ABSTRACT
Three stages define the consumption cycle, forming the drumbeat of consumer behavior research studies: Acquisition, use, and disposal (MacInnis & Folkes, 2010). Yet from the perspective of sustainability, the cycle is far richer and more complex, involving reuse, sharing, refurbishing, donation, recycling, leasing, and postponement of purchases. In this chapter, we focus on underlying mechanisms in the link that turns disposal into secondhand acquisition or prolonged product life. Such activity contributes to sustainable endeavors by ensuring that consumer goods are given a new life with a second (or third or fourth) owner, while delaying acquisition of new items to slow the consumption cycle.
