Publications

Books

Sung, K. and Moalosi, R. (forthcoming 2025) Upcycling Research: Global Perspectives on Fashion, Products and the Built Environment. London: Bloomsbury.

Sung, K., Isherwood, P. and Moalosi, R. (2024) Research Journeys to Net Zero: Current and Future Leaders. Research and Teaching in Environmental Studies collection. London: Routledge. (Open Access Metrics: https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/88074)  

Sung, K., Singh, J. and Bridgens, B. (2021) State-of-the-Art Upcycling Research and Practice: Proceedings of the International Upcycling Symposium 2020. Cham: Springer.  

Journal articles

Sung, K., Ku, L., Yoon, J. and Kim, C. (2023) Predictors of Upcycling in the Highly Industrialised West: A Survey across Three Continents of Australia, Europe, and North America. Sustainability, 15(2), 1461. 

Sung, K., Cooper, T. and Kettley, S. (2022) Adapting Darnton's Nine Principles Framework for Behaviour Change: The UK Upcycling Case Study. Sustainability, 14(3), 1919.

Sung, K., Cooper, T., Oehlmann, J., Singh, J. and Mont, O. (2020) Multi-stakeholder perspectives on scaling up UK fashion upcycling businesses. Fashion Practice, 12(3), pp 331-350.  

Singh, J., Sung, K., Cooper, T., West, K. and Mont, O. (2019) Challenges and opportunities for scaling up upcycling businesses - The case of textile and wood upcycling businesses in the UK. Resources, Conservation & Recycling, 150, 104439.  

Sung, K., Cooper, T. and Kettley, S. (2019) Developing Interventions for Scaling Up UK Upcycling. Energies, 12(14), 2778.

Sung, K., Cooper, T. and Kettley, S. (2019) Factors Influencing Upcycling for UK Makers. Sustainability, 11(3), 870. 

Sung, K. and Cooper, T. (2015) Sarah Turner–Eco-artist and designer through craft-based upcycling. Craft Research, 6(1), pp 113-122. 

Book chapters

Sung, K. (2024) Sustainable production and consumption by upcycling towards net zero. In: Sung, K., Isherwood, P., Moalosi, R. (eds) Research Journeys to Net Zero: Current and Future Leaders. London: Routledge, pp 79-88.

Sung, K., Isherwood, P. and Moalosi, R. (2024) Introduction: Current and future leaders of net zero research and their research journeys. In: Sung, K., Isherwood, P., Moalosi, R. (eds) Research Journeys to Net Zero: Current and Future Leaders. London: Routledge, pp 1-7.

Moalosi, R., Sung, K. and Isherwood, P. (2024) Conclusion: Progress towards a net zero carbon society. In: Sung, K., Isherwood, P., Moalosi, R. (eds) Research Journeys to Net Zero: Current and Future Leaders. London: Routledge, pp 193-198.

Sung, K. and Abuzeinab, A. (2021) Challenges and opportunities for scaling up global upcycling towards sustainable production and consumption: Literature review. In: Filho, W., Azul, A., Doni, F., Salvia, A. (eds) Handbook of Sustainability Science in the Future. Cham: Springer, pp 1-19.

Sung, K., Singh, J., Bridgens, B. and Cooper, T. (2021) Introduction: State-of-the-Art Upcycling Research and Practice. In: Sung K., Singh J., Bridgens B. (eds) State-of-the-Art Upcycling Research and Practice. Cham: Springer, pp 1-6. 

Isherwood, P. and Sung, K. (2021) Upcycling of Silicon Solar Cells: What Are the Options?. In: Sung K., Singh J., Bridgens B. (eds) State-of-the-Art Upcycling Research and Practice. Cham: Springer, pp 19-24.

Singh, J. and Sung, K. (2021) Systems Approach to Scaling-Up Global Upcycling: Framework for Empirical Research. In: Sung K., Singh J., Bridgens B. (eds) State-of-the-Art Upcycling Research and Practice. Cham: Springer, pp 99-103.

Sung, K. and Dao, T. (2021) Repair and Upcycling: How Do We Know Which Repair Is Considered as Upcycling?. In: Sung K., Singh J., Bridgens B. (eds) State-of-the-Art Upcycling Research and Practice. Cham: Springer, pp 105-109. 

Sung, K. and Mahajan, D. (2021) Understanding Quality in Upcycled Products. In: Sung K., Singh J., Bridgens B. (eds) State-of-the-Art Upcycling Research and Practice. Cham: Springer, pp 119-122.

Sung, K. (2021) Understanding and Measuring Value and Quality of Upcycling with Fuzzy Linguistic Approach. In: Sung K., Singh J., Bridgens B. (eds) State-of-the-Art Upcycling Research and Practice. Cham: Springer, pp 127-130.

Sung, K. and Yoon, J. (2021) Designing for Positive Upcycling Experiences with People’s Well-Being in Mind. In: Sung K., Singh J., Bridgens B. (eds) State-of-the-Art Upcycling Research and Practice. Cham: Springer, pp 135-139.

Sung, K. (2019) Upcycling for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education: Literature Review. In: Filho W., et al. (eds) Universities as Living Labs for Sustainable Development. Cham: Springer, pp 371-382.  

Sung, K., Cooper, T. and Kettley, S. (2018) Emerging Social Movements for Sustainability: Understanding and Scaling Up Upcycling in the UK. In: Brinkmann R., Garren S. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Sustainability. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan, pp 299-312. 

Sung, K., Cooper, T. and Kettley, S. (2017) Individual upcycling in the UK: Insights for scaling up towards sustainable development. In: W. Filho (Ed), Sustainable Development Research at Universities in the United Kingdom, Cham: Springer, pp 193-227. 

Sung, K. (2015) Appropriate technology (Volume 1, p.46); Renewable resources (Volume 3, p.156); Source reduction (Volume 3, p.243); and Waste (Volume 3, p.414). In: C. Edwards (Ed), Bloomsbury Encyclopedia of Design, London: Bloomsbury Academic.  

Conference proceedings

Heaton, A., Sung, K., and Isherwood, P. (2023) Accessible Solar Energy Technology for Domestic Applications in the UK: Edge Solar. International Conference on Engineering Design (ICED23), Bordeaux, 24 - 28 July. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 445-454. DOI:10.1017/pds.2023.45

Sung, K. (2023) Understanding Upcycling and Circular Economy and Their Interrelationships through Literature Review for Design Education. International Conference on Engineering Design (ICED23), Bordeaux, 24 - 28 July. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 3721-3730. DOI:10.1017/pds.2023.373

Sung, K., Moalosi, R., Satheesan, A., Brosse, C., Burton, E., Lim, H., Cheung, K., Debrah, R., Lettmann, S., and Gaukrodger-Cowan, S. (2023) How to understand and teach upcycling in the context of the circular economy: Literature review and first phase of Delphi. Product Lifetimes And The Environment (PLATE) 2023 Conference, Espoo, 31 May – 2 June. 

Abuzeinab, A., Sung, K., Moalosi, R., Satheesan, A., Garba, B., Adeh, F., Lim, H., Baek, J., and Njeru, S. (2023) Key global challenges and opportunities for scaling up upcycling businesses in the world: Interpretive structural modelling workshop preliminary analysis. Product Lifetimes And The Environment (PLATE) 2023 Conference, Espoo, 31 May – 2 June.

Moalosi, R. and Sung, K. (2022) Promoting Upcycling through an International Research Network. International Online Conference on Reuse, Recycling, Upcycling, Sustainable Waste Management and Circular Economy (ICRSC) 2022. Online. 9-11 September. 

Sung, K., Hughes, P., and Hsu, J. (2022) Exploratory multiple case study on successful upcycling businesses: ChopValue, Freitag and Pentatonic. British Academy of Management (BAM) 2022 Conference. Manchester (online), 31 August - 2 September.  

Sung, K. (2021) Evaluating two interventions for scaling up upcycling: Community event and upcycling plaza. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering. International Conference on Resource Sustainability (icRS 2021), Dublin (online), 19-23 July. 

Sung, K. and Yoon, J. (2018) Embedding sustainability in design education: the case of design project on systemic changes for sustainable businesses based on upcycling. Expanding communities of sustainable practice symposium 2018 proceedings, Leeds, 16 November.

Sung, K., Cooper, T., Oehlmann, J. and Singh, J. (2018) Scaling up British fashion upcycling businesses: Multi-stakeholder perspectives. Proceedings of Global Fashion Conference, London, 31 October-1 November.  

Sung, K. and Rowan, N. (2018) CAD Education Curricula in Product Design: The Case of De Montfort University, UK. Proceedings of CAD'18, Paris, 9-11 July.  

Sung, K., Cooper, T., Ramanathan, U. and Singh, J. (2017) Challenges and support for scaling up upcycling businesses in the UK: Insights from small-business entrepreneurs. Product Lifetimes And The Environment (PLATE) 2017 Conference, Delft, 8-10 November.   

Sung, K., Cooper, T., Painter-Morland, M., Oxborrow, L., Ramanathan, U. and Singh, J. (2017) Multi-stakeholder perspectives on the challenges and success factors for scaling up upcycling businesses in fashion industry in the UK. 18th European Roundtable for Sustainable Consumption and Production, Skiathos Island, 1-5 October. 

Sung, K., Cooper, T. and Kettley, S. (2016) An alternative approach to influencing behaviour: Adapting Darton’s Nine Principles framework for scaling up individual upcycling. Proceedings of DRS2016: Design + Research + Society – Future-Focused Thinking, Brighton, 27-30 June.  

Sung, K., Cooper, T. and Kettley, S. (2015) An exploratory study on the links between individual upcycling, product attachment, and product longevity. Proceedings of Product Lifetimes And The Environment (PLATE) 2015 Conference, Nottingham, 17-19 June.

Sung, K., Cooper, T. and Kettley, S. (2015) An Exploratory Study on the Consequences of Individual Upcycling: Is It Worth Making People Feel Attached to Their Upcycled Products? Nottingham Trent University CADBE Doctoral Conference 2015, Nottingham, 8-9 June (selected as the best paper).

Sung, K. (2015) A review on upcycling: Current body of literature, knowledge gaps and a way forward. Proceedings of the 17th International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic and Social Sustainability, Venice, 13-14 April.   

Sung, K., Cooper, T. and Kettley, S. (2014) Individual upcycling practice: Exploring the possible determinants of upcycling based on a literature review. Proceedings of the Sustainable Innovation 2014 Conference, Copenhagen, 3-4 November. 

Other publications

Sung, K. (2021) PRÓLOGO (foreword). In: Brosse, C. La Basura No Existe: Hacia el suprarreciclaje y la Economía Circular (Garbage Does Not Exist: Towards Upcycling and the Circular Economy). San Jose: Edinexo. pp 14-16.

Salvia, G., Braithwaite, N., Moreno, M., Norman, J., Scott, K., Sung, K., Cooper, T., Barret, J. and Hammond, G. (2017) Understanding consumption: Why and how do we use products? (report) Leeds: Centre for Industrial Energy, Materials and Products. 

Patents

Sung, K., Hyun, S. and Lee, C. (2010) Earset. US7684560B2; CN101060722A; CN101060722B; EP1848242A2; US20080013714 

Sung, K., Hyun, S. and Lee, C. (2008) Cellular phone. USD560193S1

Sung, K., Hyun, S. and Lee, C. (2007) Portable phone. USD555134S1

Sung, K., Hyun, S. and Lee, C. (2007) Selective type headset. US20070230735A1