Business models and product designs that prolong the lifetime of construction workwear: Success, failure and environmental impacts

• Published in: Resources, conservation and recycling conservation and recycling, 2024-07, Vol.206, p.107602, Article 107602
• Main Authors: Kambanou, Marianna Lena, Matschewsky, Johannes, Carlson, Annelie
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Circular business model; Circular economy; Clothes; LCA; Repair; Textiles
• ISSN: 0921-3449; 1879-0658; 1879-0658
• DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.107602

•There is an extremely limited understanding of the environmental impacts of workwear and how to mitigate them.•Novel insights on workwear consumption patterns as well as product designs and business models to prolong workwear life are created.•The business models for extending workwear lifetime led, based on LCA, to reduced environmental impacts but failed on the market. The product designs, however, were more successful.•We report on tested ways to reduce the environmental impacts of construction workwear while ensuring their economic viability.•Future research needs to investigate the necessary conditions for circular business models and product designs to succeed. The workwear market is growing, but ways to reduce its environmental impacts remain unexplored. We investigate product designs and business models that prolong the lifetime of construction workwear in the Swedish context. Lifecycle Assessments, user interviews, focus groups, user trials, user survey, provider interviews, and participatory workshops were combined to (i) understand the status quo of the workwear market, (ii) develop six product designs and business models for circular workwear, and (iii) assess and trial them in practice. This was done from a user, customer, provider, and environmental perspective. All product design and business model innovations (design for durability, design for repair, design for washing, repair-as-a-service, washing-and-repair-as-a-service, workwear-as-a-service) are expected to improve environmental performance, however, some approaches proved ineffective due to lacking user acceptance or economic viability. Insights into the workwear industry's status quo and entirely novel knowledge on workwear consumption, challenges, and opportunities for an extended workwear lifetime in a circular economy are reported.