Time as a Subject in Sustainable Consumption

Abstract

The aim of this paper was to assess the use and consistency of the time concept in the sustainable consumption context. In this field, time is generally defined as a limited resource, such as money, which is allocated to activities and understood by the activities that it is allocated to. We assessed time as a subject matter in the reviewed articles to verify how it was conceptualized and used in sustainable consumption. During this analysis, we defined six categories: time-use, time of use, time-related rebound effects, time-related value-action gap, time pressure, and time-related well-being. Despite identical definitions, there are some inconsistencies in the essential assumptions regarding time, and we observed that the current recognition of time in sustainable consumption debates is not comprehensive. Clarifying the difference between an objective definition of time and the practical knowledge that people have about time has applications in terms of developing sustainable consumption strategies and policies.