Prospects and Challenges for Disseminating Life Cycle Thinking towards Environmental Conscious Behaviors in Daily Lives

Kazutoshi Tsuda, Keishiro Hara and Michinori Uwasu
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Kazutoshi Tsuda: School/Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamada-oka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
Keishiro Hara: Center for Environmental Innovation Design for Sustainability (CEIDS), Osaka University, 2-1 Yamada-oka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
Michinori Uwasu: Center for Environmental Innovation Design for Sustainability (CEIDS), Osaka University, 2-1 Yamada-oka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan

Sustainability, 2013, vol. 5, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: We examined the existing practices of various media to ascertain the usability of information based on life cycle thinking (LCT) which can be key to changing consciousness and behavior of consumers towards pursuing a sustainable society . Such information has been provided to consumers in various forms in various places at various times. Nevertheless, a number of issues, such as understandability , selectability, reliability, transparency, and costs etc ., must still be addressed before consumers will be able to use such information as guidelines for pro-environmental behaviors in their everyday life. Further, it is also of critical importance that the consumers can culture LCT by encouraging themselves to be actively engaged in the design and evaluation processes of the upstream of productions and in the entire product life cycle. Another crucial challenge is finding ways to connect LCT with, not just product selection or designing and manufacturing, but lifestyle transformation. We need to encourage ourselves and others to think about what a sustainable life really means.

Keywords: life cycle thinking; environmental conscious behavior; consumer; visualization; personal fabrication (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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