Consuming responsibly: Prioritising responsible consumption behaviours in Australia

Abstract

Human behaviour is at the centre of unsustainable consumption and production. Responsible consumption behaviours must therefore be at the centre of the solution. However, because it is inefficient for policymakers and practitioners, and ineffective for users, to attempt to target all responsible consumption behaviours simultaneously in a given initiative, some form of prioritisation is necessary. Through a combination of collaborative workshops and surveys with key stakeholders, this study applied established methods of prioritisation to identify a ‘long list’ of 84 responsible consumption behaviours across three material streams – fashion, electronics and furniture. The ‘long list’ was then taken to a prioritisation summit with government, academic, business, and community stakeholders. The behaviours were rated against explicit prioritisation criteria related to likelihood of adoption, timing, impact and potential system reach. This yielded a final ‘short list’ of seven prioritised behaviours, including a mixture of achievable consumer behaviours that can be realised in the short-term, as well as larger-scale and longer-term manufacturer- and government-related behaviours supporting fundamental design and policy shifts. By drawing on the collective knowledge and expertise of academic and non-academic experts, the study identified and prioritised behaviours to reduce material resource consumption in Australia that are impactful and transformative, while also being practical and realistic to implement.