Sustainable design takes into account environmental, economic and social impacts enacted throughout the product lifecycle. Design for Sustainable Behaviour (DfSB) is an emerging activity under the banner of sustainable design which aims to reduce products' environmental and social impact by moderating how users interact with them.This paper presents the results of research investigating the application of Design for Sustainable Behaviour in two product case studies, one examining social impacts of mobile phones and the other environmental impacts of household refrigerators. It analyses selected behaviour models from social-psychological theories and highlights the barriers to sustainable consumption. A model is developed to illustrate the factors stimulating changes in behaviour, and design intervention strategies are highlighted and their application within Design for Sustainable Behaviour discussed.The two case studies are used to illustrate how Design for Sustainable Behaviour could be applied ...

Hibernation, the dead storage period when a mobile phone is still retained by the user at its end-of-life, is both a common and a significant barrier to the effective flow of time-sensitive stock value within a circular economic model. In this paper we present the findings of a survey of 181 mobile phone owners, aged between 18-25years old, living and studying in the UK, which explored mobile phone ownership, reasons for hibernation, and replacement motives. This paper also outlines and implements a novel mechanism for quantifying the mean hibernation period based on the survey findings. The results show that only 33.70% of previously owned mobile phones were returned back into the system. The average duration of ownership of mobile phones kept and still in hibernation was 4years 11months, with average use and hibernation durations of 1year 11months, and 3years respectively; on average, mobile phones that are kept by the user are hibernated for longer than they are ever actually used as primary devices. The results also indicate that mobile phone replacement is driven primarily by physical (technological, functional and absolute) obsolescence, with economic obsolescence, partly in response to the notion of being 'due an upgrade', also featuring significantly. We also identify in this paper the concept of a secondary phone, a recently replaced phone that holds a different function for the user than their primary phone but is still valued and intentionally retained by the user, and which, we conclude, should be accounted for in any reverse logistics strategy.

Food waste is emerging as a global issue and has been recognised in the Sustainable Development Goals with a specific target to halve per capita global food waste at consumer levels and reduce food losses by 2030. Research on food waste has been neglected particularly in the aviation sector. The International Air Transport Association reported that 5.7 million tonnes of cabin waste was generated on airlines, up to 80.5% of which was leftover food and beverages. The exploration of passengers’ food wasting aims to provide insights for tackling the airline food waste problem. To address this issue, this research investigated the in-flight catering experience of 19 passengers from 21 full-service flights. Qualitative research techniques have been applied to analyse passengers’ food-wasting behaviour by collecting participant-produced photographs and completed questionnaires concerning food-related behaviour. This research identified key factors associated with passengers’ food wasting behaviour by adopting Design for Sustainable Behaviour approaches. Four types of factors were found to influence onboard passenger waste, these were normative, habitual, intentional and situational factors. This research indicates that behavioural change interventions need to incorporate the power of social norms to prevent food waste.

Traditional research into sustainable design has typically focused on reducing the environmental impact of products during the manufacture and disposal stages of a products' lifecycle. The last decade, however, has seen an explosion of research into understanding and moderating user behaviour during the use phase of a products' lifecycle; often the most resource-intensive phase. One of the biggest factors that affects behaviour is a users cultural context; however, the effect of cultural context on design for sustainable behaviour has had little exploration in this relatively new research field. In this article the findings from in-depth qualitative research with middle-income households in Brazil, India and the UK are presented with respect to laundry behaviours. Laundry was chosen as the study topic as it is one of the world's most widespread household chores with significant resource implications. The results reveal the vast differences in laundry behaviours between the regions and the implications this has for designers looking to create new products for sustainable behaviour. Finally, changes to current theoretical models of the laundry routine and the design implications of cultural context are discussed using established cultural tools, such as Hofstede's cultural dimensions.

This paper introduces a real-world, case study application of a Design for Sustainable Behaviour (DfSB) process model and associated evaluation criteria towards the collection of single use cups for recycling at x. It concludes that strategy selection criteria need to be contextualised to ensure meaning and relevance; that framing criteria as prompting questions encourages discussion and reflection, and that engagement with multiple stakeholders when selecting strategies is vital. It also underlines the importance of ethical considerations when implementing behaviour change interventions within the public domain, and mindfulness of potential ‘rebound effects’.

The rapid advancement of technology, coupled with global digitalisation and the growing demand for innovative consumer electronics, has led to a dramatic increase in the production and consumption of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE). This trend has raised significant concerns regarding the sustainability of EEE usage, particularly in terms of their obsolescence, disposal, and environmental impact. Addressing these concerns, this study surveyed 600 undergraduate students, who reported on 14 different types of EEE, to explore the reasons for obsolescence (RQ1), the most common methods of managing obsolete devices based on their types (RQ2), and students’ awareness of alternative waste management methods (RQ3). Results were reported using frequencies and percentages. Findings reveal that obsolescence is mainly driven by “broken beyond repair,” “worn-out technology,” “outdated technology,” and “lack of required functions,” indicating that absolute and technical obsolescence are the primary factors. The most common way of dealing with obsolete devices is to “keep it” across all device types, with “throwing away” emerging as another frequent method for electrical devices. More than half of the students are aware of accessible alternatives, such as “online sales” and “charity donations,” though irregular or infrequent options tend to have lower awareness levels. This study highlights the behavioural trends and gaps in awareness among students regarding EEE obsolescence and disposal, emphasising the importance of promoting sustainable practices and raising awareness about accessible waste management alternatives.