When creative consumers go green: understanding consumer upcycling

Purpose - Consumers are known to repurpose products for uses other than those they were originally intended for; this paper aims to focus on an environmentally conscious form of creative consumption known as upcycling. Design/methodology/approach - This conceptual paper presents and defines the consumer practice of upcycling. Findings - The author identifies gaps in the literature regarding consumer upcycling and identifies avenues for future research and theory development. Research limitations/implications - Upcycling has considerable implications with respect to end-of-life planning for products. Originality/value - This research identifies consumer upcycling as an environmentally beneficial form of creative consumption and discusses its implications for firms.