Short answer
Develop product-service systems where consumers retain ownership, focusing on transparent pricing, flexible maintenance, and repair services to build trust and encourage longer product lifecycles.
- Field
- Sustainability
- Source
- Proceedings of the 6th Product Lifetimes and the Environment Conference (PLATE2025) (2025)
- Method
- Qualitative User Research
- Sample
- 20 participants
- Evidence
- Moderate effect
Consumers are more likely to embrace product-service systems that extend product lifespan if they retain ownership, as this mitigates psychological barriers like mistrust of leasing and the endowment effect. This sustainability research insight is drawn from a 2025 study published in Proceedings of the 6th Product Lifetimes and the Environment Conference (PLATE2025). Using Qualitative user research with 20 participants, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Develop product-service systems where consumers retain ownership, focusing on transparent pricing, flexible maintenance, and repair services to build trust and encourage longer product lifecycles.
Ownership-based Product-Service Systems Increase Product Longevity by Addressing Consumer Mistrust
Consumers are more likely to embrace product-service systems that extend product lifespan if they retain ownership, as this mitigates psychological barriers like mistrust of leasing and the endowment effect.
Proceedings of the 6th Product Lifetimes and the Environment Conference (PLATE2025) · 2025
Key Findings
- 01Consumers exhibit psychological barriers to leasing, such as the endowment effect and mistrust.
- 02Technological obsolescence (e.g., software) is a key factor limiting product longevity.
- 03An 'Ownership PSS' model, where consumers retain ownership but receive maintenance and repair services, shows promise for adoption.
Application
Design takeaway
Develop product-service systems where consumers retain ownership, focusing on transparent pricing, flexible maintenance, and repair services to build trust and encourage longer product lifecycles.
How to apply
When designing new product-service systems for electronics, consider offering tiered service plans that allow users to keep their devices while benefiting from company-provided maintenance and repair, thereby extending the product's useful life.
Project actions
- 01Investigate consumer attitudes towards ownership vs. leasing for a specific product category.
- 02Consider how to integrate repair and maintenance services into a product offering without requiring a full lease.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Addresses a critical sustainability issue (e-waste).
- +Proposes a user-centric model for PSS adoption.
Limitations
Small sample size, specific cultural context (Denmark), focus on electronics only.
Reliability & validity
The qualitative nature of the study provides rich insights but limits generalizability. Further quantitative research and broader sampling are needed to establish reliability and validity across diverse populations.
Think critically
To what extent does the 'right-to-repair' movement influence consumer willingness to engage with ownership-based PSS models?
Design Principles
"Product-Service Systems should be designed to align with consumer psychological ownership and address technological limitations to promote sustainability."
This insight is crucial for designers and businesses aiming to reduce electronic waste. By structuring product-service systems around continued ownership, designers can create more appealing and sustainable offerings that align with consumer psychology and regulatory trends like the right-to-repair.
What This Means for Your Design
People like owning their stuff. If you want them to use a service that keeps their electronics working longer, let them keep owning it, and just offer good repair and maintenance.
How to use in your project
- 1.Use this research to justify the design of a service model that prioritizes user ownership for a sustainable product.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
Research indicates that consumers are more receptive to product-service systems that promote longevity when they retain ownership of the product. This approach addresses psychological barriers such as the endowment effect and mistrust of leasing models, making it a more viable strategy for reducing electronic waste. Therefore, the proposed design focuses on an 'Ownership PSS' model, integrating maintenance and repair services while preserving user ownership.
Source
Proceedings of the 6th Product Lifetimes and the Environment Conference (PLATE2025)
Exploring Consumer Behavior on Product Longevity as a Pathway to Product-Service System Adaptation
journal · 2025
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about ownership-based product-service systems increase product longevity by addressing consumer mistrust?
- Develop product-service systems where consumers retain ownership, focusing on transparent pricing, flexible maintenance, and repair services to build trust and encourage longer product lifecycles. Evidence: Proceedings of the 6th Product Lifetimes and the Environment Conference (PLATE2025) (2025).
- Why does "Ownership-based Product-Service Systems Increase Product Longevity by Addressing Consumer Mistrust" matter for design?
- This insight is crucial for designers and businesses aiming to reduce electronic waste. By structuring product-service systems around continued ownership, designers can create more appealing and sustainable offerings that align with consumer psychology and regulatory trends like the right-to-repair.
- How can designers apply this research?
- Develop product-service systems where consumers retain ownership, focusing on transparent pricing, flexible maintenance, and repair services to build trust and encourage longer product lifecycles.
- What were the main findings?
- Consumers exhibit psychological barriers to leasing, such as the endowment effect and mistrust.. Technological obsolescence (e.g., software) is a key factor limiting product longevity.. An 'Ownership PSS' model, where consumers retain ownership but receive maintenance and repair services, shows promise for adoption.
- What research method was used?
- Qualitative User Research with 20 participants.
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2025 journal from Proceedings of the 6th Product Lifetimes and the Environment Conference (PLATE2025).
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When designing new product-service systems for electronics, consider offering tiered service plans that allow users to keep their devices while benefiting from company-provided maintenance and repair, thereby extending the product's useful life.
- What are the limitations?
- The study's findings are based on a small sample size from a specific geographical region and may not be generalizable to all consumer groups or markets.