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Towards a healthy urban metabolism for textile waste through social theories
No full textThis study investigates the context of post-consumer fashion textile waste in the urbanised city and brings into dialogue the sub-field of discard studies, circular economy and social theories. This is to enable an alternative approach through which the health of urban metabolism for textile waste is improved. This research argues the flow of unwanted textiles in the urbanised environment remains to be unpredictable despite all the in-placed managerial strategies; and proposes that inefficient management of urban textile waste is partly due to lack of attention to the materiality of textiles. This research is designed as a case-study on Metropolitan Melbourne. The collected data was through 20 semi-structured interviews with the allied actors of post-consumer textiles in the urbanised city. This study first uncovers the materiality of textile waste and its impact on the spatial and temporal displacements of discarded textiles in the urban environment. Research findings indicate that, research participants understood the materiality of textile waste through the dichotomy of 12 main characteristics that determine the flow of urban textile waste. This is discussed through the lens of social theories of Actor-Network and Rubbish theory. The generated knowledge assists to reflect on the concept of circular economy and its implementation in the urbanised city for effective management of textile waste
Measuring the benefits of cascading-use of wood furniture within the circular economy via value-retention processes
No full textAs utilized technical products, durable wood furniture has an important role to play in a future circular economy (CE). However, contemporary CE literature predominately focuses on the biochemical properties and potential for wood as consumable materials within the bio-cycle. This perspective prevents meaningful consideration of CE strategies for the wood products sector, particularly for value-retention processes (VPRs), including reuse, repair, and refurbishment. Adapting and applying the VRP model introduced by the UN International Resource Panel (IRP) (2018) to wood furniture products, we quantify select environmental benefits made possible through the use of VRPs (vs. new manufacturing) for wood furniture. Unlike traditional life-cycle analysis (LCA), this model accounts for the impacts incurred and avoided through product life-extension and VRPs, relative to new manufacturing, disposal, and replacement within a linear system. To demonstrate the model and the potential for wood furniture as technical products within the CE, three case studies of wood-based chairs are conducted and analyzed. In collaboration with industry partners, new material requirements (kg/unit), energy requirements (kWh/unit), emissions (kg CO2-e./unit),and waste generation(kg/unit)are calculated for newly manufactured chairs and subsequent reuse, repair, and refurbishment. Results highlight that, similar to industrial products, VRPs enable the avoidance of environmental impacts for wood furniture relative to linear single-life systems. Further, design configuration and material selection for wood furniture have significant implications for CE potential, thus reinforcing the necessity of an appropriate design perspective for enabling effective CE across all products and sectors
Interplay of digital technologies and sustainable product development –what can product life cycle data tell us?
No full textToday\u27s linear economic paradigm leads to a situation where products are not designed and used to maximize their sustainability and circularity performance. The circular economy concept proposes a modern framing of value retention strategies by increasing the awareness of their ability to prolong the use of resources and minimize waste. The utilization of product life cycle data, partly facilitated by digital technologies, is not only an enabler for such value retention strategies but also an essential input for sustainable product development processes aimed at minimizing a products\u27 environmental and social impact. However, what strategies are being pursued in practice, what sustainability-related data are available, and how digital technologies can facilitate these processes requires further investigation. In this regard, the contributions of this study are twofold. First, it provides a collection of key aspects for sustainable product development based on a literature review. Second, it reveals the degree of implementation of sustainable product development and value retention strategies and the availability of related data. The latter contribution is derived from a survey with 59 sustainability executives from Austrian companies. The results show that the degree of implementation varies considerably between the different strategies. So far, a focus is set on avoiding toxic substances and closing internal material loops. Digital systems to support a circular economy business model, product, or service are available in less than half of the cases. The implementation of digital technologies is rather a single-case phenomenon than an established business strategy
Reaping what WEEE sow: The potential for harvesting spare parts for repair and refurbishment
No full textA Circular Economy (CE) calls for the value of materials and products to be maintained and recovered through narrowing, closing, and slowing loops. However, there remain challenges in moving up the waste hierarchy and not only recycling materials from products, but also capturing value through reuse of components in refurbished and repaired products. In this paper, we examine the practice of “harvesting” spare parts from discarded white goods and consumer electronics in Norway, Sweden and California. Through literature review and interviews, we examine the sources of WEEE and potential spare parts, the use and markets for harvested spare parts, and the harvesting process itself. We identify key conditions, actors, and barriers and discuss how spare part harvesting could be upscaled to support increasing repair and refurbishment activities, which can increase product lifetimes and reduce waste
Responsibility of users in a circular economy and implications for designers: a discussion paper
No full textThis paper contributes to the debate on user responsibility in a circular economy. It discusses the responsibility of users (for instance related to product care and product end-of-use) in various circular business models and consider show designers can help users fulfil the irresponsibility. The paper explores two extreme conceptions of user responsibility: high user responsibility that typically occurs in classic sales models, and low user responsibility, for instance in product-as-a-service models. Potential directions are given to designers to stimulate care, maintenance, repair and circular end-of-use paths without scaring off or punishing users
Scaling circular collaborations in cities through engagement
No full textCircular economy has gained traction within companies resulting in many exploring new product and business model combinations. Yet, to transition towards a circular economy on a societal level requires going beyond new product and market-based opportunities. To enable societal level change, ecosystem-level innovations are important and so collaboration plays a key role. Cities are considered in this paper as hubs of innovation playing a key role in transitioning to a circular economy. They are responsible for 80% of global resource consumption, with a high concentration of capital, data and talent spread over a relatively small geographic area; making them an important part of societal level transitions. The current work stresses the need to understand and support collaborations in transitioning towards a circular economy. This paper explores what factors influence collaborations and how organizations collaborate for a circular economy in the context of cities. An initial literature review resulted in a framework for exploration, which informed the set-up of the questionnaire. This helped in conducting semi-structured interviews with people ranging from founders, designers to engineers from six circular start-ups, which operate and utilize the resources in cities; to understand how different organisations collaborate in cities. Results showed they focus on operationalizing their innovation through engagement with various stakeholders. As they increased their visibility in cities showcasing their value, increasing the ways and number of engagements, the organisation engaged with people and organisations having similar values and grew by scaling through engagement. This paper elaborates the idea of scaling through engagement as a way for circular organisations to scale
Expanding the upcycling paradigm: a case study in the creative use of waste streams and waste plastic in interlocking blocks
No full textThis paper contributes to the discourse of upcycling. It attempts to apply an understanding of upcycling to large-scale complex mass production processes, by exploring an ongoing case study that is repurposing waste plastics into interlocking building blocks, using ubiquitous manufacturing processes. In so doing, the paper responds to a call for more case studies of real-life industrial practices in material recovery. The paper however does not attempt to argue that the concept of upcycling, in its current form, is a perfect fit for this case study. Instead, it will identify those elements of upcycling culture and practice from which we can learn, and potentially apply to the management of plastic waste. Thus, the paper also contributes to an expanded understanding of upcycling, helping to legitimize it within mainstream practice, and move it beyond its current designation as a niche, though worthy, activity
Application of the paternalism principle to constitutional rights: Mental health case-law in Ireland
No full textIn adjudicating on matters relating to fundamental constitutional or human rights, courts make important statements about the principles which apply. The principles articulated will have a profound impact on the outcomes of such cases, and on the development of case-law in the relevant field. In the fields of medical law and mental health law, various courts have moved away from deference to medical decision-making and paternalism to a person-centred rights-based approach. However, courts in Ireland have continued to interpret mental health law in a paternalistic fashion, praising paternalism as if it is particularly suitable for mental health law. This raises profound questions about judicial attitudes to people with mental health conditions and judicial reluctance to confer full personhood on people with disabilities. This article outlines case-law in Ireland regarding paternalism in mental health law and discusses the consequences for constitutional rights in Ireland
Specification of an Information Delivery Tool to Support Optimal Holistic Environmental and Energy Management in Buildings
No full textThe Third National Conference of IBPSA-USA (SimBuild 2008), Berkeley, California, United States of America, 30 July - 1 August 2008Building performance assessment for the operational phase of a building’s life cycle is heuristic, typicallywork- ing from available historical metered data and focusing on bulk energy assessment. Building Management Systems are used in the operational phase of the building to con- trol the building’s internal environment according to the design criteria outlined during the design phase. Recent developments in mechanisms that communicate building performance such as standardised building per- formance objectives and metrics enable the use of the out- put from whole building energy simulation tools by non- technical personnel and all project stakeholders. This paper proposes to specify and demonstrate the utilisation of an Information Delivery Tool that supports optimum holistic environmental and energy analysis aimed at an established profile of building managers utilising standardised performance objectives and metricsSustainable Energy Irelan
24th International Conference on Miniaturized Systems for Chemistry and Life Sciences, MicroTAS 2020; Virtual, Online
No full textHerein we review aspects of leading-edge research and innovation in Materials Sciencethatexploits big data and Machine Learning(ML), two computer science conceptsthat combine to yield computationalintelligence. ML can accelerate the solution of intricate chemical problems and even solve problems that otherwise would not be tractable. But the potential benefits of ML come at the cost of big data production; that is, the algorithmsdemand large volumes of data of various natures and from different sources, from materials properties to sensor data. In the survey, we propose a roadmap for future developments with emphasis on computer-aided discoveryof new materials1and analysis of chemical sensingcompounds, both prominent research fields for ML in the context of Materials Science. In addition to providing an overview of recent advances, we elaborate upon the conceptual and practical limitations of big data and ML applied to Materials Science, outlining processes, discussing pitfalls, and reviewing cases of success and failure