Emma Johnson
Doctoral student
Product-service systems and sustainability : Analysing the environmental impacts of rental clothing
Author
Summary, in English
Business models like product-service systems (PSSs) often recognise different sustainability goals and are seen as solutions for the impacts of consumption and fast fashion, but there is a lack of evidence supporting the environmental claims of such business models for clothing. The research aimed to understand if rental clothing business models such as PSSs have the environmental benefits often purported by quantifying the environmental impacts of rental formal dresses in a life-cycle assessment (LCA) in a case study in Stockholm, Sweden. The effects of varying consumer behaviour on the potential impact of a PSS vs. linear business model are explored through three functional units and 14 consumption scenarios. How users decide to engage with clothing PSSs dictates the environmental savings potential that a PSS can have, as shown in how many times consumers wear garments, how they use rental to substitute their purchasing or use needs, as well as how consumers travel to rental store locations.
Department/s
- The International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics
Publishing year
2021
Language
English
Publication/Series
Sustainability (Switzerland)
Volume
13
Issue
4
Document type
Journal article
Publisher
MDPI AG
Topic
- Business Administration
Keywords
- Consumer behaviour
- Environmental impact
- Life cycle assessment
- Product-service system
- Rental clothing
- Sustainable business model
Status
Published
Project
- Resource-Efficient and Effective Solutions based on Circular Economy Thinking - Phase 2
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISSN: 2071-1050