Woolume: Potential new products from vacant wool

Lisbeth Løvbak Berg on 24. januar 2022

Anna Schytte Sigaard, Lisbeth Løvbak Berg og Ingun Grimstad Klepp

Sammendrag

Denne rapporten gir en oversikt over markedet for ullprodukter med et potensiale til å bli laget av underutnyttet ull. Arbeidet er basert på en skrivebordsundersøkelse og intervjuer med produsenter og distributører, med fokus på ullprodukter og kvalitetene til disse. Rapporten er den andre leveransen i arbeidspakke 2 i WOOLUME prosjektet. Hovedmålet til WOOLUME er å utforske om ull fra polske fjellsauer kan bli brukt for å oppnå bedre ressursutnyttelse og verdiskapning. Produsentene som ble identifisert brukte ull i følgende kategorier produkter: dyrking, jordforbedring, isolasjon og personlig hygiene, så vel som andre nye og alternative ullprodukter. Funnene viser en rekke produkter som utnytter ullens mange ulike egenskaper, både de estetiske og tekniske. De viser også at ull har potensialet til å erstatte syntetiske materialer i flere bruksområder og dermed skape virkelig sirkulære produkter, såframt ullen er behandlet på en måte som bevarer dens biologiske nedbrytbarhet. Selv om merinoull dominerer markedet, utnytter flere produsenter andre kvaliteter og lokale raser og interessen for å bruke underutnyttet ull, ofte kastet fordi det anses kun å være et biprodukt av kjøtt-og melkeproduksjon, er voksende. Likevel er det videre muligheter for å optimalisere ressursutnyttelse ved å bruke underutnyttet ull, spesielt ikke spinnbar ull med høyere fibertykkelse, i produkter der hvor finheten og spinnbarheten til merinoull ikke er nødvendig.

Her kan du lese hele rapporten på engelsk (oslomet.no).

I renhetens tjeneste: Kjøkkenkluter i Norge 1860 og 1940

ingridha on 22. november 2021

Ingun Grimstad Klepp

Disktrasan på svensk, eller kjøkkenkluten på norsk, er en hardtarbeidende, mistrodd, misbrukt og oversett tjener i de tusen hjem. Å gjøre rent er, som vi har lært av Mary Douglas, å fjerne det som ikke hører
hjemme.1 Det vi bruker for å fjerne det som er på feil sted blir tilgriset. Ikke uten grunn at tørkerullen og engangskluter er populære. I dette kapittelet skal kluten løftes opp i forskningens lys. Jeg spør: Hvordan
har kjøkkenkluten bidratt til hevingen av standarder og praksis for renslighet i Norge? For å svare på det må jeg trekke inn hva vi vet om kjøkkenkluten og dens kulturhistorie.

Klikk her for å lese resten av kapittelet og se boka (kriterium.se).

Durable or cheap? Parents’ acquisition of children’s clothing

ingridha on 28. mai 2021

Ingun Grimstad Klepp & Vilde Haugrønning

Abstract

Parents are faced with a plurality of choices and concerns when it comes to the acquisition of clothing for their children. This paper explores how parents employ longevity in consumption of children’s clothing from a practice-oriented perspective. The material consists of 6 focus groups with 40 parents who have at least one child under the age of 18. The aim of the groups was to establish children’s clothing needs: how many they need of each garment, how long parents expect the garment to last and what they understand as quality in clothing.

The analysis shows that parents mainly opt for an ‘one or the other’ strategy; they choose what they understand as quality, often affiliated with specific brands, and accept paying more for the garment, or they mainly choose based on low prices, and expect less of the garment. Quality is evaluated based on the garments’ durability and function. More specifically, the parents measure the service lifetime of a garment based on the number of seasons it lasts, either in terms of wear and tear or the child growing out of it. The expected lifetime is defined by uncertain sources, from their own and friends’ experiences, and their desire to justify their own choices as well as routinised practices.

Our discussion section employs these findings and contextualise them within product lifetime discourses. By doing this, we provide knowledge about how quality is understood, and how brand and price are used as indicators. We show how lack of information about products, especially on garments, leads to uninformed consumption practices that have consequences for how quality and longevity are prioritised and understood.

PLATE-2021_Klepp-and-HaugronningDownload
PLATE-2021_Klepp-and-HaugronningDownload

Consumer practices for extending the social lifetimes of sofas and clothing

ingridha on 27. mai 2021

Vilde Haugrønning, Kirsi Laitala & Ingun Grimstad Klepp

Abstract

Consumers play an essential role in efforts to extend product lifetimes (PL) and consumers’ practices can determine how long and active lives products get. Applying the framework of Social Practice Theory, this paper argues that in order to suggest changes to how consumers can contribute to longer product lifespans, research needs to focus on consumer practices. The data material consists of 4 focus group interviews with 38 participants about household goods and 29 semi-structured interviews about clothing.

Previous research shows that consumers’ expectations of product lifetime has decreased, while satisfaction with products is relatively high, which may indicate that product break down and/or replacement is more accepted. Therefore, we argue, it is necessary to focus on social lifespans. Our findings show that products such as clothing and sofas often go out of use or are disposed of before their physical lifespan ends, and it is more common to donate or sell old clothing and sofas than buying the products second hand. There are a number of routinised practices, such as disposal of functional items, that are considered normal, which leads to less reflexivity of seemingly unsustainable practices.

The material in products, or the expectation to the material, is highly influential for practices that can extend the social lifespan, such as maintenance. We conclude that by understanding practices as integrated and influenced by elements of the material, social and cultural, policy interventions may have a greater impact on the social lifespan of products.

PLATE-2021_Haugronning-et-alDownload
PLATE-2021_Haugronning-et-alDownload

Naturgarvet skinn i et miljøperspektiv

ingridha on 20. mai 2021

Ingun Grimstad Klepp & Vilde Haugrønning

Sammendrag

Rapporten tar utgangspunkt i naturgarveriet Jutulskinn (nå ULU) og deres utvikling av en ny kolleksjon i form av friluftslivsklær i skinn og pels. Rapporten er en leveranse i et ‘forprosjekt for innovasjon’ finansiert av Norges Forskningsråd. Målet med dette prosjektet er å plassere Jutulskinns produkter inn i et miljøperspektiv ved å se på råvarer, alternative produkter og hvordan produktene kan minimere miljøbelastning gjennom å forlenge sosial levetid og planlegge for fremtidige reparasjoner, samt forbedringer under produksjon. Rapporten går gjennom flere aspekter rundt garving som håndverk og materialer og råvarer benyttet i produksjonen. Vi ser også på råvaretilgangen for pels og skinn i Norge og finner at det er stor tilgang på råvarer som huder og skinn. Hud og pels fra dyr som felles under jakt eller avlives av andre grunner blir i liten grad utnyttet. Basert på dette ser vi at det er behov for mer forskning om hvordan færre materialer og ressurser kan gå til spille og hvordan vi kan få en større utnyttelse av skinn og pels fra dyr i Norge. Dette krever også en diskusjon om lovverk som regulerer biprodukter og sidestrømmer. Vi konkluderer med at produktene til Jutulskinn har lav miljøbelastning og lavere enn produkter som det er naturlig å sammenligne med. Jutulskinn har mulighet for å bidra inn i en bærekraftig utvikling gjennom å være et eksempel på en bedrift som kan bidra til reorganisert og minsket forbruk og produksjon. Av de ulike miljøfortrinn nevnes at bedriften bruker flere lokale råvarer som ellers hadde gått til spille, at de ikke bruker farlige kjemikalier og et minimum av energi, og ikke minst at de representerer en motsetning til vekst og overproduksjon som er et stort problem med dagens klesproduksjon.

Klikk her for å lese hele rapporten (oda.oslomet.no)

Reducing environmental impacts from garments through best practice garment use and care, using the example of a Merino wool sweater

Lisbeth Løvbak Berg on 19. april 2021

Stephen G. Wiedemann, Leo Briggs, Quan V. Nguyen, Simon J. Clarke, Kirsi Laitala and Ingun G. Klepp

Abstract

Purpose

Garment production and use generate substantial environmental impacts, and the care and use are key determinants of cradle-to-grave impacts. The present study investigated the potential to reduce environmental impacts by applying best practices for garment care combined with increased garment use. A wool sweater is used as an example because wool garments have particular attributes that favour reduced environmental impacts in the use phase.

Methods

A cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment (LCA) was used to compare six plausible best and worst-case practice scenarios for use and care of a wool sweater, relative to current practices. These focussed on options available to consumers to reduce impacts, including reduced washing frequency, use of more efficient washing machines, reduced use of machine clothing dryers, garment reuse by multiple users, and increasing number of garment wears before disposal. A sixth scenario combined all options. Worst practices took the worst plausible alternative for each option investigated. Impacts were reported per wear in Western Europe for climate change, fossil energy demand, water stress and freshwater consumption.

Results and discussion

Washing less frequently reduced impacts by between 4 and 20%, while using more efficient washing machines at capacity reduced impacts by 1 to 6%, depending on the impact category. Reduced use of machine dryer reduced impacts by < 5% across all indicators. Reusing garments by multiple users increased life span and reduced impacts by 25–28% across all indicators. Increasing wears from 109 to 400 per garment lifespan had the largest effect, decreasing impacts by 60% to 68% depending on the impact category. Best practice care, where garment use was maximised and care practices focussed on the minimum practical requirements, resulted in a ~ 75% reduction in impacts across all indicators. Unsurprisingly, worst-case scenarios increased impacts dramatically: using the garment once before disposal increased GHG impacts over 100 times.

Conclusions

Wool sweaters have potential for long life and low environmental impact in use, but there are substantial differences between the best, current and worst-case scenarios. Detailed information about garment care and lifespans is needed to understand and reduce environmental impacts. Opportunities exist for consumers to rapidly and dramatically reduce these impacts. The fashion industry can facilitate this through garment design and marketing that promotes and enables long wear life and minimal care.

Click here to read the full article (springer.com).

Increasing repair of household appliances, mobile phones and clothing: Experiences from consumers and the repair industry

Lisbeth Løvbak Berg on 1. desember 2020

modell som viser hvordan vi reparerer vaskemaskiner i Norge

Kirsi Laitala, Ingun Grimstad Klepp, Vilde Haugrønning, Harald Throne-Holst & Pål Strandbakken

Abstract

Increasing product lifespans is one of the most effective environmental strategies and therefore repair is a part of the circular economy approach that aims to keep products and materials longer in use. This article explores drivers and barriers for repair from consumers’ and commercial repair actors view-points, in order to understand how the repair rates of household appliances, mobile phones and clothing could be increased.

The study is based on a consumer survey of 1196 respondents in Norway, and 15qualitative interviews with actors in the commercial repair industry working with repairs of household consumer goods. A surprisingly high share of repairs was conducted by consumers themselves. The main barrier is the consistently low price of new products, and often of poor quality, which contributes to low profitability in repair work for businesses and low motivation from consumers. Furthermore, access to competent personnel is a major challenge for the repair industry, a need which is expected to increase in the coming years.

Both the industry and consumers agree that better quality of products is a starting point for increased product lifespans, and this will also increase the motivation and the number of profitable repairs. These results have political implications on how to promote longer product lifespans through repair such as increased utilization and knowledge of consumers’ complaint and warranty rights.

Click here to read the full article (sciencedirect.com).

Global differences in consumer practices affect clothing lifespans

ingridha on 24. november 2020

Kirsi Laitala & Ingun Grimstad Klepp

Abstract

Most studies of clothing and related habits are carried out within a country. However, apparel production and sales are a highly globalized industry, with many of the same large chains operating worldwide. It is thus quite possible that the use of the same mass-produced clothing differs between various geographical areas. Based on a practice theoretical approach, we have studied differences in consumption, use and disposal of clothes in different countries that may affect the lifespan of apparel.

The paper is based on an international survey in five countries with large apparel markets: China, Germany, Japan, UK and the USA. 200 respondents from each country answered to a comprehensive web-based survey on their wardrobe content. We found differences in practices that could affect the lifespans of clothing in these five countries. At the same time, we find many similarities. For clothing acquisition, buying new items dominates in all the five markets, and washing machines contribute to the main chore of keeping clothes clean. Home production and second-hand clothes constitute a very small part of clothing consumption in all five countries. Many respondents showed low sewing skills, and repair activities were done irregularly. Thus, many of the challenges to increasing the lifespans of clothing are similar for all the five countries. At the same time, there are significant differences. These differences open up for the possibility to learn «best practice» by studying the countries and transferring knowledge between regions. When defining use phase in LCA and other sustainability tools, it must be taken into account that despite the fact that clothing is a global industry, consumption is part of local practice.

Click here to read the full article (researchgate.com)

What Affects Garment Lifespans? International Clothing Practices Based on a Wardrobe Survey in China, Germany, Japan, the UK, and the USA

Lisbeth Løvbak Berg on 3. november 2020

Kirsi Laitala and Ingun Grimstad Klepp

Abstract

Increasing the length of clothing lifespans is crucial for reducing the total environmental impacts. This article discusses which factors contribute to the length of garment lifespans by studying how long garments are used, how many times they are worn, and by how many users. The analysis is based on quantitative wardrobe survey data from China, Germany, Japan, the UK, and the USA. Variables were divided into four blocks related respectively to the garment, user, garment use, and clothing practices, and used in two hierarchical multiple regressions and two binary logistic regressions.

The models explain between 11% and 43% of the variation in clothing lifespans. The garment use block was most indicative for the number of wears, while garment related properties contribute most to variation in the number of users. For lifespans measured in years, all four aspects were almost equally important. Some aspects that affect the lifespans of clothing cannot be easily changed (e.g., the consumer’s income, nationality, and age) but they can be used to identify where different measures can have the largest benefits. Several of the other conditions that affect lifespans can be changed (e.g., garment price and attitudes towards fashion) through quality management, marketing strategies, information, and improved consumer policies.

Click here to read the full article (mdpi.com).