Website: Sustainability
Deadline for submissions: 31 December 2020.
Mass production and consumption based on virgin materials have been the mainstream practice for decades across industrialised nations. During this period, many useful skills of maintenance and repair have been lost with the rise of the consumer society, while planned premature obsolescence has become commonplace, leading to significant environmental impacts. Reducing the current unsustainable levels of resource consumption requires slowing and closing material cycles.
Upcycling—the creation or modification of a product from used or waste materials, components and products of equal or higher quality or value than their compositional elements—is a promising alternative to mass production and consumption based on the use of virgin materials (Singh et al., 2019). In theory, upcycling reduces waste and extends the lifetimes of products and materials, thereby increasing material efficiency and reducing energy consumption. It has the potential to create new employment opportunities, support a “prosumer” culture, and encourage sustainable consumer behaviour. However, despite the numerous anticipated benefits, upcycling remains a niche practice. There has been a growing academic and industrial interest in upcycling, particularly related to the emerging circular economy, but research in upcycling is still at an infant stage. The development of upcycling theory and practices is required if there is to be a transition in upcycling from niche to mainstream.
This Special Issue of Sustainability is seeking papers that enhance our understanding of upcycling as a design, production, or consumption practice in different socio-cultural contexts. We welcome articles disseminating high-quality research of: (a) conceptual studies; (b) empirical work including experimental studies, interviews and surveys; (c) best practice case studies; and (d) holistic reviews.
See the website for further details.
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