How Our Love for Possessions Impacts Sustainability
By CORNELL UNIVERSITY
Custom
sneakers, vintage dishware, and limited-edition cars are all examples of
products that owners may consider special and irreplaceable, leading to strong
feelings of attachment.
From
a sustainability perspective, designers have traditionally viewed attachment as
positive, as it leads people to retain products they care about for longer
periods, reducing consumption and waste sent to landfills.
New Cornell University research
provides a more nuanced understanding, showing that product attachment can also
unintentionally encourage less sustainable behavior. To prevent damage or loss,
people may limit the use of their most prized possessions – preserving shoes in
a box, dishes as decorations, or a car in storage – and buy additional, less
meaningful goods for practical daily purposes.
“The goal has been to get people to hold on to products longer, which was seen as inherently more sustainable,” said Michael Kowalski, a doctoral researcher in the field of human-centered design with a background as an industrial product designer. “But that’s not always the case if people aren’t actually using these things.”
Kowalski
is the lead author of a recent article published in the International Journal of Design. Co-author Jay Yoon,
assistant professor in the Department of Human Centered Design in the College
of Human Ecology, and director of the Meta Design and Technology Lab, is the
adviser to the research.
The
research seeks to inform designers about the multiple factors driving product
attachment and which could be tapped to encourage a product’s active use for as
long as possible – consistent with sustainability goals – and avoid continued
redundant consumption.
That’s
important because Americans, on average, now throw out seven times more durable
goods (meant to last at least three years) than they did in 1960, according to
the research. Meanwhile, the average new U.S. home, the main location where
these increasing numbers of products are used, stored, or thrown away, has
grown by 1,000 square feet over the past 40 years.
“Perceived
irreplaceability as a factor of attachment has been designers’ gold standard,
but it turns out addressing it does not guarantee a product’s impact is going
to be sustainable, if people are so attached to it that they don’t dare to use
it, instead storing it away,” Yoon said. “We need to give more attention to
other factors in this relationship.”
Kowalski
began to explore those factors after designing and building a wooden dining
table for a family member. As referenced in the research article’s title, her
seemingly paradoxical response upon receiving the completed piece was, “I love
it, I’ll never use it.”
Seeking
to better understand that outcome, Kowalski interviewed individuals of varying
demographics in their homes about the products they felt attached to and why,
and which of those items they actually used or didn’t use. The more than 100
objects discussed included a dresser admired for its craftsmanship, bowls that
had belonged to grandparents, and a stuffed animal invested with childhood
memories.
Two
cars illustrated how attachment could inspire either active or passive product
use. One owner adored a car – nicknamed Stella – that was reliable and capable
in extreme weather, providing the joy of adventure-filled driving experiences.
Another similarly loved a special-edition convertible that they stored in a
garage and drove rarely, using other cars for daily transportation.
Kowalski
and Yoon identified seven key factors influencing product attachment, including
aesthetic qualities, durability, performance, and the memories and emotions
invoked. Through an online survey of more than 220 participants, they further
analyzed how those factors differently affect attachment and long-term usage.
Perceptions
of irreplaceability, they determined, did the most to foster product
attachment, yet also led to less sustainable behaviors. Products that were
durable, resistant to obsolescence, and pleasing got more use, while those
associated with meaningful memories and sentimental emotions got less.
The
researchers said the findings highlight opportunities for designers to
prioritize products that people both want to keep and engage with – because
they are well made, enjoyable, and age gracefully. On the other hand, products
valued as unique and irreplaceable may inadvertently promote less sustainable
consumption. That means designs emphasizing limited releases, personalization,
and beautiful-but-scarce materials should be considered with caution.
“Creating
a sense that something is one-of-a-kind increases attachment but decreases
actual use of a product,” Kowalski said. “Designers need to be mindful of
consumers’ psychological and emotional experience in addition to their
practical needs to promote sustainable consumption in the long run.”
Reference:
“I Love It, I’ll Never Use It: Exploring Factors of Product Attachment and
Their Effects on Sustainable Product Usage Behavior” by Michael C. Kowalski and
JungKyoon Yoon, 31 December 2022, International Journal of Design.
DOI: 10.57698/v16i3.03
The
study was funded by the National Science Foundation and the Department of Human
Centered Design.