The anatomy of sustainable domestic laundering behaviour
Licentiatavhandling, 2021

Today’s washing appliances are much more efficient than those of a decade ago, yet the environmental benefits of this efficiency are counteracted by changes in consumer behaviour. This thesis presents two alternative ways to limit emissions from domestic laundering, as well as to better understand consumer behaviour related to the practice of keeping clothes clean. More specifically, it examines the potential for shared systems (which are common in Sweden) and finds that this setup could reduce climate impacts by at least 26%. Concerning behaviour, the results presented acknowledge that any final laundering practice is influenced by an intricate interaction between technology, social conventions, and individual concerns. Three overarching principles can be identified using current research literature concerning domestic laundry:

1. Technology changes laundry conventions, while social context dictates market acceptance of new cleaning technology.
2. Technological solutions are often suggested to influence laundry behaviour, but individual concerns seem to override the effect of the interventions.
3. Consumer laundry practices are guided by social conventions that are also rooted in intrapersonal dynamics.

Hopefully these principles (as well as the detailed results from the LCA model) could be used to better understand the possibilities and limitations of domestic laundering, and guide any future interventions aiming for a more sustainable society.

interdisciplinary

contemporary

consumer psychology

laundry

behavioural change

sharing

Opponent: Anne-Charlotte Hanning, RISE IVF

Författare

Erik Klint

Chalmers, Teknikens ekonomi och organisation, Environmental Systems Analysis

Sharing is caring - the importance of capital goods when assessing environmental impacts from private and shared laundry systems in Sweden

International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment,; Vol. 26(2021)p. 1085-1099

Artikel i vetenskaplig tidskrift

Klint, E., Johansson L-O., Peters, G. Triangulating Consumer Behaviour Related to Domestic Laundering – An Interdisciplinary Mapping Review

Drivkrafter

Hållbar utveckling

Ämneskategorier

Tvärvetenskapliga studier

Ekonomisk geografi

Miljöledning

Infrastruktur

HSB living lab

Utgivare

Chalmers

Online

Opponent: Anne-Charlotte Hanning, RISE IVF

Mer information

Senast uppdaterat

2021-05-21