Jessika Richter
Associate senior lecturer
A Multilevel Circular Economy Repair Society Model: Understanding system-wide implications of normalized product repair from the perspective of the Product User
Author
Summary, in English
Initiatives to upscale repair activities are becoming increasingly common, with the latest
being the EU commission’s proposal to strengthen consumers’ right to repair. However, these
initiatives are not viewed comprehensively, particularly not for how they impact the product user’s
experience of the repair process, and what type of repair conditions would emerge once fully
implemented. This gap exists despite the fundamental need to improve the product user's experience
of repair to normalize repair. Repair upscale initiatives must be understood from the perspective of a
wider repair system.
In this paper, we introduce a multilevel system model as a tool for capturing the wider repair system
for how it impacts the product user; the experience of normalized repair is conceptualized as
consisting of various transaction costs, risks and benefits - both in terms of finite resource
expenditures, emotional and cognitive responses - what matters for the experience to be
overarchingly positive. A two-fold modeling approach is employed; first, we look at the repair systems
from a strict resource management perspective (i.e., material, physical flows in the repair process) -
the objective reality. Then, on top of this perspective, the “product user experience” of these repair
flows is added, capturing the subjective experience and how the solutions to bringing the desired
repair flows about can create vastly different conditions for product users.
This model allows for systematic discerning and capturing of the comprehensive implications of higher
system level processes for the individual product user.
being the EU commission’s proposal to strengthen consumers’ right to repair. However, these
initiatives are not viewed comprehensively, particularly not for how they impact the product user’s
experience of the repair process, and what type of repair conditions would emerge once fully
implemented. This gap exists despite the fundamental need to improve the product user's experience
of repair to normalize repair. Repair upscale initiatives must be understood from the perspective of a
wider repair system.
In this paper, we introduce a multilevel system model as a tool for capturing the wider repair system
for how it impacts the product user; the experience of normalized repair is conceptualized as
consisting of various transaction costs, risks and benefits - both in terms of finite resource
expenditures, emotional and cognitive responses - what matters for the experience to be
overarchingly positive. A two-fold modeling approach is employed; first, we look at the repair systems
from a strict resource management perspective (i.e., material, physical flows in the repair process) -
the objective reality. Then, on top of this perspective, the “product user experience” of these repair
flows is added, capturing the subjective experience and how the solutions to bringing the desired
repair flows about can create vastly different conditions for product users.
This model allows for systematic discerning and capturing of the comprehensive implications of higher
system level processes for the individual product user.
Department/s
- The International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics
Publishing year
2023
Language
English
Pages
1041-1050
Publication/Series
PROCEEDINGS 5th PLATE Conference
Document type
Conference paper
Topic
- Environmental Engineering
Conference name
5th Conference on Product Lifetimes and the Environment (PLATE)
Conference date
2023-05-31 - 2023-06-02
Conference place
Espoo, Finland
Status
Published
Project
- Mapping out and overcoming barriers for circular products: the policy context for corporations that want to “go circular”
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISBN: 978-952-64-1367-9