The Role of Qualification in Stimulating Pro-Environmental Behaviour: The Case of Low Temperature Laundry

Changing consumer behaviour is increasingly recognized as a key aspect of the shift to more sustainable societies. However, insights into how this may be achieved at the large scale remain few. This paper contributes to debates on how to stimulate pro-environmental behaviour change, with a case study of the adoption of low temperature laundry in the UK. The case is particularly interesting because the innovation, which requires consumers to alter their behaviour, has been promoted by detergent manufacturers, via existing products. The processes underpinning the change in practice are explored from the perspective of both producers and consumers. A multi-method approach is adopted, drawing data from interviews with households, actors across the laundry industry and a large-scale survey of consumer laundry habits. While efforts to stimulate uptake of low temperature laundry have met with a degree of success, the paper argues that adoption is constrained by the meanings embedded in existing laundry practices, particularly links between temperature, cleanliness and hygiene. The analysis draws on Callon’s (2002) idea of ‘qualification’ which conceptualizes the dynamic, interactive process through which products are attributed meaning within a market environment. Attention to processes of qualification highlights the role of firms in shaping consumer practices, enriching practice-based accounts of consumer lifestyles which privilege consumers as the main actors in the creation of shared meanings. Conclusions are drawn with respect to the role of firms in shaping pathways for change in consumer practices, through their role in shaping the ‘qualities’ of goods. 

Callon, M., Méadel, C. and Rabeharisoa, V.  (2002) The Economy of Qualities. Economy and Society 31(2) 194-217