Do users have the ability to self-repair non-complex electrical appliances? Design and development of a self-guided workshop with repair documentation in different formats

In the context of the circular economy, repair is one of the main strategies to extend the lifespan of products. However, when it comes to non-complex and inexpensive small household electric and electronic equipment (EEE), consumers tend to not repair or self-repair these items but purchase new ones instead. The aim of this study is to analyse the self-repair experience of consumers in a three-stage self-guided workshop designed and carried out using an electric water kettle as a case study. Sixty people with different profiles participated in the self-guided workshop. An initial interview was conducted to ascertain previous repair experience, and there was also a final interview in which future willingness to repair was studied, as well as the motivations and barriers. The main stage of the self-guided workshop consisted of repairing a kettle in which two faults had been induced. Disassembly and repair guidelines were provided in three different formats (a video, step-by-step instructions and a guide). Regarding their preferences for the resource used to carry out the repair, 61.4 % preferred the video, 24.6 % the step-by-step instructions and 14.0 % the guide. The participants who successfully repaired the kettle amounted to 63.2 %, and 24.6 % of the total number of participants did not use the repair instructions. An analysis of the variable “repair success” against participants’ socioeconomic characteristics showed that having previous experience of self-repair or not was the only statistically significant variable; therefore, self-reported repair experience does influence the disassembly process. Thus, the repair success rate is 40.4 % for those with previous self-repair experience against a rate of 22.8 % for those without experience. In conclusion, con- sumers will attempt self-repair if the information to do so is provided and it is more affordable to repair the product than to purchase a new one

Influence of Temperature on Post-Breakage Behaviour of Laminated Glass Beams : Experimental Approach

The assessment of the post-breakage performances of laminated glass elementsused in construction need to take into account the sensitivity to the temperature ofthe mechanical behaviour and properties of the product, in particular of theinterlayer material. A general problem statement and an overview of differentexperimental approaches are firstly presented. Then results of specific orientationtests on pre-cracked laminated glass beams with a stiff interlayer of DuPont carriedat three different temperatures (23, 45 and 60°C) are presented and commented. Acomparison of the mechanical behaviour at the different temperatures is done,aiming to give a comprehensive order of magnitude of the sensitivity totemperature of the post-breakage behaviour observed during the tests

Consumer attitude towards the repair and the second-hand purchase of small consumer electronics

Comunicación presentada en el 21st International Congress on Project Management and Engineering CIDIP 2017(Cádiz, 12th - 14th July 2017).This study present the results from a survey aimed to identify current habits and practices towards the repair and second-hand purchase of small consumer electronics which are commonly used in households. To this end, a survey was designed and conducted with a representative sample size of 400 individuals through telephone interviews for the following categories: MP3/MP4, video camera, photo camera, mobile phone, tablet, e-book, laptop, external hard drive, navigator-GPS, radio/radio alarm clock. Aspects evaluated were related to the identification of the most frequent equipments in households and their use, and consumer habits about their replacement, repair or second-hand purchase. The obtained answers were statistically analyzed.Este estudio presenta los resultados obtenidos de una encuesta diseñada para identificar los actuales hábitos de los consumidores hacia la reparación y compra de segunda mano de pequeños aparatos de electrónica de consumo habituales en los hogares. Para ello, se diseñó y pasó una encuesta a un tamaño de muestra representativo de 400 individuos, a través de entrevistas telefónicas realizadas sobre las siguientes categorías: MP3/MP4, cámara de vídeo, cámara de fotos, teléfono móvil, tableta, e-book, ordenador portátil, disco duro externo, navegador-GPS y radio/radio despertador. Se analizaron aspectos relativos a la identificación de los equipos más frecuentes en los hogares y su uso, y los hábitos de los consumidores hacia su reemplazo, reparación o compra de segunda mano. Las respuestas obtenidas se analizaron estadísticamente

Use of 137 Cs isotopic technique in soil erosion studies in Central Greece

The 137Cs technique was used to study soil erosion and deposition rates in soils in the Viotia prefecture, central Greece. Three sites with different soil types were selected and studied. Soils were sampled along transects and analyzed for 137Cs. The main goal of this field investigation was to study the 137Cs 3-D distribution pattern within key sites and to apply this information for the assessment of soil redistribution. The erosion and deposition rates were estimated using the proportional and the simplified mass balance models (Walling and He, 1997). Erosion and deposition rates predicted through the spatial distribution of 137Cs depended on the location of the profile studied in the landscape and were determined by the soil plough depth, the soil structure (bulk density), and the calibration model used to conve rt soil 137Cs measurements to estimates of soil redistribution rates. Estimated erosion rates for the Mouriki area site, varied from 16.62 to 102.56 t ha-1 y-1 for the top of the slope soil profile and from 5.37 to 25.68 t ha-1 y-1 for the middle of the slope soil profile. The deposition rates varied from 7.26 to 42.95 t ha-1 y-1 for the bottom of the slope soil profile

Use of 137 Cs isotopic technique in soil erosion studies in Central Greece

The 137Cs technique was used to study soil erosion and deposition rates in soils in the Viotia prefecture, central Greece. Three sites with different soil types were selected and studied. Soils were sampled along transects and analyzed for 137Cs. The main goal of this field investigation was to study the 137Cs 3-D distribution pattern within key sites and to apply this information for the assessment of soil redistribution. The erosion and deposition rates were estimated using the proportional and the simplified mass balance models (Walling and He, 1997). Erosion and deposition rates predicted through the spatial distribution of 137Cs depended on the location of the profile studied in the landscape and were determined by the soil plough depth, the soil structure (bulk density), and the calibration model used to conve rt soil 137Cs measurements to estimates of soil redistribution rates. Estimated erosion rates for the Mouriki area site, varied from 16.62 to 102.56 t ha-1 y-1 for the top of the slope soil profile and from 5.37 to 25.68 t ha-1 y-1 for the middle of the slope soil profile. The deposition rates varied from 7.26 to 42.95 t ha-1 y-1 for the bottom of the slope soil profile

Incorporation of Circular Aspects into Product Design and Labelling: Consumer Preferences

The transition to a circular economy requires a fundamental change in products and the way they meet consumer demands. In this context, the aim of this article is to analyse the level of importance that consumers attach to the fact that circular aspects were incorporated into a product design and to the need to communicate them on the product labelling. The aspects analysed in this study are related to durability, repairability, recycled material content, low environmental impact, fair working conditions and origin. To this end, a survey was designed and conducted with a representative sample. It was found that Spanish consumers are concerned mainly about fair working conditions during the product manufacturing and the durability of the products. A high degree of congruence was found between the level of importance attached to incorporating each aspect into the product design and including this information in the product labelling. In addition, multinomial regression models are applied to identify the consumer profiles (gender, age, household size, level of education, household income) that are more or less prone to prefer products that incorporate these aspects into their design and labelling. Household size and gender are the socio-economic variables that most affect consumer preferences

Labeling of products from a circular economy perspective

Comunicació presentada al XXII Congreso Internacional de Dirección e Ingeniería de Proyectos. CIDIP 2018 (Madrid, 11-13 de Julio 2018)Recently, European legislation encourages the design of products considering the principles of circular economy. For this, it is necessary that requirements related to this concep, such as durability, reparability, updating, disassembly and the ease of reuse and recycling, are taken into account during the product design process. However, consumers are who play an important role in the demand of product incorporating these requirements. But to be able to identify these products and to recognize the specific requirements included in them, it is necessary that there is an effective communication of them through the labeling of the product. The objective of this study is to identify the icons that consumers best associate with the design requirements demande for a "circular product". To fulfil this aim, existing icons have been selected and new icons have been designed for each circular requirements rel. After a feedback selection process, 5 icons have been chosen for each of the requirements, which have been analyzed by a representative sample of consumers, in order to select the icon that best represents and communicates each "circular" requirement.Recientemente, la legislación a nivel europeo fomenta el diseño de productos considerando los principios de economía circular. Para ello, es necesario que requisitos relacionados con este concepto, como durabilidad, reparabilidad, actualización, desensamblabilidad y la facilidad de reutilización y reciclaje, se consideren durante el proceso de diseño del producto. Sin embargo, son los consumidores los que juegan un papel importante a la hora de demandar productos que incorporen dichos requisitos. Pero para poder identificar a estos productos y reconocer los requisitos específicos que incorporan, es necesario que exista una comunicación efectiva de ellos a través del etiquetado del producto. el objetivo de esta comunicación es identificar los iconos que mejor asocian e identifican los consumidores con los diferentes requisitos de diseño que debe satisfacer un “producto circular”. Para ello, se han seleccionado iconos existentes y se han diseñado iconos propios que pueden vincularse con los requisitos relacionados con la economía circular. Tras un proceso de selección, se han elegido 5 iconos para cada uno de los requisitos, que han sido analizados por una muestra representativa de consumidores, con el fin de seleccionar el icono que mejor representa y comunica cada requisito “circular”

Comunicación gráfica de la sostenibilidad en las empresas: análisis a partir de memorias corporativas

Ponència presentada al XXIII Congreso Internacional de Dirección e Ingeniería de Proyectos Málaga, del 10 al 12 de juliol de 2019The sustainability report is the main tool that an organization can use to voluntarily communicate to stakeholders, clear and standardized information related to their environmental, social and economic performance. The use of graphic communication to transmit this information visually is present in most of the sustainability reports. However, until now there is no common framework that establishes the way to communicate this information in a common and efficient way. The objective of this study is to analyse the way in which companies currently communicate graphically sustainability information and identify patterns related to: the use of icons, types of graphics to communicate the evolution / comparison of indicators, scales, colours, fonts, etc. The results of the study will allow to know the current situation, determining if there are common elements of graphic communication between companies and their characteristics. From this, it will be possible to make a proposal of a reference framework or guidelines that allows companies to communicate their sustainability in a common way in order to facilitate their interpretation and understanding.La memoria o informe de sostenibilidad es la principal herramienta que tiene una organización para comunicar voluntariamente a todas las partes interesadas, información clara y estandarizada relacionada con su desempeño ambiental, social y económico. El uso de la comunicación gráfica para transmitir esta información de manera visual está presente en la mayor parte de las memorias o informes de sostenibilidad. Sin embargo, hasta el momento no se dispone de un marco común que establezca el modo de comunicar esta información de forma uniforme y eficiente. El objetivo de este estudio es analizar el modo en el que las empresas actualmente comunican de forma gráfica información sobre sostenibilidad e identificar patrones relacionados con: el uso de iconos, tipos de gráficos para comunicar la evolución/comparación de indicadores, escalas, colores, tipografías, etc. Los resultados del estudio permitirán conocer la situación actual, determinando si existen elementos comunes de comunicación gráfica entre las empresas y qué características presentan. A partir de ello, será posible hacer una propuesta de un marco de referencia o directrices que permita a las empresas comunicar su sostenibilidad de forma común con el fin de facilitar su interpretación y comprensión

Repairability of small electrical and electronic equipment by the user: workshop design and pilot test

Proceedings from the 26 th International Congress on Project Management and Engineering (Terrassa, July 2022) Comunicaciones presentadas al XXVI Congreso Internacional de Dirección e Ingeniería de Proyectos, celebrado del 5 al 8 de julio de 2022, coorganizado por la Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC).At the European level, the "New Circular Economy Action Plan" promotes the design of sustainable products that are easy to repair and reuse. In addition, the "Right to Repair" promotes extending the useful life of products through cost-effective and attractive systematic repairs for consumers. For the time being, efforts are directed towards promoting reparability in large electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) (washing machines, dishwashers, etc.) or small electronic devices related to information and communication technologies (mobile phones, tablets, etc.). However, to date, the repairability of small appliances, present in most homes, and which are usually discarded and replaced, without attempting to repair them, once they stop working, has not been analyzed. This study presents the design of a workshop and pilot test aimed at analyzing the reparability of this type of appliances by the user at home, to identify what resources are useful (instructions, videos, graphics, etc.) to be able to do so.A nivel europeo, el “Nuevo plan de acción de economía circular” promueve el diseño de productos sostenibles que sean fáciles de reparar y reutilizar. Además, el “Derecho a reparar” promueve alargar la vida útil de los productos mediante reparaciones sistemáticas rentables y atractivas para los consumidores. Por el momento, los esfuerzos se orientan hacia el fomento de la reparabilidad en aparatos eléctricos y electrónicos (AEE) de gran tamaño (lavadoras, lavavajillas, etc.) o pequeños aparatos electrónicos relacionados con las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (teléfonos móviles, tablets, etc.). Sin embargo, hasta la fecha no se ha analizado la reparabilidad de pequeños electrodomésticos, presentes en la mayoría de los hogares, y que suelen ser desechados y sustituidos, sin intentar su reparación, una vez dejan de funcionar. Este estudio presenta el diseño de un taller y prueba pilotoorientado a analizar la reparabilidad de este tipo de electrodomésticos por parte del usuario en el hogar, con el fin de identificar qué recursos le resultan útiles (instrucciones, videos, gráficos, etc.) para poder hacerlo

Patterns of use, repairability and end of life in small electrical and electronic equipment. Application to electric kettles

Proceedings from the 26 th International Congress on Project Management and Engineering (Terrassa, July 2022) Comunicaciones presentadas al XXVI Congreso Internacional de Dirección e Ingeniería de Proyectos, celebrado del 5 al 8 de julio de 2022, coorganizado por la Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC).Circular economy principles are aimed at ensuring that resources, products and materials remain in circulation for as long as possible, implementing strategies to extend their useful life related to the durability, reuse, updating and repairability of products. However, for this to be carried out, the involvement and attitude of consumers are key, as directly responsible for the decision-making related to the use and end of life of the equipment. In this context, this study focuses on identifying the perception/predisposition of consumers towards the incorporation of reparability measures in the design of products as a strategy to extend their useful life. Taking as an example the category of products "domestic kettles", a survey oriented to consumers has been designed, to identify their patterns of purchase, use and end of life, and paying special attention to their ability and predisposition to repair this type of devices.Los principios de la economía circular se orientan en conseguir que los recursos, productos y materiales se mantengan en circulación por el mayor tiempo posible, implementando estrategias de extensión de su vida útil relacionadas con la durabilidad, reutilización, actualización y reparabilidad de los productos. Sin embargo, para que esto pueda llevarse a cabo, es clave la implicación y actitud de los consumidores, como responsables directos de las tomas de decisión vinculadas al uso y fin de vida de los equipos. En este contexto, este estudio se centra en identificar la percepción/predisposición de los consumidores hacia la incorporación de medidas de reparabilidad en el diseño de productos como estrategia para extender su vida útil. Tomando como ejemplo la categoría de productos “hervidores de agua domésticos”, se ha diseñado una encuesta orientada a consumidores, con el fin de identificar sus patrones de compra, uso y fin de vida, y prestando especial atención a su capacidad y predisposición por reparar este tipo de aparatos