REDUCE is a research project, led by Consumption Research Norway at OsloMetropolitan University, that will look at plastics in a systems perspective and investigate how the consumption of plastic products in everyday life can be reduced.
The project is an interdisciplinary collaboration between researchers from the fields of design, sociology and history as well as a number of companies and organizations. It is funded by the Research Council of Norway. We will focus on three consumption areas where a lot of plastic is used: hygiene products, leisure products and products related to childhood, such as toys.
As is well known, the plastic we use the most is made from non-renewable carbon resources associated with large greenhouse gas emissions – namely oil. In addition, very little of the plastic we use is currently recyclable. Some plastics leak harmful chemicals and microplastics, and litter the landscape and the sea – therefore we must reduce its consumption.
At the same time, plastic is a marvelous material that can be used for almost anything, shaped and colored in an infinity of possibilities. In some products, plastic is by far the most suitable material, and will continue to be so for some time to come, until we find an alternative that can match its properties. These are not the products that are focused on in REDUCE.
Rather, the emphasis is on products where there already exist alternatives or where they can be developed. By looking at plastic from different perspectives related to consumers’ everyday lives, political regulations and processes, and product development – the project aims to identify barriers and opportunities to reduce plastic consumption in the future.
REDUCE targets three consumption areas 1) hygiene, 2) leisure, and 3) childhood. Products widely consumed within these areas cause waste problems, GHG emissions, toxins, microplastics, and threats to wildlife when ending up in nature. Acknowledging these challenges, REDUCE will propose and explore political, social and industrial measures to enable reduced consumption of plastics.
The project will produce knowledge about:
- how political framework conditions affect plastic consumption
- how plastic products are part of consumers’ everyday lives
- how the role of plastic has developed historically and what it means for consumption today
- innovation opportunities through (re) design of systems, products and services, future scenarios and Designerly Living Labs
