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.