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2.2.2 Time
While each purchased product initially reduces the consumer’s time budget, due to
the purchase process, some products have relative time saving advantages compared
to the average product and others enable to actually increase the available time budget of the consumer on a net basis: car navigation systems or apps with traffic avoidance, integrated washing and drying machines, crease-free shirts, faster internet
connection, etc. all save time. This time is made available for additional consumption but also for other activities (e.g. economic activity to generate extra income, or
resting, i.e. (near) non-consumption).
2.2.3 Space
Space (volume and area) to store or use goods is a physical limitation. Examples are
the living area that limits the amount of furniture that can sensibly be put, storage
space to keep clothes, parking space in cities that may relevantly limit the option to
have a second car, the consumer’s skin surface that can only so many times per day
be treated with crèmes or lotions, or storage space on storage media in a computer.
However, many products offer the possibility to increase or better use the available space, either as a secondary product property (e.g. a Smart car may be an option
as second car even in city centres with severe parking space limits), or as a primary
property (e.g. vacuum bags for storing bed clothes, shelves, external hard disks,
etc.). While each Euro can only be spent once, and the number of things one can do
at the same time is limited, spatial limitations are arguably less absolute, while at
least an asymptotic saturation of the available space can be observed in reality.
2.2.4 Food Calories, Drink Intake
The amount of calories that we can digest is also limited. The market growth potential
of the food industry therefore lies in selling further processed food with higher value
added as well as in convenience food in smaller packages at a higher per calorie price.
Diet food is another key option to sell more food without surpassing the individual’s
overall calorie uptake limit. Eating more calories is formally one way to expand this
limit, although again not limitless and with possibly harmful consequences (see
Sect. 2.8). Still, certain limits exist in the volume that people can or at least want to eat.
Similar limitations exist for drinks, while our body is better able to put through
water than carbohydrates, proteins, and fat.
2.2.5 Skills and Information
Skills and available information can be an important limitation to consumption, but
we argue that they are of a different nature than the previously listed ones: with the
purchase of a good or service the consumer is not negatively affecting his or her
13 From Sustainable Production to Sustainable Consumption
2.2.2 Time
While each purchased product initially reduces the consumer’s time budget, due to
the purchase process, some products have relative time saving advantages compared
to the average product and others enable to actually increase the available time budget of the consumer on a net basis: car navigation systems or apps with traffic avoidance, integrated washing and drying machines, crease-free shirts, faster internet
connection, etc. all save time. This time is made available for additional consumption but also for other activities (e.g. economic activity to generate extra income, or
resting, i.e. (near) non-consumption).
2.2.3 Space
Space (volume and area) to store or use goods is a physical limitation. Examples are
the living area that limits the amount of furniture that can sensibly be put, storage
space to keep clothes, parking space in cities that may relevantly limit the option to
have a second car, the consumer’s skin surface that can only so many times per day
be treated with crèmes or lotions, or storage space on storage media in a computer.
However, many products offer the possibility to increase or better use the available space, either as a secondary product property (e.g. a Smart car may be an option
as second car even in city centres with severe parking space limits), or as a primary
property (e.g. vacuum bags for storing bed clothes, shelves, external hard disks,
etc.). While each Euro can only be spent once, and the number of things one can do
at the same time is limited, spatial limitations are arguably less absolute, while at
least an asymptotic saturation of the available space can be observed in reality.
2.2.4 Food Calories, Drink Intake
The amount of calories that we can digest is also limited. The market growth potential
of the food industry therefore lies in selling further processed food with higher value
added as well as in convenience food in smaller packages at a higher per calorie price.
Diet food is another key option to sell more food without surpassing the individual’s
overall calorie uptake limit. Eating more calories is formally one way to expand this
limit, although again not limitless and with possibly harmful consequences (see
Sect. 2.8). Still, certain limits exist in the volume that people can or at least want to eat.
Similar limitations exist for drinks, while our body is better able to put through
water than carbohydrates, proteins, and fat.
2.2.5 Skills and Information
Skills and available information can be an important limitation to consumption, but
we argue that they are of a different nature than the previously listed ones: with the
purchase of a good or service the consumer is not negatively affecting his or her
13 From Sustainable Production to Sustainable Consumption