Repair and maintenance in Australian households: what drives this critical consumption work in the circular economy?

Repair and maintenance of household goods facilitate longer product use lives. These activities can be considered forms of consumption work that may be critical for the realisation of the circular economy but lack visibility and the attribution of value (Hobson et al, 2021). We draw on findings of a survey of 2,717 households across Australia in which respondents were asked about their practices of maintaining and repairing three types of products: (1) clothing and accessories; (2) furniture and homewares; and (3) appliances and white goods. The analysis offers insights into socio-demographic patterning of households most and least likely to repair and maintain the different product types. Life stage, gender and income are particularly significant for household repair and maintenance practices. These patterns may be best explained in terms of economic capacity, necessity, and availability of time, skills and space. The dynamic between environmental, social and economic motivations for repair and maintenance may be fluid and there is evidence of a value–action gap. We argue that a strong foundation exists for household-scale consumer-driven practices that could be supported to complement parallel transitions in production systems towards product design for repairability and longevity, in line with circular economy principles. We reflect on the implications for changing social norms and practices as part of a societal scale transition towards more sustainable forms of material use, and position repair and maintenance within the social dimensions of a circular economy transition, particularly in relation to debates around green growth and degrowth.