Value dynamics in ordinary object disposal

This study elucidates that values in disposal unfold dynamically out of interactions between consumers (skills, practices, knowledge) and objects (properties, interlocking mechanisms, functional interdependencies) that are embedded in a specific disposal context (social networks, discourses, spaces, infrastructure). Using in-depth interviews, the authors demonstrate that the context in which disposal is situated is not simply a background against which disposal decisions are made, but actively plays out in the emergence of values in disposal. Ordinary objects are made of matter and their material properties, interlocking mechanisms, and functional interdependencies are revealed when disposal is being contemplated and guide consumers’ value perceptions, exposing them to different material constraints and potentially enhancing the object’s agency in shaping its disposal. Revealing the full value dynamics surrounding the disposal of ordinary objects could help businesses and policy-makers enhance consumer values when designing sustainable products, waste-management interventions, and disposal infrastructures.