It’s no secret that retail consumption generates unsustainable volumes of waste. 

DIY stores could offer ‘pay for play’

But retailers can use technology to sell products to match changing demands and lifestyles, as well as achieve sustainability.

Ian Foddering, CTO and technical director at Cisco UK & Ireland, believes the answer lies in the internet of things – the connection of people, data, processes and things.

“The emergence of product service solutions, whereby items connected to the network charge users to ‘pay for play’, offers a more intelligent approach to manufacture and consumption,” he says.

“Rather than consumers purchasing products outright, there’s no reason a DIY store couldn’t sell a ‘drill-as-a-service’, or Electrolux a washing machine that only charges you for the cycle; or even a service contract for a new carpet rather than the carpet itself.”

Not only does this approach lower costs for consumers, and encourage spending by empowering buyers to purchase previously unattainable items, but the network also allows manufacturers to track maintenance from afar.

With the onus on manufacturers, Foddering says as-a-service models will lead to more efficient products and processes, and help keep waste to a minimum.

He says: “Known as the circular economy, the ultimate aim of this process is not only to increase the length of a product’s lifetime, but also to maximise returns on offerings, and create better, more sustainable items.”