| 1. |
- Sinha, Rajib, 1983-, et al.
(författare)
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Experimenting on closing the metal flow loop in the global mobile phone product system : a system dynamics modeling approach
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), well known as e-waste, is one of the fastest growing waste flows worldwide with increasing complexity in production through distribution to end of life (EoL). In this waste stream, a high number of mobile phones makes e-waste more compelling to examine the whole life of the specific product. In addition, having an interest in e-wastes for informal recycling in developing countries (DC), industrialized countries (IC) export e-wastes to developing countries. The emerging economies of reuse, refurbish and export of used mobile phones not only make the EoL complex, but also make the systems more challenging to sustainability. Since industrial ecology (IE) advocates resource efficiency with closed loop systems, we adapted a system dynamics modeling approach to investigate the dominance paths and driving forces for closing the metal flow loop through the concept of industrial symbiosis and eco-cycle modeling. This study finds higher efficiency for closing the loop in collection systems of used phones, mobile phone use time, and informal recycling in developing countries. By analyzing the dominant parameters, an eco-cycle model is proposed which could enhance a closed loop system by decreasing pressures on non-renewable resources. Improved policy supports accompanying consumer and corporate awareness with responsibility could create a circular consumption in the global mobile phone product system.
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| 2. |
- Boberg, Linn, et al.
(författare)
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Environmental impact of single-use, reusable, and mixed trocar systems used for laparoscopic cholecystectomies
- 2022
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Ingår i: PLoS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 17:7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- INTRODUCTION: Climate change is one of the 21st century's biggest public health issues and health care contributes up to 10% of the emissions of greenhouse gases in developed countries. About 15 million laparoscopic procedures are performed annually worldwide and single-use medical equipment is increasingly used during these procedures. Little is known about costs and environmental footprint of this change in practice.METHODS: We employed Life Cycle Assessment method to evaluate and compare the environmental impacts of single-use, reusable, and mixed trocar systems used for laparoscopic cholecystectomies at three hospitals in southern Sweden. The environmental impacts were calculated using the IMPACT 2002+ method and a functional unit of 500 procedures. Monte Carlo simulations were used to estimate differences between trocar systems. Data are presented as medians and 2.5th to 97.5th percentiles. Financial costs were calculated using Life Cycle Costing.RESULTS: The single-use system had a 182% higher impact on resources than the reusable system [difference: 5160 MJ primary (4400-5770)]. The single-use system had a 379% higher impact on climate change than the reusable system [difference: 446 kg CO2eq (413-483)]. The single-use system had an 83% higher impact than the reusable system on ecosystem quality [difference: 79 PDF*m2*yr (24-112)] and a 240% higher impact on human health [difference: 2.4x10-4 DALY/person/yr (2.2x10-4-2.6x10-4)]. The mixed and single-use systems had a similar environmental impact. Differences between single-use and reusable trocars with regard to resource use and ecosystem quality were found to be sensitive to lower filling of machines in the sterilization process. For ecosystem quality the difference between the two were further sensitive to a 50% decrease in number of reuses, and to using a fossil fuel intensive electricity mix. Differences regarding effects on climate change and human health were robust in the sensitivity analyses. The reusable and mixed trocar systems were approximately half as expensive as the single-use systems (17360 € and 18560 € versus 37600 €, respectively).CONCLUSION: In the Swedish healthcare system the reusable trocar system offers a robust opportunity to reduce both the environmental impact and financial costs for laparoscopic surgery.
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| 3. |
- Cole, Christine, et al.
(författare)
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An assessment of achievements of the WEEE Directive in promoting movement up the waste hierarchy : experiences in the UK
- 2019
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Ingår i: Waste Management: international journal of integrated waste management, science and technology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0956-053X. ; 87, s. 417-427
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Rapidly developing technology and an increasing number of products containing electrical or electronic functions, has led to discarded electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) being one of the fastest growing waste streams. The European Union (EU) has enacted several iterations of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive to address this complex waste stream. However, recycling dominates treatments for e-waste, despite the established ‘waste hierarchy’ showing waste prevention and reuse are generally preferable to recycling. This paper reports on 30 semi-structured interviews, undertaken across the EEE value chain, examining the impact of the WEEE Directive in the UK. The interviews confirmed that reuse takes place for a limited number of product types, mostly on a small scale. Additionally, whilst legislation has prompted innovation in recycling and higher capture rates, resource recovery is in practice limited to easily salvageable materials, whilst recovery of critical raw materials is often neglected. Furthermore, there is confusion around available collection networks, particularly for small WEEE, which consistently appears in residual waste streams. The waste hierarchy remains the key component of EU waste strategy and moving to the higher levels of the waste hierarchy is an essential part of achieving sustainable waste management and moving towards a circular economy. The paper proposes a series of measures to this end: promoting recovery routes and practices that facilitate reuse of suitable products, adapting recycling technology to increase recovery of critical raw materials and targeted policies to encourage the application of the waste hierarchy within a resource efficiency-oriented framework.
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
- Laurenti, Rafael, 1980-, et al.
(författare)
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Some pervasive challenges to sustainability by design of electronic products : a conceptual discussion
- 2015
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Ingår i: Journal of Cleaner Production. - : Elsevier. - 0959-6526 .- 1879-1786. ; 108, Part A, s. 281-288
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Sustainability should encompass responsibility for unintended environmental consequences of modern developments. This study examined some pervasive challenges to sustainability by design of electronic products, namely: (i) product and consumption redundancies; (i) embodied environmental and social impacts occurring distant in time and space from the point of consumption; and (iii) production and consumption dynamics. This analysis identified essential developments in certain areas that can assist design practice in preventing unintended environmental consequences. These were: (1) complementing life cycle assessment studies with analyses of unintended environmental consequences; and (2) exploiting the vital role of product design in fostering a circular economy. Indicators that provide information about (a) the increasing spatial and decreasing temporal separation of production, consumption and waste management, (b) constraints in raw materials supply and (c) marginal changes in money and time spent should be available to product designers and consumers. Furthermore, information technology, namely computer-aided design (CAD) tools, should be refined to assist product designers in designing for effective circularity and end-of-waste and limiting hibernation of resources in the use phase.
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| 6. |
- Laurenti, Rafael, 1980-, et al.
(författare)
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Towards a framework to work within broader systems boundaries in the process of product design
- 2012
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Most of the environmental impacts of which a product will potentially have during its life cycle are determined during the design phase by choices such as type of materials and manufacturing processes. These definitions, in addition, strongly influence the rate of material or energy input per unit of the service offered by the product. Consequently, on the one hand, potential achievements in lowering energy or materials per-unit of service may be translated into lower consumer costs, encouraging increasing consumption. On the other hand, the way products are designed and offered can have large impact in resources use reduction and also influence user behaviour towards more sustainable practices. We believe that by working within broader systems boundaries, undesirable feedback loops arising in this large system could be addressed. This paper describes a novel conceptual framework named Sustainability Driven Systems-Oriented Design to identify the effects of which micro-level gains (e.g. increased material and energy efficiency) have on macro-level loss (e.g. over consumption). Moreover, a first version of an inference diagram of the industrial system is presented. The diagram graphically illustrates how chosen variables influence one another and interacts by means of feedback loops. The aim of using the conceptual framework and the inference diagram in the design process is to shift the traditional linear cause-effect thinking to feedback-loop thinking.
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| 7. |
- Laurenti, Rafael, et al.
(författare)
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Unintended environmental consequences of improvement actions : A qualitative analysis of systems' structure and behavior
- 2015
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Ingår i: Systems research and behavioral science. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 1092-7026 .- 1099-1743.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We qualitatively analysed how and why environmental improvement actions often lead to unintended environmental consequences. Different theories are integrated to delineate the underlying system structure causing this system behavior. Causal loop diagram technique is utilized to explore and visualize: how incremental improvements in material and energy efficiency can unintendedly cause consumption to increase; how this consumption rebound effect is linked to generation of waste and pollution; and how this can give rise to social and negative externalities, economic inequalities and other broad unintended consequences in our society. Consumption and incremental innovation are found to be the highest leverage points and reinforcing factors driving unintended environmental consequences in this complex system. The paper in addition explores two potential modes of behaviour dissimilar to those of unintended environmental consequences. These emerging modes of behaviour are product-service systems and environmental policy instruments. Their combination forms a prominent transition pathway from a production-consumption-dispose economy to a so-called circular economy.
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| 8. |
- Singh, Jagdeep
(författare)
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Beyond Waste Management
- 2016
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Current physical resource management (PRM) was investigated in a global perspective in this thesis, to gain a deeper understanding of its implications in a sustainability perspective. In particular, the main challenges to the current PRM system and the kinds of systemic changes needed for sustainable PRM were examined. In five separate studies, different theoretical and practical challenges to current PRM approaches were analysed. A descriptive literature review, causal loop diagrams and semi-structured interviews were performed to gather qualitative and quantitative inferences. Perspectives from industrial ecology, life cycle thinking, systems thinking and environmental philosophy were then applied to analyse global resource/waste management issues.The analysis resulted in an overview of the global ecological sustainability challenges to current PRM and identification of major challenges to the global waste management system. Causal loop diagrams were used to qualitatively analyse the structure and behaviour of production and consumption systems responsible for unintended environmental consequences of purposive actions to improve material and energy efficiencies. Ways in which resource quality could be maintained throughout the system of production and consumption systems were determined by identifying challenges facing product designers while closing the material loops. A planning framework was devised to operationalise the sustainable development demands in society, including production and consumption systems.A broader systems approach is proposed for future sustainable global PRM, focusing on ensuring societal functions within the human activity system. The approach involves designing and managing anthropogenic stocks of physical resources to reduce inflows of physical resources and outflows of wastes and emissions. Life cycle-based databases linking resource consumption with waste generation are needed for improved global PRM.
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
- Singh, Jagdeep, et al.
(författare)
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Systems Approach to Scaling-Up Global Upcycling : Framework for Empirical Research
- 2021
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Ingår i: State-of-the-Art Upcycling Research and Practice : Lecture Notes in Production Engineering - Lecture Notes in Production Engineering. - Cham : Springer International Publishing. - 9783030726393 - 9783030726409 ; , s. 99-104
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Global urbanisation, increasing population, economic growth and development have caused increase in resource consumption, and consequently, a vast volume of waste and other negative environmental impacts. In order to reduce negative environmental impact, various approaches to resource management have been suggested and implemented in the system of production, consumption and waste management. One promising approach is upcycling, the creation or modification of a product from used or waste materials, components and products for equal or higher quality or value than the compositional elements. This chapter proposes a systems approach to scaling-up global upcycling through systems innovation in the critical factors in the upcycling value chain.
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