Evidencing the materiality of Product-Service Systems (PSS) with the Waste Hierarchy Model Hervé Corvellec (presenter) Lund University & Herman Stål Umeå University International Conference on Business, Policy and Sustainability, Copenhagen Business School (CBS), June 16-17, 2016
PSS as instances of servitization / dematerialization Different levels of servitization / dematerialization? Product-oriented services Use-oriented services Results-oriented services (Tukker 2004) Our argument: Dematerialization is conditional upon a system s waste effect
Waste in the PSS literature PSS implies shifts in consumer and producer practice regarding collection and disposal of waste (e.g., Mont, 2002; Vezzoli et al., 2015). Waste management sometimes mentioned Waste collection (Bartolomeo et al., 2003) Recycling (Mont et al., 2006) Reuse (Gelbmann and Hammerl, 2015) But waste is implied rather than systematically adressed in PSS literature
Bringing forth the waste effect Massive production of waste: Household waste: 2 billion tonnes / year Industrial waste: 10 billion tonnes / year Developed world accounts for 50 % Major impact on Public health Environment Resource use Equivocal, contextual and transient qualification
The EU Waste Hierarchy Waste is both an object of discarding and a potential resource Waste hierarchy: operational tool to assess and develop waste policy
A selection of PSS in Nordic Fashion Boomerang H&M Indiska Nudie Filippa K Clothes libray UFD (Uniform For the Dedicated) Vigga Night out in town
A variety of services Rent or lease In store take-back systems Rag bags Repair Reuse: Sold as charity Sold as vintage Sold as used textiles/fibers Recycling Textiles Fibers
Case: Filippa K In store take back system Curate wardrobe Short-term lease Care advice and products Sold as vintage (own shop) Given to charity - Sold as clothes - Recycled Prevent waste - Frugal consumption - Care Recycled - progressive downcycling Product PSS Use PPS Aspire to result PSS
Differenciated waste effects Depend on the service offering Conditioned on consumer participation Depend on design, techniques, partners and waste infrastructures Valuation practices Impact on locus of production or of consumption Energy or material
Ordering PSS with the Waste Hierarchy Model
Three precautions Same garment can pass through PSS multiple times Rebound effects: corporate strategy consumer behavior Unaccounted upstream effects
Main findings No correspondence between type of PSS and the system s waste effect Waste effects depend on the relationships between the business model and the waste regime Services are not intangible per se
Thank you for your attention Herve.Corvellec@ism.lu.se Herman.Stal@umu.se
Appendix: PSS sample Company Activity Type of waste treatment Type of PSS Boomerang In store take back system Sold as vintage in-house Sold as home textile Given to charity - Sold as clothes - Recycled Collection textiles / Re-cycling clothes Re-cycling (progressive down-cycling) Product PSS H&M In store take back system Collaboration with I:CO - Sold as clothes - Use to produce other products (e.g., cleaning clothes) - Recycled fibers Even: Use recycled fibers Collection Re-cycling Re-cycle Re-cycle (purchasing side loop 2) Product PSS (Not PSS) Indiska In store take back system Given to charity - Sold as vintage in-house - Sold as clothes - Recycled Collection Re-cycling (progressive down-cycling) Product PSS Nudie In store take back system Repair Resale as vintage (in house) Occasional recycling (one-off collections) Collection Prevent Recycle Product PSS Filippa K In store take back system Curate wardrobe Short-term lease Collection Prevent (frugal consumption) Aspire to result PSS Use PPS Develop and offer fabric care advice and products Sold as vintage Given to charity - Sold as clothes - Recycled Prevent Recycled (progressive down-cycling) Product PSS Clothes libraries Rent Use PSS UFD Rag bag (surface mail) Short-term lease Even: Use recycled fibers Collection Re-cycle (purchasing side loop 2) Use PSS (No PSS) Vigga Arrange and rent clothing packages Recycle worn textiles Recycle Result PSS Night out on town Arrange and lease (one event) outfits Result PSS