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- Rex, Emma, 1978-, et al.
(författare)
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Tailored for decision – Knowing your target group prior to adaptation
- 2017
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Life cycle thinking is but one perspective - if at all considered -, in everyday business decisions throughout the organization; in the selection of suppliers, in the strategy of new product ranges, and, in what information is chosen to be highlighted to the customers. Tradeoffs are constantly made between e.g. environment, quality, price and other company goals. Before any successful adaptation and visualization of life cycle information, it is important for internal life cycle experts to identify and understand how other functions of the company perceive and value life cycle information in their specific working situations.To get a better understanding of these internal users of life cycle information, life cycle experts in four multinational companies (Akzo Nobel, Vattenfall, Volvo Cars, Volvo Group) have joined forces with researchers in life cycle management and behavioral science to create a graphical map of how life cycle information is spread and used in different parts of an organization. The aim of the map is to be used as a basis for discussions and recommendations on how to tailor life cycle information in order to support decision making throughout a company.The map is constructed by combining a) inventories on how quantitative data seeks its way to internal users through databases, reports and KPIs, with b) qualitative interviews on goal framing and decision weights of e.g. environmental and economic information. As a result, the map illustrates both the “physical” flows of life cycle information and the “cognitive logics” of this information for different users (e.g. how values, attitudes and norms influence the target groups’ likelihood of including life cycle information in their decision processes).Based on the map, each company can identify and discuss who the main users of life cycle information are and what premises for life cycle thinking these users have: In what decision making situation is, or can, life cycle information be used? How is the information understood? What other sources of information and rationales for decisions are used in parallel to, or in conflict with, LCA-results?Initial analyses on the usefulness of the map point to a better understanding of how life cycle experts can tailor information for decisions in different parts of the company, as well as on its usefulness in illustrating to people outside of the environmental departments the widespread use of life cycle information that already exist in the company. The latter is not least important for creating an understanding in how the organization respond to ongoing external pressure to focus more on a life cycle approach, e.g. new requirements in ISO 14001, new EU Directives on public procurement and current EU work to establish a common LCA methodology.
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| 2. |
- Arvidsson, Niklas, et al.
(författare)
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Cirkulära möbelflöden : Hur nya affärsmodeller kan bidra till hållbar utveckling inom offentliga möbler
- 2017
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Sverige har en stark möbelindustri och en stolt tradition av att tillverka tidlösa och högkvalitativa möbler, ofta av naturmaterial. 2016 producerade Sverige möbler för 22,8 miljarder SEK, varav kontorsmöbler stod för nästan en fjärdedel1. Det saknas idag statistik över vad som händer med dessa möbler när de inte längre används, men det står klart att många av dem slängs i förtid när verksamheter flyttar eller när deras behov ändras. Samtidigt syns en tydlig utveckling mot att kunder mer och mer efterfrågar återbrukade eller renoverade möbler som en del i sitt hållbarhetsarbete. Denna utveckling var startpunkten för projektet ”Affärsmodell-innovation för cirkulära möbelflöden”. Affärsmodellinnovation för cirkulära möbelflöden är ett Vinnovafinansierat projekt som under åren 2015-2017 arbetat med att utveckla och testa koncept för cirkulära affärsmodeller för i första hand offentliga möbler. I projektet har tjugo aktörer från hela värdekedjan, från underleverantörer, möbelproducenter, återförsäljare och användare till forskare och branschorgan, samarbetat kring affärsutveckling, kundincitament, produktdesign, logistik, hållbarhets- och certifieringsfrågor. Den här skriften belyser hur nya affärsmodeller för mer cirkulära möbelflöden kan bidra till en mer hållbar utveckling och ger smakprov på slutsatser från projektet. Skriften riktar sig framför allt till producenter och återförsäljare av möbler för offentliga miljöer, men även kunder och inköpare tror vi kan ha stor nytta av skriften. Vi hoppas att den även kan fungera som inspiration för andra industrier och branscher som funderar på en övergång till mer cirkulära affärsekosystem.
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| 3. |
- Baumann, Henrikke, 1964, et al.
(författare)
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Implications of an interpretive understanding of LCA practice
- 2008
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Ingår i: Business Strategy and the Environment. - : Wiley. - 1099-0836 .- 0964-4733. ; 17:7, s. 420-430
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Despite the desirability of a life cycle perspective and many attempts to facilitate life cycle assessment (LCA), industry has been relatively slow to adopt LCA. In this research, we thus set out to investigate the underpinnings of LCA practice in industry. A literature review shows that the present understanding is that structuralconditions such as location and sector determine the use of LCA in industry. However, a field study of two companies in the Swedish forest product industry (thus in the same sector and country) indicates that LCA practice is shaped more by individual preferences and chance events. Our results imply a more interpretive understanding of LCA practice than has been put forward by previous research. The two types of understanding are discussed and their implications for practitioners in industry, organizations promoting the use of LCA and further research are presented.
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| 4. |
- Boyer, Robert, et al.
(författare)
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Three-dimensional product circularity
- 2021
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Ingår i: Journal of Industrial Ecology. - : John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. - 1088-1980 .- 1530-9290. ; 25:4, s. 824-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Abstract Understanding product circularity as ?three-dimensional? could anchor the Circular Economy to common principles while affording its followers flexibility about how to measure it in their specific sectors and disciplines and within their organization's means. Inspired by a heuristic developed for the urban planning profession to cope with the inherent conflicts of Sustainable Development, this article argues that measuring product-level circularity should consider ways to achieve (1) high material recirculation, (2) high utilization, and (3) high endurance in products and service offerings. Achieving all three dimensions ensures that material flowing through the economy is recovered from prior use phases, that it is used intensely, and that it retains its value in spite of exogenous changes. The article argues further that these three dimensions ought to be measured and reported separately rather than as a composite metric and that certain applications will have opportunities to improve circularity through certain dimensions better than others. The article also explains how researchers at RISE (Research Institutes of Sweden AB) are working with industry and government partners to measure the three dimensions and how diverse actors interested in the Circular Economy can use the three dimensions to take the first steps in their transition to circularity.
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
- Brunklaus, Birgit, 1970, et al.
(författare)
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The future of Swedish food waste : An environmental assessment of existing and prospective valorization techniques
- 2018
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Ingår i: Journal of Cleaner Production. - : Elsevier BV. - 0959-6526 .- 1879-1786. ; 202, s. 1-10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In Sweden, the current dominant valorization of food waste is the production of biogas. However, as current production has low profitability, other options are sought to find more valuable uses of food waste, e.g. as the feedstock for bio-based chemicals. One example is the use of food waste in the production of bio-based succinic acid. In this paper, a LCA study is presented in order to highlight whether biogas production or the production of succinic acid has the lowest environmental impact as valorization option for mixed food waste, and if mixed food waste could be an environmentally preferable feedstock to succinic acid production. The LCA study shows that the environmental results depend on the perspective. From a valorization perspective, food waste has the lowest environmental impact the biogas production. From a feedstock perspective, mixed food waste is an environmentally preferable feedstock to succinic acid production. Although many uncertainties exist because production processes are still being developed, it can be concluded that mixed food waste seems to be a promising feedstock for bio-based chemicals from an environmental point of view, and is of interest to be included in future assessments of bio-based chemicals for the emerging bio-economy. © 2018
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| 8. |
- Brunklaus, Birgit, 1970-, et al.
(författare)
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The value of assessing multiple perspectives and transdisciplinary approaches in the transition to a bio-based economy : The prospect for transforming mixed food waste into bio-based chemicals
- 2017
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Ingår i: Life Cycle Management Conference. - Luxemburg : Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST).
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- In line with current political and industrial ambitions for a transition into a bio-based economy, food waste can be an alternative to agro- and forest-based resources. The amount of food waste generated every year is about 1.3 billion tons globally. The vast amounts cause problems related to climate change and resource depletion, as well as economic challenges related to waste disposal. These problems could be solved by transforming food waste into valuable products like bio-based chemicals. Succinic acid (SA) is one such chemical with high market potential in its bio-based version. It is already produced commercially based on cultivated biomass. Several initiatives also exist to examine the use of food waste as feedstock for SA production. Most of these initiatives are limited to homogenous industrial waste streams, but a research project in Sweden is looking also at mixed food waste (MFW) as an alternative feedstock.The purpose of this project is to evaluate the prospect for transforming mixed food waste into bio-based chemicals, such as SA. As the prospect depends on many factors, the examination is addressed with multiple perspectives: Technical and social system structures are explored, in addition to resource- and environmental implications. Several methods are thus involved in the different types of evaluations, such as the technical evaluation (including laboratory cultivation tests, and mechanical property testing), the social evaluation (including actors analysis, policy analysis, market analysis, and societal acceptance), the resources evaluation (including waste flow analysis and material flow analysis), and the environmental evaluation (including life cycle assessment of current and future valorization techniques for mixed food waste).The project uses a transdisciplinary approach and offers as such an arena where both research partners and industrial partners meet and discuss possible options for MFW-based SA production in Sweden. Here we present the results of one possible production route, where microbial production of SA from MFW in Sweden is used as a case study.Results of the case study show that even though, from a technical and resource system perspective, production seems possible, from a social system perspective it lacks institutional support and actor commitment and alignment for realizing development in Sweden. From an environmental and life cycle perspective, the framing of the question is decisive for the results: SA production from MFW is environmentally beneficial if compared with the SA production from corn, but from a pure waste handling perspective, it is environmentally better to produce biogas than SA from MFW.The findings thus indicate that different perspectives and different methods contribute with a useful holistic perspective to the evaluation. The case study is not providing a definite answer on whether the prospects for transforming MFW into bio-based chemicals are favorable or not, but gives a nuanced evaluation that offers a more firm foundation for decision than one perspective or method in isolation. The transdisciplinary approach can inform an arena of research and industrial partners with different perspectives to facilitate discussion and more well-informed decisions. The case clearly illustrates that an efficient and sustainable transition to a bio-based economy is supported by assessing multiple perspectives and applying a transdisciplinary approach.
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| 9. |
- Brunklaus, Birgit, 1970-, et al.
(författare)
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The value of transdisciplinary perspectives duringtransition to a bio-based economy : The prospect for converting mixed food wasteinto bio-based chemicals
- 2018
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Ingår i: Designing Sustainable Technologies, Products andPolicies. - Cham : Spinger. - 9783319669809 - 9783319669816 ; , s. 327-335
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Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Within the current political and industrial transition to a bio-basedeconomy, food waste can be an alternative resource for biobased chemicals. Thischapter describes a case study that evaluates the prospect for Swedish production ofbiobased chemicals such as succinic acid from food waste. The evaluation isaddressed from multiple systems perspectives. From a technical and resourcesystem perspective, the results of the case study show that production seems possible.However, from a social system perspective succinic acid production currentlylacks institutional support and actor commitment and alignment for realizingdevelopment in Sweden. From an environmental and life cycle perspective, thescoping of the analysis is decisive for the results. The study shows that multipleperspectives complement each other when seeking a nuanced evaluation of technicalinnovation and give insights for the intended value chain.
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| 10. |
- Börjeson, Fia Christina, et al.
(författare)
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Ger koppling av kunskapsinlärning och färdighetsövning ökad djupinlärning? : "Utveckling av kursmoment i ”Miljö- och resursanalys för hållbar utveckling V2”
- 2007
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Kursen ”Miljö- och resursanalys för hållbar utveckling V2”, som är en av de obli-gatoriska kurserna under andra året i civilingenjörsutbildningen (Väg och Vat-ten) vid Chalmers tekniska högskola har omfattats av ett pedagogiskt utveck-lingsarbete. Utgångspunkten till de förändringar som prövats har varit grundade i och inspirerade av Experiential Learning Theory1. Lärarlaget utvecklade, med stöd av en gemensamt producerad begreppsmodell, metoder för att intervenera på olika stadier, och på olika sätt, i studenternas lärprocess. Arbetet har handlat om att skapa goda förutsättningar för att förstärka studenternas lärande. Ett så-dant lärande innebär att studenterna tillägnar sig en ökad förståelse och fördju-pade kunskaper, genom att koppla samman färdigheter som reflektion och kommunikation med tillägnandet av ett relativt abstrakt stoff (miljö- och resurs-analys). Detta har skett med hjälp av att modifiera kursens organisation och struktur, genom att utveckla återkommande och varierande typer av reflektions-övningar samt genom att arbeta fram återkommande och varierande former för olika typer av återkoppling till studenterna. En viktig del av arbetet har också va-rit att försöka utvärdera utfallet av de förändringar som genomförts i kursen. Ut-ifrån de begränsningar som det empiriska materialet innebär är det inte helt klart om titelns fråga besvarats i undersökningen, men studenternas resultat liksom deras utvärdering av kursen pekar tydligt på positiva effekter ifråga om lärandet.
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