The Intersection of Sustainability and Technology in the Context of the Digital Marketplace

In this chapter, we look at individuals’ sharing practices and focus on their experiences concerning food waste and thrifting online via social platforms. We discuss their orientations, desires, and motivations for participating in the circular economy, and in doing so, we explain how consumption choices and lifestyles are powered by consumer commitment to ecological thinking, awareness, and responsibility. We identify what these practices are, explain what fuels them, and discuss how these will be meaningful for the future. This chapter comprises two sections: We first look at sustainable consumption practices today, situating this within the context of three case studies. We cover the interplay between technology and the value of goods, particularly during the pandemic; for example, by looking at the transformation of food ‘waste’, (what should in principle end up in the dumpster, enabling the practice of dumpster diving) and its commodification and exchange in the Too Good To Go market. We also offer some discussion on the qualitative methods employed in collecting the data. Finally, we conclude this chapter with a discussion on the implications of our study findings for future sustainable practices and policies in the digital marketplace of tomorrow’s consumers.