Every year 11 million tons of food waste is generated in Germany. The average period of use amounts to two years. These examples seem to shed a harsh light on the "disposable culture". How can we meet the complex waste problem? Do consumers bear the sole responsibility for this development or do producers have an interest in the waste? Are consumers not only obliged to buy new products, but urged to do so by planned obsolescence and a repair-unfriendly design? In this publication "Wrap it up and throw away?", renowned researchers devote themselves to these issues of consumer product waste.
Further articles analyze and discuss the following:
- the change of meaning of things in the consumer society
- the influencing factors on the discrepancy between attitude and behavior on the example of consumer goods
- the usage patterns and consumers' reasons for the replacement of consumer goods
- the challenges of new consumption and usage forms for consumer protection
With articles from:
- Philip Heldt (Consumer Association NRW)
- Prof. Dr. Thomas Heun (University of Applied Sciences Rhein-Waal)
- Dr. Renate Hübner (Alpen-Adria-Association, Klagenfurt)
- Martin Klug (Consumer Association NRW)
- Helena M. Lischka (Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf)
- Miriam Rusch-Rodosthenous (Consumer Association NRW)
- Nina Tröger (Vienna Chamber of Labor)
- Prof. Dr. Stefan Wahlen (Wageningen University & Research)
- Harald Wieser (University of Manchester)
Link to publication