ABSTRACT
With respect to many consumer goods, more efficient production or a more efficient product would not in itself constitute the attainment of sustainability because such improvements are still embedded within essentially linear value chains and are articulated by business models that emphasise ‘fire and forget’ production. Taking the case of the automotive industry, this chapter seeks to demonstrate that alternative business models have the potential to redefine the terms of competition and in so doing realign business with society at the local level while finding a solution to the wastefulness that is characteristic of the profusion society. The chapter draws on many years of research but it is informed specifically by a five-year programme conducted within the Centre for Business Relationships, Accountability, Sustainability and Society (BRASS) at Cardiff University investigating the concept of micro-factory retailing. It is concluded that there are many, but not necessarily insurmountable, structural barriers to the creation of sustainable patterns of production and consumption with respect to complex engineered products such as cars.
