Hyper-Consumption to Circular Economy in the United Arab Emirates: Discarding the Disposable and Cherishing the Valuable

Overconsumption of resources and consumer items is an important driver for environmental degradation and climate change. Malls, shopping, and conspicuous consumption are deeply ingrained in the local values and the global image of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The UAE has a diverse and internation...

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محفوظ في:
التفاصيل البيبلوغرافية
المؤلف الرئيسي: Lusk, Jeniece (author)
مؤلفون آخرون: Mook, Anne (author)
التنسيق: article
منشور في: 2020
الموضوعات:
الوصول للمادة أونلاين:http://hdl.handle.net/11073/19803
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author Lusk, Jeniece
author2 Mook, Anne
author2_role author
author_facet Lusk, Jeniece
Mook, Anne
author_role author
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Lusk, Jeniece
Mook, Anne
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2020-10-11T12:20:56Z
2020-10-11T12:20:56Z
2020-10-05
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv Lusk, J., Mook, A. (2020). Hyper-Consumption to Circular Economy in the United Arab Emirates: Discarding the Disposable and Cherishing the Valuable. SocioEconomic Challenges, 4(3), 33-45. https://doi.org/10.21272/sec.4(3).33-45.2020
2520-6214
http://hdl.handle.net/11073/19803
10.21272/sec.4(3).33-45.2020
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv en_US
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv ARMG Publishing
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv https://doi.org/10.21272/sec.4(3).33-45.2020
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Sustainability
Circular economy
Consumption
Middle East
Ecological footprint
Recycling
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Hyper-Consumption to Circular Economy in the United Arab Emirates: Discarding the Disposable and Cherishing the Valuable
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv Peer-Reviewed
Published version
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
info:eu-repo/semantics/article
description Overconsumption of resources and consumer items is an important driver for environmental degradation and climate change. Malls, shopping, and conspicuous consumption are deeply ingrained in the local values and the global image of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The UAE has a diverse and international population with over 85% expats and numerous opportunities to reduce environmental impact. Increased participation in a circular economy that aims to reduce resource use by recycling materials, reusing products, extending their lifespan, and maintaining their economic value would be an effective strategy to reduce negative environmental impacts. However, little is known about how much and why UAE citizens and residents participate in the circular economy. Therefore, it is important to examine the factors that predict participation in the circular economy in the UAE. To investigate this question, we surveyed n=163 undergraduate students at an American-curriculum university in the UAE and explored literature-based explanations as predictors for participation in the circular economy, namely gender, nationality, exposure to circular economy initiatives, efforts to reduce ecological footprints, and sustainable consumer behaviors using index-based negative binomial regression models. We also compare differences in ways and levels of participation in the circular economy between UAE citizens and residents with t-tests. Our results suggest that participation in the circular economy does not emerge from concerted efforts to reduce environmental degradation such as lowering ecological footprint and reducing waste, but rather investments in sustainable and durable items. Emirati citizens are more likely to participate in the circular economy, in particular repairing items, than expat residents. These differences are most likely to be explained by the more stable lifestyles of Emirati citizens as opposed to the more itinerant lifestyles of expat residents.
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identifier_str_mv Lusk, J., Mook, A. (2020). Hyper-Consumption to Circular Economy in the United Arab Emirates: Discarding the Disposable and Cherishing the Valuable. SocioEconomic Challenges, 4(3), 33-45. https://doi.org/10.21272/sec.4(3).33-45.2020
2520-6214
10.21272/sec.4(3).33-45.2020
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spelling Hyper-Consumption to Circular Economy in the United Arab Emirates: Discarding the Disposable and Cherishing the ValuableLusk, JenieceMook, AnneSustainabilityCircular economyConsumptionMiddle EastEcological footprintRecyclingOverconsumption of resources and consumer items is an important driver for environmental degradation and climate change. Malls, shopping, and conspicuous consumption are deeply ingrained in the local values and the global image of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The UAE has a diverse and international population with over 85% expats and numerous opportunities to reduce environmental impact. Increased participation in a circular economy that aims to reduce resource use by recycling materials, reusing products, extending their lifespan, and maintaining their economic value would be an effective strategy to reduce negative environmental impacts. However, little is known about how much and why UAE citizens and residents participate in the circular economy. Therefore, it is important to examine the factors that predict participation in the circular economy in the UAE. To investigate this question, we surveyed n=163 undergraduate students at an American-curriculum university in the UAE and explored literature-based explanations as predictors for participation in the circular economy, namely gender, nationality, exposure to circular economy initiatives, efforts to reduce ecological footprints, and sustainable consumer behaviors using index-based negative binomial regression models. We also compare differences in ways and levels of participation in the circular economy between UAE citizens and residents with t-tests. Our results suggest that participation in the circular economy does not emerge from concerted efforts to reduce environmental degradation such as lowering ecological footprint and reducing waste, but rather investments in sustainable and durable items. Emirati citizens are more likely to participate in the circular economy, in particular repairing items, than expat residents. These differences are most likely to be explained by the more stable lifestyles of Emirati citizens as opposed to the more itinerant lifestyles of expat residents.ARMG Publishing2020-10-11T12:20:56Z2020-10-11T12:20:56Z2020-10-05Peer-ReviewedPublished versioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/articleapplication/pdfLusk, J., Mook, A. (2020). Hyper-Consumption to Circular Economy in the United Arab Emirates: Discarding the Disposable and Cherishing the Valuable. SocioEconomic Challenges, 4(3), 33-45. https://doi.org/10.21272/sec.4(3).33-45.20202520-6214http://hdl.handle.net/11073/1980310.21272/sec.4(3).33-45.2020en_UShttps://doi.org/10.21272/sec.4(3).33-45.2020oai:repository.aus.edu:11073/198032024-08-22T12:00:59Z
spellingShingle Hyper-Consumption to Circular Economy in the United Arab Emirates: Discarding the Disposable and Cherishing the Valuable
Lusk, Jeniece
Sustainability
Circular economy
Consumption
Middle East
Ecological footprint
Recycling
status_str publishedVersion
title Hyper-Consumption to Circular Economy in the United Arab Emirates: Discarding the Disposable and Cherishing the Valuable
title_full Hyper-Consumption to Circular Economy in the United Arab Emirates: Discarding the Disposable and Cherishing the Valuable
title_fullStr Hyper-Consumption to Circular Economy in the United Arab Emirates: Discarding the Disposable and Cherishing the Valuable
title_full_unstemmed Hyper-Consumption to Circular Economy in the United Arab Emirates: Discarding the Disposable and Cherishing the Valuable
title_short Hyper-Consumption to Circular Economy in the United Arab Emirates: Discarding the Disposable and Cherishing the Valuable
title_sort Hyper-Consumption to Circular Economy in the United Arab Emirates: Discarding the Disposable and Cherishing the Valuable
topic Sustainability
Circular economy
Consumption
Middle East
Ecological footprint
Recycling
url http://hdl.handle.net/11073/19803