Investigating users’ acceptance and potential of Circular Economy alternatives in the washing machine sector: a survey and an assessment model

Circular Economy is gaining attention as a mean to reach sustainability. This is relevant for washing machines, where alternatives to linear economy are gaining ground. To succeed, a great consensus among users should be reached. However, little attention is paid to customers’ acceptance so far. Consequently, this paper develops a model to compare the economic and environmental impacts of the current setting with alternatives. A survey was designed to collect users’ data. Results show that pay-per-wash and refurbishment provide environmental savings, but only refurbishment generates economic savings for users. Unfortunately, few users show a positive acceptance rate of such alternatives