Consumption of electrical and electronic products (e-products) in households is currently responsible for producing increasing amounts of hazardous waste, contributing to environmental degradation and increasing greenhouse gas emissions. While industries, NGOs, and governments have strongly promoted Circular Economic (CE) ideas and strategies, consumers have yet to embrace this on a large scale. Studies suggest that the problem is not only a lack of interest and motivation among citizens, but that consumption habits significantly depend on external factors, such as infrastructure and technology, institutions, which can create lock-in situations. The eLife project will address these challenges by studying how innovative companies that promote lending, repair and reuse of e-products in local communities can be driving forces for scaling up low-emission consumption of e-products. Four such initiatives, located in Oslo, Bodø, Hamar and Trondheim are studied in collaboration with local partners and actors. Through these studies, new knowledge will be developed on how local businesses can contribute to learning, knowledge sharing and involvement and thus broader transformations in the regime of e-product consumption. Data from the activities at the case sites are used to estimate climate and environmental impacts based on life cycle analyses. In close connection with the continuous studies of the activities in the case-sites, co-creation workshops will be used to find measures and strategies to guide a transition to a zero-emission system for the consumption of e-products. Based on all results, scenario techniques are used to outline pathways towards a circular economic model for e-products, and relevant policies and actions needed.
Consumption of electrical and electronic products (e-products) in households is currently responsible for producing increasing amounts hazardous e-waste, contributing to environmental degradation and growing GHG emissions. While industries, NGOs and governments have heavily promoted CE ideas and strategies, consumers have yet to embrace CE on a large scale. Studies suggest that the problem is not solely a lack of interest and motivation among citizens, but that consumption habits depend to a significant degree on external factors, such as infrastructure and technology, institutions, that can create lock-in situations. The eLife project will address these challenges by studying how emerging niche activities promoting lending, repair and reuse of e-products in local communities, can be driving forces for an upscaling of low-emission consumption of e-products. Four such initiatives are studied in collaboration with local partners and actors. Through these studies new knowledge will be developed on how local niches can contribute to learning, knowledge sharing and involvement and as such wider transformations in the regime for e-product consumption. Data from activities at the case sites is used to estimate climate and environmental impacts based on life-cycle assessment analyses. This is needed to create just assumptions and to quantify the impacts of changed consumer practices, which are to be used in later stages of the project. In close connection with the continuous studies of the niche cases, the transition arena method and the co-creation workshops will be applied to locate action and strategies to guide a transition to a zero-emission system for consumption of e-products. Based on these findings, backcasting scenario techniques are used to outline pathways toward a circular economic model for e-products, and relevant policies and action needed to reach desired outcomes are defined.