase of greenproductsin16%and31%ofcasesrespectively.

4.2. Leveragepoints

That iswhy labels and certification schemes verifiedby independent third-partyorganisations,together with users’ community advices and rating systems have an important part to play.According to the Rethink Consumption study, 43% of consumers in developed countries considercertificationschemesorlabelsonproductpackagingasthemosttrustedsourceofinformationaboutwhetheraproductisenvironmentallyorsociallyresponsible.50.

As mentioned in chapter 4, digital tools should become a greater source of information forconsumersalsooncircularconsumptionaspects.

5. Fearofpoorperformanceandfashion

5.1. Barrier

The fear of outdated performancesor notmaintained over time can be a barrierwhenbuyingsecond hand products or long lasting items. According to the Rethink Consumption study,perceptionsofproductperformanceiscritical,since76%ofconsumersindevelopedcountrieswouldpurchasemoreproductsthatareenvironmentallyandsociallyresponsibleifthey“performedaswellas,orbetterthanproductstheyusuallybuy.”51

Fearof failureandof longdelays for repair isalsoperceived riskswhenbuyingsecondhandorrepairingaproductinsteadofreplacingit.

A related obstacle is the fear consumers can have of buying an item thatwill be overtaken byfashion,whichisseenasasymbolicexpressionofpersonality,valuesandstyle.

5.2. Leveragepoints

48ShiftingMainstreamConsumptionPatternsaTowardsCircularEconomyTransition,KseniaBenifand,OCADUniversityToronto,Ontario,Canada,201549RethinkConsumption,Consumersand the futureof sustainability,BBMG,GlobeScan, SustainAbility, 2012,p2650 Rethink Consumption, Consumers and the future of sustainability, BBMG,GlobeScan, SustainAbility, 2012p1651RethinkConsumption,Consumersandthefutureofsustainability,BBMG,GlobeScan,SustainAbility,2012p6

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Thefirstleveragepointcouldbetoensureupgradability.Itisimportanttoensureproductshavethe potential for non-destructive disassembly and upgrade. As far as electronic products areconcerned, long-term compatibility of software could be better required by the authorities. Long-term certification of performance and usability of such products could become a marketingargument for companies.Thegrowthof sharingplatforms, forexample leasing rather thanselling,will also foster long-term certification of performance and make the usability of products a keycompetitiveargument.Legalobligationsforquickrepairortemporaryreplacementthroughcourtesyschemesmayalsobecomeamorecommonpatternofsharedeconomybusinessmodels.

Warrantyperiodsforsecondhandgoodscanalsobealeveragepoint.TheEnvieFederation52inFranceprovidesanefficientsolutiontoovercomethelackoftrustinqualityofsecondhanditemsbyguaranteeing repair after sale.Any fearofhaving towait for such repair is overcomeby the shoplendingareplacementapplianceforfree.

Asfarasthefashionfearisconcerned,effortscanbemadetorebrandsecondhandasvintage.

An interesting example of making second-hand trendy is the second-hand defile, organised byLegambiente intheFestadelRiusoedelRiciclo inPadova. Infact,reusecanbecoolandgreen,socoolthathalfofthenewjeanssoldinstorestodayaremadewitha‘used’look.

6. Psychologicalbarriersandsocialnorms

6.1. Barrier

Even if the circular economy enables people to enjoy new or more consumption possibilitiescomparedtothe linear ‘buy-use-dispose’system,shiftinghabitsrequirestimeandcommitment,atleastatthebeginning.Comparedtoroutinepractices,itcomesatacost.Asaconsequence,alackoftimeandreluctancetochangeindividualconsumptionpatternsandlifestylescanbehugechallenge.In theSegmentationofConsumers study in India, for10%consumers the fact thatbuyingagreenproductrequiresthemtoadapttheirlifestyleisareasonnottopurchaseit.

Moreoverthelackofasharingcommunityorfeelingofbelongingtoacommunitywithvaluescanalso prevent people from adoptingmore systematic circular economy practices. For example, theideaofsharingtoolsisseductive,butiftheconsumerfeelsisolatedwithinthelocalcommunityoralargernetwork,therecanbeagapbetweengoalsandactualbehaviour.

6.2. Leveragepoints

Nevertheless the experience of the French family mentioned above puts this obstacle intoperspective. Itwas not newhabits thatwere time-consuming, but the transition fromold to newhabits.53 In brief, the fact to change and deviate from established routines is costly not the newpractices the change leads to. The development of community level and internet based exchangeplatforms(forfreeornot)enabletheblossomofnumerousservicesthatcanhelpconsumerstosavetimeandsharetipsforeasingthistransitionperiod.

52http://www.envie.org/53ConferenceattheZeroWasteFestival,july2nd2016,Paris

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Thesharingeconomypracticesmentionedabovecantakeplaceinestablishedcommunities,but

also be the occasion to build new communities, sometimes virtual. More generally, the sense ofbelonging to a community of peers sharing the same values and habits when adopting circulareconomypracticesshouldbenefit fromthefact ithelpsmeetconsumerneeds.For instance, intheRethinkConsumptionstudy,31%ofconsumersindevelopedmarketssaidtheywouldpurchasemoregreen products if “it connected them to a community of peers who share their values andpriorities”54. Some brands acknowledge it and make sustainable consumption more personal andrelevant to consumers.Clothing retailerPatagoniaasks consumers tomatch itspledges to reduce,repair,reuse,recycleandre-imagineproductsbeforebuyingnewPatagoniaproductsandpromotesthecommunityofconsumersbackingthebrand.55

Finally,we also need rolemodels to inspire us andmotivate a changeof habits. ‘Influencers’couldbewell-knowncelebritiesvia themedia,butalso localpersonalitiesorevenrespectedpeersonemeetsandisinspiredby.Allhelpleveragenewsocialnorms.

7. Freezinghesitationandtrade-offs

7.1. Barrier

Finally,anotherobstacletoactionisthedifficultytotakepurchasingdecisionswhenconfrontedto a wide range of sustainable options. The perception of different possible directions to choosefrom,andthefactthattheycannotalwaysbeallcombinedtoofferaveryclearoptimalchoicecanhamper the decision to ‘change’. trade-offs between different circular economy dimensions andrelatedbehaviouraldirections.Indeeditmightnotbepossibletofindproductsorservicestickingalltheboxes(durability,cleanliness,reparabilityandlocalproduction)andtrade-offsmaybenecessary.Thetruthisthatsuchtrade-offsareofteninevitableandcanconfuseorevenblockconsumeraction,locking them to their entrenched habits. For instance, longer-lasting goods could be have toxiccomponents,oralocalproductcanbehardtorepairetc…Whichtochoose?

7.2. Leveragepoints

As suchhesitationsandneed to choseamongdifferentoptions cannotbeexcluded, itmaybemoreusefultorecogniseandaddressthem.Indeed,acceptingourlimitedknowledgeandchoosingthe best optionswe can identify should spur action. The circular economy is about renewing andenriching our experiences and a knowledge gap should not freeze people. Users’ feedback andranking (e.g tripadvisor platform), based on feelings and subjective appraisals are a main way toovercomesuchhesitation.Localsituation,lifestyleandpersonalexperiencemayalsodeterminetheconsumers primary concerns. For example, saving water may be of primary concern in areasthreatenedbydrought,whileitwouldappearsecondaryinregionswithwatersourcesandlakes.

54 Rethink Consumption, Consumers and the future of sustainability, BBMG,GlobeScan, SustainAbility, 2012p2655http://eu.patagonia.com/enGB/international

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In thisperspective, it is important toquestion the typeof informationavailable to consumers.Trustworthyinformationappearstobetheidealanswer,ashighlightedabove.Marketinghypeand‘greenwash’shouldbereplacedbyreliableandrobustscience-basedinformation.‘Aspirational’and‘practical’consumersegmentsdeclarethatalackofinformationisanobstacle.However,shouldwewait for perfect information? Work on lifecycle costs and footprint analysis, which are trying toembracethemanyenvironmentalimpactsaproductcanhave,areiconicexamplesofthisissue.Howshould we communicate the many human health and environmental dimensions of a product orservicetoconsumers?

While investigations continue on how to best convey multi-dimensional human health andenvironmental information of products to consumers,we should bear inmind that environmentalconsiderationsarenotthemaindrivertoadoptingnewconsumptionpatternsamongaspirationals,practicalsandoccasionalconsumersegmentswhomayconsiderprice,performances,convenience,brand values in priority. Accepting imperfect information, while acting with consciousness andresolutionmaybemoreeffectivethannotactingatall.Itmaywellbethatwefirstneedtomultiplytheopportunitiesofcircularconsumptionbeforetryingto‘rationalise’themfully.

In the current perspective of boosting circular economy consumption, addressing the risk ofparalysing hesitation in front of the many aspects to be considered and inviting to acting withimperfect knowledge should be preferred to delaying actions till when the full picture can begrasped.

8. Conclusiononbarriersandleveragepoints

Ifmoreconsumersaretoembracethecirculareconomy,overcomingtheseobstaclesisamust.Even for already convinced consumers, costs, availability, convenience, community belongings etc.areessentialfactors.56Thefollowingtablerecapitulatesthemainbarriersandleveragepoints:Barriers LeveragepointsCostandaffordability • Highlightinglifecyclecostsandexpectedlifespan

• Economic incentives to reward resource efficient products,including retailer rewarding voucher towards most sustainableproducts

• Grouppurchasingtodrivedownprices• Banning the worst products to avoid a ‘lowest common

denominator’situation• Extended warranties and after sales services to increase buyer

confidence.Availability • Multiplylocalcircularinitiativesandvirtualplatforms

• Choiceeditingandconsumernudgingbyretailers• Better promotion by public authorities and consumer groups of

goodpracticesandproducts• Consumersstartingtheirowninitiatives

Accessibility andconvenience

• Resourcesavingservices• Informationaboutplacesforrepair,reuse,buyinglocaletc.

56ConstraintstoResource-EfficientConsumerBehaviour,POLFREEPolicyBrief2,march2016

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Lackofinformation • Digitaltools• Thirdpartyverifiedlabelsandcertificationschemes

Fear of outdatedperformance, time torepair and not beingtrendy

• Ensure upgradability of products and availability of long termassistance/services

• Enhance trustworthy certification schemes for grantingperformancesofproducts

• Stipulatecontractualclauseswithregardrepairandreplacementofproducts,andusecourtesyschemes

• Warrantyforsecondhandgoods• Rebrandsecondhandasvintage

Psychological barriersandsocialnorms

• Acknowledge that shifting habits is time-costly and requiresengagement,andprovidesupportiveplatformstoeasethechange

• Buildnewcommunity/groupfeelingaroundCEconsumption(asforexamplethecommunityof‘makers’

• Enrolinfluencers’tohelppersuadepeoplePerception on trade-offs

• Accepting trade-offs and possible hesitations while encouragingconsumerstoactonimperfectinformation

• Make use of users feedback, evaluation and ranking digitalplatforms

• Continue exploring how to communicate multi-dimensionalinformation of products to consumers without freezing possibleactionstoday

Digitaltoolsasadrivingforcetowardscircularconsumption

As theEllenMacArthurFoundationstudy IntelligentAssets57,amongothers,puts it, theuseofthe internet and communication technologies can be an opportunity towards a more circulareconomicmodel.ICTmultipliestheopportunitiestogaininformationandtonetworkincommunities.Thereisagreatpossibilityofuptakeofcircularpatternsthroughdigitaltools,notablythrough“threemainintelligentassetvaluedrivers–knowledgeofthelocation,condition,andavailabilityofanasset.”58Digitaltoolsareplayingacrucialpartinthetransitiontowardsmorefreedomofchoiceandshiftingconsumption habits. Sharing platforms aremultiplying, it is easier to create community based oncommonvaluesor interests,toorganiseeventsetc... AstheEllenMacArthurstudyputsit,“digitaltools–suchasexchangeplatformsallowingmultipleusefullivesandembeddedproductinformation–becomeasimportantasphysicaltoolswhenitcomestodeterminingandsteeringassetflows.”59On theotherhand,more information isavailable,whilenotalways centralised,understandableorrelevant. Ithasbeenoftenstatedthatproliferationof informationandclaims iscounterproductive

57Intelligent Assets: Unlocking The Circular Economy Potential, Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2016 58Intelligent Assets: Unlocking The Circular Economy Potential, Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2016 59Intelligent Assets: Unlocking The Circular Economy Potential, Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2016

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and it appears useful to frame better how information on environmental and resources use areconveyed.Pairingacirculareconomyapproachwithsmartappliancesmakessense:Itinformshowtomake,useandreuseappliancesbyimprovingtheknowledgeoftheir“location,conditionandavailability”.Thefollowing points taken from the EllenMacArthur report suggest how smart, digital appliances canenhancethecirculareconomy:

• Feedbackinformationenablingcontinuousimprovementsofproductdesign;• Usageguidanceandintegratedwarning/preventionofpossiblebadbehaviourstoavoidearly

wearandfailuresofappliancesandfacilitatelongeruse;• Predictivemaintenanceandreplacementofcomponentspriortofailure;• Embedding information in products (e.g tagging) for decision-making on future potential

materialloops(e.g.whattoreuse,whattorecycle);• Enablinglocalisationofappliancesavailableforreuseorrecycling;• Optimisedrouteplanningforcustomerandrepairservices/endoflifelogistics;• Digitalmarketplaceforrefurbishedappliancesandspareparts.

Itis,however,worthbalancingtheadvantagesofconnectedappliances,enablingtheabove,andtheadditional resource and energy use burden associatedwith smart features. The internet of thingsshouldnotbecomeabarrier torepairandupgrade,byrequiringspecific remotediagnosis toolsordenying independent repair and maintenance organisations from servicing products, for instancethroughtherequirementofaccesscodesorthroughintegratedfeaturesblockingorhamperingtheproperfunctioningofproducts if theyhavebeenrepaired/modifiedby independentrepairer (error53case).

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CHAPTER 3 : EXEMPLARY APPLICATIONS IN DIFFERENT SECTORS

1. Appliances

Applianceshavebecomeessentialinoureverydaylife,butwhenweneedone,weshouldideallyaskourselvesafewquestions,suchas:Is itessentialformetobuyit?OrcanIborrowit,rentitorleaseit?Andifso,canIfinditsecond-handand,ifnot,whichappliancewilllastthelongest(onewithspare parts, non-destructive disassembly and maybe possibilities for upgrades)? Where was itproduced? Does it contain hazardous material? Is it made of recycled materials and is it itselfrecyclable?Weshould,whenpossible,avoidbuyingapplianceswhenwecan justenjoy their functionalityandavoid purchasing on impulse appliances that are not easily reparable (glued, spare parts notavailable)orupgradable.This stillhappens far toooften,notablywhenconsumersdonotwant toinvestalotonitemstheydonotintendtousealotorthatareneededquickly.Asfarastheappliancesthatwealreadyhaveareconcerned,wecantrytorentorlendthem,havethemupgradedandrepairedorevenrepairthemourselves.Whenwedon’tneedthemanymore,wecan sell, exchange or give them away.When nothing can be done to increase their lifetime, theyshouldberecycled.Thus,alotofpossibilitiesarealreadyavailabletoconsumers.

Tobeconcrete:insteadofbuyingappliancestousethemonlyoccasionally,consumerscanrentorborrow them from someone else, in a shop or from a company. In France, the SEB Group haslaunched an experiment “Eurêcook” near Dijon60, which rents kitchen appliances for a few daysguaranteeingqualityand cleanliness. It is tooearly todrawconclusions,but some itemsarequitepopularandthecompanyaimsistobe“pioneersinnewconsumptionpatterns”.AnotherinterestinginitiativeistheKitchenLibraryinToronto61wherememberscanborrowkitchenappliances.Finally,thesharingeconomyprovidessolutionsmainlyontheinternetingeneraloronspecialisedplatforms.

Therearealsodozensofpossibilitiestobuysecondhandinlocalshopsandontheinternet.Forinstance, at Envie - a French Federation of shops repairing and selling repaired electronic andelectricalappliancesunderwarranty-notonlyarethoseappliancesupto50%cheaper,buttheyalsocomewithapackageofsupportservices(1yearwarranty,deliveryandrepairingservices).Thishelpsaddress the trust obstacle to buying second hand goods. The federation and other actors of thereparationsectorinFranceareconsideringlaunchingarepairguarantee.

60http://www.groupeseb.com/sites/default/files/eurecook_dossier_de_presse.pdf61ShiftingMainstreamConsumptionPatternsaTowardsCircularEconomyTransition,KseniaBenifand,OCADUniversityToronto,Ontario,Canada,2015

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Repaired appliances are also sold in shops andworkshops in Italy such as Cooperativa Cauto62 inLombardia,whichrepairsandsellsappliancesintheirworkshopsandshops.

Cooperativa Insieme63 in Veneto is a social cooperative of 150 people, of which around 70 arepeoplewith physical, psychological or social impediments. They repair and sell appliances, amongothers, in shops andonline. They also give thousands of Vicenza’s families the possibility to leaveunusedordamagedsmallappliancesatdedicateddropoffpointstofixedbythecooperative.Moredeliveriesareforeseen.

SecondLife project64 is the largest initiative refurbishing and upgradingwhite goods in Italy, ‘fromdumpsitesbacktoshops’.Originallypart-fundedbytheEuropeanUnion,itdevelopedintoaregionalproject inMarche. IthasdirectcontractwithretailchainMediamarkt,pickingupelectronicwaste,fixingitandsellingitsecondhand.

Finally,consumerscanhaveappliancesrepairedbyprofessionalsordo it themselves. Inrecentyears, tutorial websites have begun teaching people how to fix appliances. They are eithercommercial, such as SOSAV65 and Spareka66, or collaborative web-based platforms likeCommentRéparer.com67, which counted 3.5million visitors in 2015. Finally, workshops and repaircafes68 are occasions to learn how to fix appliances from people willing to share their skills andexpertise.

62www.cauto.it 63http://www.insiemesociale.it/ 64http://secondlifeitalia.it/ 65https://www.sosav.fr/66http://www.spareka.fr/Asparepartsellerthatprovidesalsotutorialtohelpconsumersrepairing.67http://www.commentreparer.com/68https://repaircafe.org/en/

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2. InformationandCommunicationTechnologiesandsmartphones

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), particularly smartphones, tablets andcomputers, are ubiquitous in our daily lives. But we still have little information about theircomponents,whereandhowtheyareproducedandtheirreparabilityandupgradability.In2006,ithadbeenassessedthatFrenchconsumerschangesmartphoneonaverageevery20months69.Thisoverconsumptionleadstopressureonresources,notablyrareearths,especiallysincetheirrecyclingrateislow.

To help reach circular consumption patterns, we need longer lasting products and an end toplannedobsolescence.First,whenbuying,considerationshouldbemadetothereparabilityandupgradeabilityoftheitem.This should be for example made possible by preferring items with potential non-destructivedisassembly over items being glued, with welded parts or with proprietary screws (this can beassessed partially visually, or be investigated onwebsites, or simply be asked to the sales force).Additionally, attention should be paid the sustainability of the materials within the product forinstancetoxiccontents,useofrecycledmaterials,conflictfreeminerals…(itmaynotbeeasytogetinformationonthesustainabilityofmaterialshowever).

Thecrowd-fundedsocialenterpriseFairphone70isanexampleofadurablealternativeinthefieldofsmartphones.Thefirmfocusesonreparability,upgradabilityandsocialandenvironmentalimpactsandclaimsthat“thelifetimeofFairphonesisaround2.5timeshigherthanaveragephones.”71

Moreover, the market for reconditioned smartphones, computers and other ICT is bothattractive for the consumer, since prices are lower, and beneficial for the environment, since itextendsthelifetimeofproductsthatcausea lotofpollution. Inaddition,thefieldhas jobcreationpotential.

69 Observatoire sociétal du téléphone mobile AFOM / TNS SOFRES - 17 octobre 2006 http://www.tns-sofres.com/sites/default/files/171006_afom.pdf70https://www.fairphone.com/71 A Longer Lifetime for Products: Benefits for Consumers and Companies, Directorate-General for InternalPolicy,StudyforIMCOCommittee,2016,p31

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TheItaliancompanyExnoComputer72sellsreconditionedICTitems.Itreplacespartsthatcommonlyneedtobeupdated,replacingworncomponentsandfullytestingtheproduct73

Anotherpositivestepwouldbetorepairbrokeniteminsteadofgivingintomarketingpressurestochangeitforacheapbrandnewone.ThereareplentyofrepairshopsforcellphonesinItalyaswell as repair tutorials on the internet. Internet platforms, such as IFIXIT74, give advice to fixsmartphonesandotherICT.Theyalsooffertoolsandsparepartsforsale.

3. ClothesItremainsdifficulttoconsumeclothesresponsibly,becauseofthequickturnovertrendimposed

byfashionandlackofinformationaboutquality(e.g.amIpayingmorebecauseit’sbetterqualityorforthebrandreputation,advertisingcostsandmaximumprofits?).However,manyalternativesexistandtherearenumerousnewpossibilitiesforconsumerstofindclothesresponsibly.

First, people can look for long-lasting basic clothes instead of cheap low quality, ones.Informationaboutqualityoffibresanddesignisstillhardtofind,butsomebrandsarebetterthanothers. For instance, Patagonia75 makes long-lasting, environmentally friendly76 outdoor clothing,while Rapha77 does the same for bicycle clothing. They both offer durability guarantees, highstandardsofaftersalesservice(e.g.havingyourclothesrepairedforupto100years)andguidelinestohelprepairthemyourself.Morerecently,Loom78inFrancestartedsellingaffordable,long-lastingbasicmensware–‘lessbutbetter’istheirslogan-asopposedtotheconventionalfashionrequiringfrequentlychangingmodels.

Repairingclothesourselvesorhavethemrepairedinshopsareimportantpracticestopromotewithinthetextilesector.

The European Ecolabel assures consumers about sustainable textiles, ones with lowerenvironmental impacts throughout their lifecycle. Other labels, like GOTS Global Organic TextileStandard,arealsouseful.

Anotherpossibilitytoconsumeclothesinacircularwayistobuysecondhand.ThereareplentyofdedicatedfleamarketsinItaly.Besidesprotectingtheenvironment,itisawaytofindbargainsandhaveauniquestyle.Indeed,secondhandissynonymouswiththetrendforvintageclothes,ascanbeseenonthewebsiteFutureVintage.it79.Anotherexample isthesecondhandfair inPadova,partof

72http://www.exnovocomputer.it/pc/offerte/smartphone-ricondizionati.html73http://www.ebay.com/gds/What-is-Reconditioned-or-Refurbished-/10000000004614466/g.html?rmvSB=true74https://www.ifixit.com/75http://eu.patagonia.com/enIT/home76 « We use recycled polyester in many of our clothes and only organic, rather than pesticide-intensive, cotton (…). And our focus on making the best products possible has brought us success in the marketplace. »Patagonia website /Company info 77http://www.rapha.cc/fr/fr78https://www.loom.fr/79http://www.futurevintage.it/

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theregionalfestivalofreuse80.Itisalsopossibletoshopforsecondhandclothesonline,forinstancethroughthewebsiteRebelle.com81,wherepeoplecanbuyandsellhigh-qualitydesigneritems.

Clothesswapsarealsobecomingpopularandareaperfectwaytomakeroominourclosetsandstillbefashionable,orfindclothesforgrowingkids.Swappingeventsorwebsitesarealsoawaytoenlivensociallinksandcommunity.

Even for fashionistas, it is not necessary to have a closet full of infrequentlyworn clothes. AsKristyWieber, theco-founderofRentFrockRepeat first-of-its-kinddesignerdress rental service inCanada82,notes“fashion isn’t justaboutowning stuff: it’saboutwalking intoa roomknowingyoulook good”. In general, it is possible to rent clothes or borrow them from friends or even from aclothinglibrary.

Clothing libraries83 are an interesting example of new possibilities and larger freedom of choiceoffered to consumers from a circular economy perspective. The idea is simple. Like in a library,peoplepayamembership feeandcanborrowclothes fora fewdaysorweeks.Sometimes runbystudentassociations,thecommunityspiritcanbestrong.

4. Furniture

Furnitureshouldbetheiconicexampleoflong-lastinggoodswithheirloomstatus,butit isnot.Going circular in furniture remains largely an untapped potential. First, labels and certificationschemes such as ItalianNorms, EuropeanEcolabel and the FSC - Forest StewardshipCouncil - cangivean indicationof theoriginof thematerial, suchas thewoodusedtomakefurniture. It isalsoalwayspossibletocheckwherethepieceoffurniturewasmadethankstotheindication“Madein…”.

80http://festivalriuso.wix.com/201681https://www.rebelle.com/82 Quoted in Shifting Mainstream Consumption Patterns a Towards Circular Economy Transition, KseniaBenifand,OCADUniversityToronto,Ontario,Canada,201583ForexampleLenaLibraryinAmsterdamhttp://www.lena-library.com/english/

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ReMade in Italy Label84 is a certification scheme that focuses on local production from recycledmaterials. It is an interesting way of addressing the lack of information available for uncertifiedrecycledproducts.Consumers can prefer hazardous-free furniture and/or furniture partlymade fromwaste and bio-chemicals,insteadofthatmadewithhazardousornon-durablematerials.

PelleMela85isacompanyinAltoAdigemakinghighlyrealisticartificialleatherfromapplewasteandexportingittoChinafurniturecompanies.

Consumers can choose long-lasting furniture instead of bad quality furniture.Warranty periodgivesanindicationofexpectedlifetime.DadaKitchenprovides5yearwarranty,farmorethanthe2yearminimumEUwarranty.Theavailabilityofsparepartsisalsoawaytoensureagoodlifespan.Molteni&Cieensuressparepartsareavailable for10yearsafterapurchase ismade. It is safe toassumethatthefurnitureismorerobustandreparable.

Adaptiveandcombinablefurniturecanhelpmeetthechangingneedsanddesiresofconsumers,asopposedtorigiddesignandthinkingeachpieceoffurnitureinisolation.

84www.remadeinitaly.it 85http://www.passoninature.com/pellemela/?lang=en

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Valcucine-Meccanica86sellssturdy,‘modular’kitchenthatarebuiltandmadetobedisassembled,re-assembled,andmodified.Thekitchen furniture theyoffer canbeadapted in theirdimensionsandbuilt on so that the kitchen can be transformed without needing to change all pieces. Thus itovercomes one of the biggest problems in relocating kitchenswhen changing interiors ormovinghouse.

Finally,secondhandfurniturecanbecheaperandalwaysavoidsresourcedepletionandwaste.Websitesandsecondhandsshopsarefilledwithfurnitureofvariouscosts.

Repairing,restoringandpaintingoldfurnitureisalsofashionable,awaytohaveuniquefurniture

atareasonablecostsandavoidsbuyingnew.Moreover,aspartofthecirculareconomymovement,people are less and less stranded when it comes to fixing broken furniture. They can get adviceonline,butalsoinworkshopssuchastheMilanowoodopenworkshop87orFalegnameriaCuccagna88inLombardy,wherepeoplecanlearnhowtorepairandupgradetheirfurniture.

5. Food

Foodisanopportunityforconsumerstoexperiencethe‘getlocal’and‘getclean’principleswe

explainedabove,bychecking itsorigin,buying localandrelearningtheseasons, insteadofviewingfoodsimplyasafuel.Buyingcertifiedorganicfoodbyquicklycheckinglabels(asopposedtogreenmarketingclaims)isawaytoavoidtoxicchemicalsandsupportingsustainablefood.TheMSC(MarineStewardshipCouncil)labelisagoodexamplewhenbuyingseafood.

86http://www.valcucine.com/collezioni/meccanica/87http://www.giacimentiurbani.eu/88http://www.cuccagna.org/portal/IT/handle/?page=falegnameria-cuccagna

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Neighbourhoodinitiativeshavebeenmultiplyingoverthelast15years.Atthesametime,atrendofbuyinginbulk,andtherebyminimisingpackaging,isdeveloping.Initiativestoreducefoodwastearealso important from a circular economy perspective. For example, platforms like we Foodwe inBelgiumorLosespigoladorsinSpainenablethroughorganiseddonationoffarms/retail/restaurantssurplus to charity organisations taking care of vulnerable publics to feed people while avoidingwaste.

Consumershavemostoftentheoptiontobuyseasonallocalfoodinlocalshops/marketsinsteadof shopping everything in large supermarket chains on the outskirts of town. To promote thesepractices, some interesting initiatives are awarding citizens with discounts in local shops. Forinstance, the start-up Ecopunti89 enables citizens who recycle and/or perform a series of ‘goodactions’toclaimdiscountsinlocalshops.

PiazzaVersoRifiuti Zero90 in PiazzaArmerina promotes the sorting and reuse ofwaste.Materialsbrought by citizens are weighed and turned into points that can be exchanged for local qualityproducts,inlocalshops.

Positivecommunity initiativesaremultiplying.Forexample,collectivepurchasinghelpspeopleaccesslocal,goodqualityfood,whilesupportingorganicfarming.TherearehundredsofsuchgroupsinItaly,manybearingtheRESlogo,RetedeiDistrettidiEconomiaSolidale.RES91 is a network of community purchasing groups supplying vegetable boxes to homes. Oneexample is the local purchase group92 launched by the Legambiente group in Potenza. FamiliescoordinatedbyanNGOorder,asagrouppurchasing,organicfoodtolocalfarmersaccordingtothe‘fromfarmtofork’principle.89www.achabgroup.it 90https://www.facebook.com/piazzaversorifiutizero/?fref=ts 91http://www.economiasolidale.net/92http://www.ecolifestyles.eu/en/node/352

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Localgardensoftenassociatedwithneighbourhoodcompostingfacilitiestorecyclefoodwastearenowdevelopingandgrowinginnumber.One of the biggest projects of social gardening in Italy has developed in Pontecagnano. Aimed atempowering low income families to produce their own vegetables and build social bonds in atroubledneighbourhood.

Anotherusefulcirculareconomydevelopmentisthegrowthinbuyingfoodwithoutdisposablepackaging.Shopswhereconsumerscanbuyinbulkaremultiplying.Theyreducebothpackagingandfoodwaste by offering customers exactly the quantities needed. Franchising groups specialised inpackaging-free goods are also growing in number.Day byDay in France93 andNegozio Leggero inItaly94aregoodexamples.SuchshopsarebecomingmoreandmorepopularinotherpartsofItaly.Sometakecaretolabelproductsasorganicorlocal.NGOssuchastheZeroWasteEuropenetworkarealsocalling for thecomebackofdeposit schemes for reusablepackaging, suchasbottles.Suchschemes are beneficial both for the environment and economy, since consumers pay for thepackagingbutcangettheirdepositback,unlikewithdisposablepackaging.

NegozioLeggero95isoneofmanyretailfranchisessellingpackage-freegoods.Goodsaresoldinbulkandcustomersusetheirown(reusable)bagsorgetsomeintheshop.Savingsaredoneonprimarypackagingtraditionallyusedformanyproducts.

Theinternetisincreasinglybeingharnessedasapowerfulandexcitingtooltoreducefoodwaste.Mapping food is a great example, where food near its expiration date is flagged to a broadcommunity,facilitatingstrongsocial,environmentalandeconomicbenefitsatlittleornocost.Eventsarealsoorganised.

93http://daybyday-shop.com/94http://www.negozioleggero.it 95http://www.negozioleggero.it

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Cooperativa Cauto’s96 organises the last-minute sale of supermarket vegetables and other foodleftovers.ItalsodistributesthesetocharitycanteensinLombardy.

6. CleaningproductsCleaningproductsareexpensiveandcanbeharmfultotheenvironmentandourhealth.Itcanbe

difficulttochoosefromdozensoffancyproductsallclaimingtobeeitherthebest,thegreenestorboth.But consumers can rely on ecolabel schemes, testifying the product respects human health andenvironmentalstandards,aswellasproductssoldinconcentratedform.AsstatedintheCuttingtheCrapstudy97,concentrateddetergentsenableresourcesavingsintherangeof10-15percent,notablywithregardpackaging.Itshouldalsobekeptinmindthatsimple,multi-purposenon-toxicproductsareavailableinmostshopsandalreadyfrequentlyusedastheyareaseffectiveasothers.

Anotherpossibilitynowdevelopingistobuycleaningproductsinbulk,reusingoldcontainers(importanttoreusetheappropriatecontainertoconservetherightsafetyinformationincaseofanyincidentwiththeproduct)

96www.cauto.it 97 Cutting the Crap: How to Increase Resource Efficiency in the European Personal Care Retail Sector, Deutsche Umwelthilfe e.V. Environmental Action Germany, 2016

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Biolù98 is an Italian franchising group specialising in offering detergents in bulk and rechargeablecontainers, cutting on packaging, while still covering a large range of products. Interestingly theyhavenowdevelopedanassistanceserviceforshopswishingtooffercleaningproductsinsuchbulkandrechargeablecontainers.

Interestingly, there is a growing trend for people to learning how tomake cleaning productsthemselvesfromsimplebasicingredients.Theseareeffective,cheapandnon-toxic.

7. Toys

Toysareanimportantgatewaytothecirculareconomysinceparentsaresensitivetothehealthof their infants, which are more vulnerable to toxic compounds than adults, and yet often chewplasticstoys.Additionally,toysareoftenlockedawayinstorageoncechildrengrowup.

LabelsbytheFSCarerelevanttotoysmadefromwood,whiletheGOTS,OköTex,EcocertandMaxHavelaarapply to toysmade fromtextiles.All thosestandardscertify that thematerialsweregrownsustainably.Someofthemalsotestifythatdecentworkingconditionsweregranted,andthattoysaremadewithouttoxics.

Secondhandshopsorswappingwebsitesandeventsareagoodwaybothtofindtoysandclearoutunwantedones.

Sharing toys isa socialway toaccessexpensiveanddiverse toysat cheaper rates.This canbedoneatsharingeventsoronline.Onevirtualnon-profitcommunitytoshareobjectsisLaMaddalenaincentralGenoa99.Moretraditionally, it ismorecommontoborrowfromtoy libraries (ludoteche).AnothergoodexampleforleasingqualitytoysisthewebsiteAgainagain.beinBelgium.100

8. Leisureandothers

98www.biolu.it/ 99http://maddascambio.it/ 100www.againagain.be

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When it comes to leisure activities, the focus is on relaxing and concern for resourcesconservationandenvironmentalissuesmaybeleftbehind.However,goingtorestaurants,travelling,sportsandholidaysarealsooccasionstodeviatefromoldhabitstodiscoveralternativesandrenewleisureexperiencesenjoyingpossibilitiesalignedwiththecirculareconomy.

Firstofall,consumerscangetlong-lastingleisureequipmentandrepairthem.

Ciclo Officina Cicloriparo101 in Genoa is one of the many self-repair workshop present in Italiantowns,wherepeople can learn how to fix their bike insteadof buying a newone and getting themostoutofscrappartsrecoveredfromotherbikes.AnotherexampleistheUpcycleBikeCaféMilano102inLombardi,thefirstItalianBikecafé.Itisalwayspossibletobuyandsellsecondhandinregularshops,websitesoreventsorinspecialisedplaceslikeLaRecyclerieSportiveinParis,whichrepairsandsellssecondhandsportequipmentatgreatprices.Therearealsoalotofinitiativesinthefieldofbuyingexperiencesandservicesinsteadofthings.Forinstance,MakeItTravel103isaninterestingexampleofthesharingeconomyforleisureactivities.Itisaweb-basedcollaborativeplatform to rent travelequipmentbetween individuals. Itoptimises theuseofequipmentthroughrentingequipmentatcheaprates,whilecreatingacommunity linkedbysharedvalues.Morecommonarebikesharingschemessetupbymunicipalitiesinnumerouscities.Spinlister.comisagoodexampleofprivatebikessharing,involvingbothshopsandindividuals104.101http://cicloriparo.wordpress.net 102http://www.giacimentiurbani.eu/company/upcycle-milano-bike-cafe/ 103https://makeittravel.com/104https://www.spinlister.com/

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BikeSharingMilano105isthelargestcollectivebikeschemeofitskindinItaly.Localscanenjoybikesondemandinsteadofbuyingthem.Italsoprovidesanoriginalkids’bikesharingsystem.

Carpoolingorevenboatpoolingarealsonewpossibilitiesfortravelling.Theyconsistinofferingaplace in a ‘shared’ car or boat, often for a more attractive price than other transportationalternatives.Ontheonehand,itisawayforownerstorecoverpartofthecostslinkedtotravellingwiththeirownvehiclesandontheotherhandthecarorboatpoolercanenjoycheapertravel.

Finally,otherinitiativesgofurtherintheperspectiveofre-inventingleisureinamorehumanandenvironmentalway.

Il Barinetto106 is an illustration of innovative way of spending time off. This Bed and Breakfastenablespeopletogoonholiday inaveryeco-consciousplaceandofferingthepossibilitytobartersometimeand/orprofessionalismagainstanaccommodation,thuslimitingthetraditionalmonetarytransactions.Itisaimedatrediscoveringthetruevaluesofhospitality.

105https://www.bikemi.com/ 106www.ilbaronetto.it

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Thecirculareconomyrepresentsopportunitiesforconsumerstoembracecheaper,cleanerandmore satisfying practices instead of routine habits they are often locked into. However, thistransitionrequiresthesupportofdecisionmakersinordertoflourish.

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CONCLUSION: LEVERAGING ACTIONS BY NATIONAL AND LOCAL DECISION MAKERS

Consumersandbusinesses107arenottheonlyonesresponsibleforshiftingtoacirculareconomy;decision makers have a part to play, notably in terms of “empowerment of consumers to moveforwardaresource-efficientconsumption”108.Theycandesignpoliciestolimitnegativeimpacts(e.gbanthemostunsustainableproducts)andnurturethetransitiontomorecircularbehaviours,bothlocallyandnationally.

Wewill focusheremainlyondemandsidemeasures,butcomplementaryandessential supplysidepossibilitiesshouldnotbeneglected(mostofthetimeconsumersstillreacttowhat’sofferedtothem).

1. NationalandlocalawarenessBothnationalandlocalauthoritieshaveaparttoplayinraisingawarenessofthecirculareconomy.While‘peer-to-peer’information(=sharinginformationandexperiencesamongindividuals)iscrucialandsocialmediacanhelp,publicbodiesshouldhelpframethedebateintermsofterminology,focusand accuracy of information109. According to Ksenia, “the framing could be on cost savings andconveniencebenefitsinsteadoffocusingprimarilyonenvironmentalbenefits”110.Highlightingpositivealternativesisoftenmoreeffectivethantraditionalpublicinformationcampaignswithamoraltint.Theideaistomobiliseandeducatetofosterachangeincultureandsocialnormsandmainstreamcirculareconomybehaviours.

2. Nationaldecisionmakers

2.1. Economicincentivesforconsumers

Playing on fiscal and financial incentives appear a first promising route. Cost remains an

essentialpurchasedriver.Inordertobeeffective,fiscalandfinancialincentivesneedtobeperceivedassignificantenoughforconsumers.Costs can bemitigated, for instance through tax reductions for organic food or clean sustainableproductswhileadditional taxesor feesare leveredfordisposableproducts -wheretherearegood

107Seesecondreportonproductpolicy108 A Longer Lifetime for Products: Benefits for Consumers and Companies, Directorate-General for InternalPolicy,StudyforIMCOCommittee,2016p59109 A Longer Lifetime for Products: Benefits for Consumers and Companies, Directorate-General for InternalPolicy,StudyforIMCOCommittee,2016p59110ShiftingMainstreamConsumptionPatternsaTowardsCircularEconomyTransition,KseniaBenifand,OCADUniversityToronto,Ontario,Canada,2015p69

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alternatives, as well as non-reparable products, or hazardous containing products. Tax reductionscould also be introduced for repair, remanufacturing and refurbishment activities 111 or to rewardsmartfirmsthathaveinvestedinrepairableandupgradableproducts.

2.2. Product-designpolicy

Thoughproductpolicy isprimarilyaEuropeanpolicyaddressing singlemarketandwithagreatpotential todealwith supply issues,measures to counterplannedobsolescenceofproducts couldalso be defined at national level as a way to improve the availability of products built to last.Governments could for example set requirements to extend and communicate legal warrantyperiods,requiresparepartsavailabilityandfreecirculationofrepairinformation,andcreateawardsforproductswhosematerialsandcomponentscanbemoreeasilyreusedandrecycled.

2.3. Fostercirculareconomyconsumptionplaces

National decision makers can play a part in fostering both virtual and physical platforms forexchange, repair and sharing. A good example comes from the Italian authorities, which haverecently investigateda legalprovision requiringopeningandmakingavailablededicatedplaces forrepair,reuseandexchangeofitemsatmunicipallevel.

Onlineplatformscanalsobegivensupportbynationalauthorities,forexamplebysettingspecificnationalplatforms listingorganisations, local resourcesandplacesof interest for circulareconomypractices.Thismayhelpmobilisepeopleat local leveland triggernewprojects thatwouldbenefitfromassociatedvisibility.Repaircafésshouldalsogetlegalsupportrelatingtointellectualpropertyrightsandeasieraccess topublic research,developmentand innovation112according to theLongerLifetimeforProductsstudy.

2.4. Giveaccurateinformationaboutdifferentpossibilities

Another possible action can be to give accurate information to consumers about the differentpossibilities in a circular economymodel and support initiatives that provide information like thelabels. In thatmatter, ReMade in Italy Label113mentioned above is an interesting initiative. Moreobviousinformationschemesonreuse,recyclingandhazardouscontents(inlinkwithrequirementsofEUpolicywithregardswasteofelectricandelectronicequipmentor ‘righttoknow’principleofREACHpolicy)couldalsobeimplemented.Explorationforeffectivecommunicationofenvironmentalproperties of products could also be conducted although it is to bear inmind that environmentalmotivations may not be the primary ones to mobilise. At least some limitations to confusingproliferationclaimstowardsconsumerscouldbesetthroughrequiringrobustbackupevidencesandstopping the obvious ‘greenwashing’ advertising messages. Moreover proper implementation ofEuropean legislation on product design, labelling, like recent amendment on batteries should beensuredbynationaldecisionmakers.114

111 A Longer Lifetime for Products: Benefits for Consumers and Companies, Directorate-General for InternalPolicy,StudyforIMCOCommittee,2016p72112Idemp88113www.remadeinitaly.it 114 A Longer Lifetime forProducts:Benefits forConsumers andCompanies,Directorate-General for InternalPolicy,StudyforIMCOCommittee,2016,p51

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3. Localdecisionmakers

3.1. Createandsupportspacesforgoodsandserviceexchange

Local decision makers, such as city planners and local government officials, can create or

designate spaces for goodsand serviceexchange. Thesemayeventuallybe requiredbynationallaw.Temporaryorpermanentspacescouldfacilitateswapping,sharingorrepairing.Theycouldalsosupport events and organisations promoting reusable items, (from washable dishes to reusablenappies),andprovidevoucherstoincreaseuptakebypeople.Projectscanbecarriedoutbythelocalauthorities,whichcansetuptheirbikeorcarsharingsystem.Theycanalsopromotelibrarysystems(book,toys,toolsetc)whereawarenesseventscantakeplaceand information/advices provided. These projects can also be carried out by associations orcompanies, inwhichcasepublicsubsidiescanbeallocated,publicbuildingsprovidedforalowrentorarrangementsmadefortemporaryoccupationofpublicproperty.

Similarly,professionalandDo ItYourself repairworkshopscanbe initiatedor supportedby thelocalauthority.Theycanencourageandinvestinmorecommunitysharingschemes.AsunderlinedintheRethinkConsumptionstudy,consumersarealsocitizensandinterestedinsharingtheirideasandexperiencestoshapenewsolutions.115

“Milano Sharing City”116 is a municipal project to promote a sharing economy. It involves manystakeholdersinaconsultationforumtosettherulesforasharingeconomyintown.

3.2. Choiceediting&rewardschemesformorecirculargoodsLocalauthoritiescancooperatewithretailersinordertostepupdealers’effortstopromotecircularconsumption patterns through choice editing and consumer nudging. For instance, a certainproportionof ecolabelledproducts or products sold in bulk could be targetedover time and localawardsestablishedtoacknowledgethebestretailers.

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At the same time, local decision makers can encourage retailers to have fidelity and rewardschemes for more circular goods, such as the initiatives Ecopunti and Piazza Verso Rifiuti Zero,presentedinthesectiononfood.

Ecopunti117rewardscitizensin90Italianregionsfortaking‘goodactions’byawardingthemdiscountsin local shops. Points vary, with some focussing on reuse and recycling, while others encouragepositivecommunityactions,suchasgivingblood,hiringbooksfromthelocallibrary,volunteeringfora local charity,etc.Theschemesaresponsoredbyoneormoremunicipalities,orbya localwastemanagementcompany,aspartoftheircorporatesocialresponsibilitystrategyandtofosterpropersortingofwaste.

ThePiazzaVersoRifiutiZero118projectinthecityofPiazzaArmerinapromotesthevoluntarysortingofwaste.Collectedmaterialsareweighedforpointstobeexchangedforlocalproductsorservices.Theyarealsoactiveinenergyandwaterpolicy,andconsiderallofthemasresourcestobeusedwithcare.

4. Limitsandfurtherinvestigation117www.achabgroup.it 118https://www.facebook.com/piazzaversorifiutizero/?fref=ts

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Therearelimitstoapurelyconsumercentricpointofview.Stimulatingonlythedemandsidewilldefinitelynotbesufficientandsuccessful.Thedesiredshiftinconsumptionbehavioursneedstobecomplementedwithnewproductionandbusinessmodelswhichshouldbefurtherpromoted.

Circularconsumptionpatternsshouldalsotake intoaccountpossiblereboundeffects, inwhich

resource savings are offset by an increase of consumption, undermining the original purpose ofbehaviouralchange119.Therearenoclearlydefinedsolutionstoreboundeffect,butwecanimaginethatifsavingsmadethroughfirstbehaviourschangearere-investedincomplementaryactivitiesandconsumptionroutesalignedwithcirculareconomyapproaches,thisreboundeffectcouldhelpcreateavirtuouscircleandcontinuouslytriggernewinitiatives.

119 A Longer Lifetime for Products: Benefits for Consumers and Companies, Directorate-General for InternalPolicy,StudyforIMCOCommittee,2016,p60

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