Household niche experimentation in sustainability transitions and everyday life: A novel framework with evidence from low-waste living in Melbourne

• Sustainability transitions research and policy treat households in a narrow way. • A new conceptual model for deliberate household experimentation is presented. • Households appreciate the opportunity to experiment. • Households find low-waste living very difficult. • Future research and policy should explore the model in more domains and territories. Sustainability transitions research and policy treat households and the home in a narrow way. The paper reviews niche-based experimentation and social-practice theory informed sustainability transitions literature to develop a novel framework for deliberate household experimentation. The usefulness of the framework is explored in an action research project on low-waste living in Melbourne. Data was collected through interviews, weekly self-reports and three participatory workshops. The research confirms the usefulness of the framework and offers reflections on deliberate household experimentation. The conclusion is that similar to other niche spaces, household niches are instrumental in demonstrating, learning about, advocating for and critiquing different aspects of sustainability transitions. But in contrast to other niche spaces, households are deeply embedded in the everyday life of what matters to people. If the transition to low-waste living is to be successful, it needs to be planned from the perspective of everyday household life.