Sustainability Through Meaning

Products that fulfill their functional purpose soon after purchase may become disposable and thus contribute to unsustainable consumption practices. Alternatively, products surrounded by rich stories can become more meaningful to their owners and thus more likely to be kept around beyond their initial use. We propose using sensing and online publishing technologies to capture and share stories from the entire product life cycle, encouraging consumers to become more involved with the production, use, and post-consumer stories of the products they purchase.