Zero waste for all? : Sustainable practices in a small-scale zero waste community from a universal design perspective
Fagerholm, Anna-Sara LU ; Haller, Henrik ; Warell, Anders LU and Hedvall, Per-Olof LU
(2025)
In Sustainability
17(09).
- Abstract
- Since 2003, Kamikatsu in Japan has established a sustainable zero-waste practice that has achieved a recycling rate exceeding 80%. By exploring how the community has shaped itself around the zero-waste concept, this paper aims to enhance our understanding of zero waste in practice from a universal design perspective. Interviews and photo documentation were used to gather data. The zero-waste concept was not driven by technical solutions. Instead, the results highlight what initiatives contributed to the design of the zero-waste concept. Key themes presented include fostering a lifestyle shift, changing norms, creating co-located experiences, establishing an incentive system, and developing self-awareness routines. The paper also addresses... (More)
- Since 2003, Kamikatsu in Japan has established a sustainable zero-waste practice that has achieved a recycling rate exceeding 80%. By exploring how the community has shaped itself around the zero-waste concept, this paper aims to enhance our understanding of zero waste in practice from a universal design perspective. Interviews and photo documentation were used to gather data. The zero-waste concept was not driven by technical solutions. Instead, the results highlight what initiatives contributed to the design of the zero-waste concept. Key themes presented include fostering a lifestyle shift, changing norms, creating co-located experiences, establishing an incentive system, and developing self-awareness routines. The paper also addresses the challenges and opportunities from a universal design perspective when applying zero waste, emphasizing the importance of designing for diverse needs while promoting long-term environmental sustainability. This research contributes to the understanding of zero waste practices, combining the ecological dimension with the social dimension of sustainable development. (Less)
- Abstract (Swedish)
- Since 2003, Kamikatsu in Japan has established a sustainable zero-waste practice that has achieved a recycling rate exceeding 80%. By exploring how the community has shaped itself around the zero-waste concept, this paper aims to enhance our understanding of zero waste in practice from a universal design perspective. Interviews and photo documentation were used to gather data. The zero-waste concept was not driven by technical solutions. Instead, the results highlight what initiatives contributed to the design of the zero-waste concept. Key themes presented include fostering a lifestyle shift, changing norms, creating co-located experiences, establishing an incentive system, and developing self-awareness routines. The paper also addresses... (More)
- Since 2003, Kamikatsu in Japan has established a sustainable zero-waste practice that has achieved a recycling rate exceeding 80%. By exploring how the community has shaped itself around the zero-waste concept, this paper aims to enhance our understanding of zero waste in practice from a universal design perspective. Interviews and photo documentation were used to gather data. The zero-waste concept was not driven by technical solutions. Instead, the results highlight what initiatives contributed to the design of the zero-waste concept. Key themes presented include fostering a lifestyle shift, changing norms, creating co-located experiences, establishing an incentive system, and developing self-awareness routines. The paper also addresses the challenges and opportunities from a universal design perspective when applying zero waste, emphasizing the importance of designing for diverse needs while promoting long-term environmental sustainability. This research contributes to the understanding of zero waste practices, combining the ecological dimension with the social dimension of sustainable development. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/72f8b570-a1db-4254-ac58-44560a7332a2
- author
- Fagerholm, Anna-Sara
LU
; Haller, Henrik
; Warell, Anders
LU
and Hedvall, Per-Olof
LU
- contributor
- Boström, Donald
- organization
- publishing date
- 2025-05-06
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Zero waste, Universal Design, Community of practice, Circular design
- in
- Sustainability
- volume
- 17
- issue
- 09
- article number
- 4092
- pages
- 20 pages
- publisher
- MDPI AG
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:105004899211
- ISSN
- 2071-1050
- DOI
- 10.3390/su17094092
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- additional info
- The authors thank the study participants for sharing their insights and the reviewers for their valuable comments. Also, special thanks to Donald Boström for his field study expertise and professional support in photo documentation.
- id
- 72f8b570-a1db-4254-ac58-44560a7332a2
- date added to LUP
- 2025-05-19 14:10:53
- date last changed
- 2025-05-20 17:26:19
@article{72f8b570-a1db-4254-ac58-44560a7332a2,
abstract = {{Since 2003, Kamikatsu in Japan has established a sustainable zero-waste practice that has achieved a recycling rate exceeding 80%. By exploring how the community has shaped itself around the zero-waste concept, this paper aims to enhance our understanding of zero waste in practice from a universal design perspective. Interviews and photo documentation were used to gather data. The zero-waste concept was not driven by technical solutions. Instead, the results highlight what initiatives contributed to the design of the zero-waste concept. Key themes presented include fostering a lifestyle shift, changing norms, creating co-located experiences, establishing an incentive system, and developing self-awareness routines. The paper also addresses the challenges and opportunities from a universal design perspective when applying zero waste, emphasizing the importance of designing for diverse needs while promoting long-term environmental sustainability. This research contributes to the understanding of zero waste practices, combining the ecological dimension with the social dimension of sustainable development.}},
author = {{Fagerholm, Anna-Sara and Haller, Henrik and Warell, Anders and Hedvall, Per-Olof}},
issn = {{2071-1050}},
keywords = {{Zero waste; Universal Design; Community of practice; Circular design}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{05}},
number = {{09}},
publisher = {{MDPI AG}},
series = {{Sustainability}},
title = {{Zero waste for all? : Sustainable practices in a small-scale zero waste community from a universal design perspective}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su17094092}},
doi = {{10.3390/su17094092}},
volume = {{17}},
year = {{2025}},
}