Chap 3: Sustainable Consumption Patterns and Lifestyles

Question 1

What influences most the subjective well.-being of a person?

Answer 1

Mostly partner/spouse and family relationships up too 47%

Question 2

What is the ecological footprint?

Answer 2

It is a measure of how fast we consume resources and generate waste compared to how fast nature can absorb our waste and generate new resources.

Question 3

When was the last time when the total world footprint required exactly the biocapacity of 1 planet?

Answer 3

1970 according to Global Footprint Network

Question 4

How does the Ecological footpring of Germany and its Biocapacity look like?

Answer 4

Nooot Gooood!

Question 5

How do Sustainability and Happiness correlate? Draw it in a Causal loop diagram

Answer 5

Question 6

How do we move towards sustainable lifestyles & consumption patterns?

Answer 6

• Cohesive and responsive marketplace
• Better products and services
• Enlightened consumers
• Maximized total value
• New measures

Question 7

How could we develop our value chains more sustainable?

Answer 7

From linear model to circular model to sustainable value net, where there are no longer up- and down streams, but a network of interactions and value exchanges. The concepts of production and consumption become increasingly blurred.

Question 8

Apart from the mainstream solutions based on individual/relieving products what are the scenarios for sustainable living?

Answer 8

• Quick: based on advanced public services offering carefree standard sustainable solutions. it addresses people who want to solve a problem quickly, with as little effort as possible, and who are prepared to accept limited variety and customization.
• Slow: based on quality-oriented systems enabling amateurs to learn and evolve towards qualitative results. This addresses people who are prepared to bring their personal abilities into play and to commit to the necessary time and attention to achieve a high level of quality.
• CO-OP: based on collaborative networks of people offering each other mutual help. For people who require personal commitment and a spirit of enterprise and organizational capacity.

Question 9

Define collaborative consumption:

Answer 9

“Collaborative consumption describes the shift in consumer values from ownership to access.“

Question 10

What shaped collaborative consumption to your opinion?

Answer 10

1. Renewed belief in communities
2. A torrent peer-to-peer social networks and real-time technologies
3. Pressing unresolved environmental concerns
4. Global Recession that shocked consumer behavior

–> From consumer to collaborator!

Question 11

Types of Collaborative Consumption?

Answer 11

1. Redistribution markets: the 5Rs: Reduce-Reuse-Recycle- Repair and Redistribute ( swaptree.com)

2. Collaborative lifestyles: Sharing of resources like money, skills, time: co-working, couch-surfing, landshare ( free landowner + grower)

3. Product service systems: Pay for the benefit of the product without needing owning the product ( Power drill is used on average 12 -13 min in the entire lifetime xD, car-sharing)–> Acess is better than ownership!

Question 12

Examples in Germany of collaborative consumption?

Answer 12

• Useley, foodsharing
• Evolution of the automobile market: car owenership–> car sharing –> Ride sharing –> P2P Car rental
• drivy.com

Question 13

What is downshifting?

Answer 13

Downshifting involves a change in lifestyle and consumption patterns that exchange a relatively high paid/ highly pressured career and a relatively high-spending/ consumption-intensive lifestyle for an occupation that is lower paid/ lower stress but more rewarding, and shifting to a lower level of material consumption but a higher level of quality of life and personal satisfaction.

Question 14

What are eco-villages? and what transformed values are brought with this concept?

Answer 14

“Human-scale, full-featured settlements in which human activities are harmlessly integrated into the natural world in a way that is supportive of healthy human development and can be successfully continued into the indefinite future.”

Transformation of Values:

• Delinking growth from well-being
• Reconnecting people with the place they live
• Affirming indigenous values and practices
• Holistic and experiential educational ethic

Question 15

What is lovos?

Answer 15

It is the most advanced form of sustainable consumption:
“A lifestyle that minimizes consumption and the pursuit of wealth and material goods. Individuals choose voluntary simplicity in order to attain a simpler but more meaningful life.”

Question 16

Who are voluntary simplifiers? what is generally the profile of a voluntary simplifier?

Answer 16

Individuals who have freely chosen a frugal, anticonsumer lifestyle. They choose to limit expenditures on consuming goods and services and to cultivate non-materialistic sources of satisfaction and meaning.

–>Values : Material simplicity, Human scale, Self-determination, Ecological awareness, Personal growth

• Highly educated
• Well paid individuals
• Often working in the service sector
• Increase life satisfaction
• Tired of the pressure to consume
• Environmental concerns

Question 17

What is lohas?

Answer 17

“Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS) describes an estimated $290 billion U.S. marketplace for goods and services focused on health, the environment, social justice, personal development and sustainable living.”

Question 18

How does the LOHAS Segmentation Model look like?

Answer 18

5 TYPES

Question 19

What are the 5 steps through which a LOHAS product go through before turning into a mainstream product?

Answer 19

1. Awareness
2. Trial
3. Adoption
4. Loyalty
5. Influence

Question 20

To what category of consumer of these groups you think you belong to?

Answer 20

Are you happy with this?