Research questions:  How do social media influencers affect fashion purchase intent? How is slow fashion behavior affected by social media influencers?                                 Purpose:                  The purpose of this paper is to investigate the possible effects that social media influencers have on slow fashion behavior, in addition to explore the effects of social media influencers on fashion purchase intent. Method:                   This research was conducted through a quantitative study and the data was collected using an online survey. The survey was constructed and distributed in collaboration with a research group at Mälardalen University.  Conclusion:             This study confirms that influencers have the possibility to influence consumers’ behavior and provides initial insight into how their communities can affect consumers. The study concludes that influencers can persuade consumers to purchase fashion products online. However, there is ambiguity into how much influencers affect consumers. The study showed that the relationship between influencers and their communities is not clear, and especially how the two concepts interact in the way they influence consumers to behave more sustainably. Despite the complex relationship, both have the capability to positively and negatively affect consumers’ slow fashion behavior. While consumers may not employ all behaviors favorable in the slow fashion movement, any positive behavior will make a difference.

Název diplomové práce v anglickém jazyce, abstrakt v anglickém jazyce a 3 klíčová slova v anglickém jazyce NÁZEV V ANGLICKÉM JAZYCE Legal aspects of prevention of generation and recovery of packaging waste KLÍČOVÁ SLOVA V ANGLICKÉM JAZYCE packaging, prevention of generation of packaging waste, circular economy ABSTRAKT V ANGLICKÉM JAZYCE This diploma thesis addresses the legal aspects of packaging and packaging waste with the focus on the prevention of generation of packaging waste. The thesis is devoted to the legislation of packaging, packaging management and packaging waste management. The subject of research is the european legislation (mainly directive 94/62/EC on packaging and packaging waste and directive 2008/98/EC on waste) and Czech legislation based on the european directives (mainly Act No. 477/2001 Coll., on packaging and Act No. 185/2001 Coll., on waste). This legal problematics is undergoing a significant evolution. Higher targets regarding minimisation of packaging waste and more ecologically acceptable ways of managing packaging waste required by european directive amendments and other new conceptual documents (most importantly A new Circular Economy Action Plan) are going to be reflected in the Czech legislation by a new act on packaging, which is being a subject of a legislation process....

The choice of policy design has crucial implications for a policy’s efficiency. Plastic as a material is an important issue because of its fossil origin and because it often ends up as litter and spreads microplastics. Consequently, policies regarding plastic are vital to examine to understand how we can reduce the environmental consequences of plastic. This study has examined the design of the plastic carrier bag policy and especially focused on the choice of policy instrument, the actors involved, and if the desired change in behaviour occurred. By utilising Schneider and Ingram’s policy design theory, and Howlett and Vedung’s works on policy design and policy instruments, the study built an analytical framework to examine the plastic carrier bag policy. The result showed that the design of a policy was largely dependent on who governed, reflecting the government’s political culture, aims, and goals. The outcome of the policy showed that tax as an economic instrument was efficient in changing the public’s behaviour in the use of plastic carrier bags.

E-waste is one of the fastest-growing waste streams in the world, and South Africa (SA) is no exception. This is driven by increased consumer demand and access to electrical and electronic equipment, in addition to perceived equipment obsolescence, and rapid advancements in technology. E-waste recycling presents an opportunity in providing a source of secondary resources such as metals, plastics and glass, as well as employment and economic opportunities in both developed and developing countries. Furthermore, the diversion of this waste stream from landfills or dumps prevents additional land use and the potential negative impacts on human health and the environment. E-waste collection and upgrading is a relatively small-scale but growing industry in SA. Only 12% of e-waste generated was estimated to be recycled in 2015. Most of SA’s ewaste volumes are inaccessible due to lack of formal take-back schemes, lack of consumer awareness, as well as e-waste being kept in storage or disposed of in landfills. E-waste recyclers in SA generally carry out collection, dismantling and sorting, refurbishing, as well as pre-processing of value fractions. There is currently limited local end-processing capacity, therefore partially upgraded value fractions are prepared for export, while non-viable fractions are stockpiled or disposed of in local landfills. The business case for local end-processing of e-waste value fractions, particularly metals, does not seem feasible due to the inconsistent and insufficient volumes available. Furthermore, SA faces unique socio-economic challenges such as an unregulated yet well-established informal sector. Additionally, the legal framework presents many inhibitors for e-waste recyclers. This research study builds upon the knowledge that there is a limited understanding of the feasibility of existing e-waste end-processing technologies for implementation in the South African socio-economic and legislative context. Therefore, this research intends to find out what are the key barriers and enablers to implementing e-waste end-processing technologies in SA. Qualitative research methods were used to uncover the current challenges faced by local recyclers and other stakeholders in the value chain. The data collection thus took the form of interviews, site visits and desktop research. The findings show that the e-waste recycling industry in SA is undergoing many new developments in terms of research and investment interest, as well as the anticipated outcomes from the recent submissions of Industry Waste Management Plans (IndWMP). The industry shows potential as an emerging secondary resource economy, however, the extent to which it will mature is dependent on the organisation of its collection network as well as the development of local end-processing and manufacturing capacity. The collection network and infrastructure are currently supported by both informal and formal recyclers who provide a diversity of collection strategies and a wide network of ewaste sources. However, efforts to increase recycling rates by accessing volumes in storage and increasing consumer awareness and engagement is necessary. Besides the economies of scale required to support the development of local end-processing, alternative technologies to large-scale smelting should be considered for the SA context. While this is seen through initiatives by SA Precious Metals, end-processing technologies is still inaccessible to small and medium recyclers due to cash flow issues as well as cherry-picking of high-grade materials. Therefore, recyclers require further support in terms of dealing with non-viable fractions. This includes research and investments into technologies and business models for the recycling of low-value materials including plastics, as well as subsidies for the cost of safe disposal or treatment of these fractions. Additionally, acquisition of product markets and an increase in manufacturing capacity is necessary to accelerate industry development. The legislative framework also poses limitations on recyclers in the e-waste value chain, stemming from the legal definition of e-waste as a liability as opposed to a resource. While the legislation is unlikely to change, provisions to relieve any legal barriers should be implemented. This includes permissions for pilot projects to test new technologies, as well as legal support for smaller recyclers in the form of consultancy as well as guidelines for sustainable waste management practices should be provided. Finally, while there are many challenges present in the e-waste recycling industry today, the IndWMP offers an opportunity for collaboration between key stakeholders, including the relevant government bodies. Plans have been submitted and the outcomes of approved plans will be revealed at the beginning of 2019. The plans offer solutions for recycling subsidies, increasing the collection and recycling rates, as well as investment into technology, research and enterprise development. However, successful implementation of these plans will only occur if integration and collaboration of the local e-waste community prevail over greed and the struggle for power.

In a world which is highly reliant on international trade and at the same time is facing what has been described as among the greatest challenges planet Earth ever seen, climate change. The connection the two have to each other becomes increasingly essential to understand. This study was put in the context of a developing country, Malaysia, due to the increased amount of businesses located in developing countries which are choosing to internationalise and export products. The 17 Global Goals created by the United Nations, which has been adopted by all member states are aimed to be reached in 2030. The Global Goals are built upon trust and responsibility for the planet which creates a scenario where the behaviour of both businesses and consumers is changed. The purpose of the study was to gain knowledge of how the aspect of environmental sustainability impacts export and what motivates the Malaysian businesses to change for the better. The outcome of this study indicates that the customers have a significant role for both motivation of businesses and the implementation of new strategies. The study has also seen an indication of a connection between the speed of internationalisation and export related to how businesses are motivated by customers in terms of environmental sustainability. Moreover, the study has shown that there is little connection between the business’s selection of export mode and environmental sustainability.

The circular economy model has been proposed as a possible strategy for sustainable development in urban areas, implying that its core principles need to be cascaded down to various sectors, including the energy sector. District heating and cooling systems have great potential to enhance circularity on an urban level due to the establishment of synergies between different sectors, the incorporation of renewable energy sources and high efficiency. Indicator-based frameworks are valuable tools for monitoring the transition toward a circular economy. However, no framework to assess circularity in district heating and cooling systems was found. Thus, this study addresses this gap by reviewing currently available indicators used to assess district heating and cooling systems and understanding to what extent they reflect circular economy principles. For this purpose, 27 papers with 271 indicators were assessed against defined criteria related to the circular economy principles. These criteria included transparency, stakeholder engagement, effective communication, ability to track temporal changes, applicability, alignment with circular economy principles, validity and relevance to sustainable development. Afterwards, 89 indicators were selected and classified based on the 10R principle framework. The assessment revealed that the assessed papers cover a wide range of topics and assessment types and that none of the assessed papers fulfils all of the assessment criteria. Moreover, most of the identified indicators connect to the environmental and economic pillars of sustainable development, and the identified indicators focus primarily on the R principles of Reduce and Recover. This study laid the foundation for further research on the relationship between district heating and cooling systems and the circular economy by identifying the understudied areas and highlighting the need to develop tailored indicators to measure circularity in these systems.

This is a master’s thesis project of 30 credits written with guidance from the Swedish research institute ICT Viktoria and Industrial Ecology at KTH. This thesis is conducted by two students at KTH, one with a background in Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Ecology and the other with a background in Energy and Environmental Technology. This study focuses on circular economy linked to the furniture industry in Sweden and how the transition from theoretical to practical concepts can be improved. The methods of this thesis consist of three semi-structured interviews, a survey and an analytical comparative literature review. The interviews, survey and literature review is analyzed with the purpose of finding important criteria relevant for office chairs in circular business models. The interviews are performed face-to-face with three different key persons; an office supply manager, a CEO at a refurbishing company and a product manager. The study focuses on product design within the Swedish furniture industry although some aspects regarding circular business models, logistics and psychological values are included. The results are design criteria for office chairs in circular business models and a design evaluation program for the industry built on these. The program, based on multi criteria analysis, can help reduce the gap between theory and practice of how circular economy should be implemented in the industry. By giving early feedback during the design phase on how well an office chair and a company’s structure meet circular economy criteria the authors hope to ease and speed up this transition. The main characteristics of an office chair designed for circular business models are: Durable Easy to service Adaptable Modular Homogeneous material composition in modules Although the transition to circular business models can be a comprehensive process the authors believe that if furniture manufacturers would integrate circular business models for office chairs into their business structure this would be both economically viable and highly beneficial for their environmental profile which can strengthen their position on the market.

Our society is all the more shifting towards focusing on the impact that we have on the world’s climate and reducing our environmental impact is getting increasingly popular. Amongst efforts to reduce the impact of the products that we use, the field of Circular Design has emerged as a solution that tackles the problem at its roots in a holistic way, aiming to not only reduce the climate impact of products, but to transition our entire society into a sustainable one through the implementation of a Circular Economy. This ideal economic state is structured around ensuring that products are not simply produced, used and then discarded, but instead that the value of products are never lost. This is done by circulating them in different stages, ensuring that they are reused by other people, refurbished to a good condition, remanufactured as a new product, or that their materials are recycled and used in other products. This holistic approach currently seems to be the most viable for transitioning our society into one structured around sustainability.   In the midst of the increasing interest in sustainability, companies are starting the move towards implementing changes with this in mind. In the electric guitar industry, .strandberg* stands out as one of the more well-known brands that is doing just that, by introducing product design changes to their electric guitars with the goal of reducing material waste and moving away from materials that are becoming scarce in the world. This can be seen as a first step towards changing the entire industry, that is currently focusing mostly on constantly manufacturing new products, to one that focuses on the value of existing products and how to maintain this for as long as possible. The electric guitar as a product is one that commonly sees several users during its lifetime already, and those with high degrees of quality and performance, such as .strandberg*’s products, can potentially be used and kept in a functional state indefinitely. As such, introducing Circular Design to this product category stands as a challenge.   During the course of this thesis project, the process of Design Thinking and the skillset of an Industrial Design Engineer has been used to take on this challenge of Circular Design applied to the electric guitar. Current circular products have been analyzed to find success factors, inspiration and knowledge of the implications that Circular Design has on product development. The work included a comprehensive literature review of the field to take part of the existing academic knowledge, contextual and user research to understand the current situation as well as the needs of the relevant user group, idea generation to find innovative solutions, visual prototyping of concepts and the use of evaluative methods to understand how well the solutions would work.   The final results of the project ended up being more theoretical than anticipated, as it was found that .strandberg*’s products in their design already fit many of the criteria for circular products. Instead, a circular business model system (CBMS) was developed, that details a process wherein .strandberg*’s newly produced as well as existing products can circulate through a sequence of users, while also incentivizing these users to take care of their products and ensure that their functional service life is maximized. The CBMS stands as a broader value offering to both .strandberg* as a company and to the users of their products.   Recommendations for future work with the CBMS includes testing alternative material choices with physical prototypes, launching the model at a small scale to investigate its validity and work out eventual problems as well as to build partnerships with actors, either on a small but potentially on a global scale, to be able to implement aspects of the CBMS.

The European Commission adopted the first action plan for the transition to a circular economy in 2015. As a result, the concrete industry’s goal is for all concrete produced in Sweden to be climate neutral by 2045. Cement production is the third-largest carbon dioxide emitter in Sweden and accounts for 90% of concrete’s carbon dioxide emissions. Thus, to lower the climate footprint of concrete, it is necessary to find alternatives to cement. The potential of the use of wood ash in cement as a supplementary cementitious material (SCM) has been investigated in several studies. Due to Sweden's nature and wood industry, a comprehensive study has been done to investigate the possibility of using wood ash as an SCM in Sweden based on availability and efficiency. This work aims to investigate the obstacles and driving forces that concrete producers face when transitioning to a circular economy by partially replacing cement with new potential SCMs. The aim is also to investigate the availability of wood ash generated in Sweden and account for the potential to be used as an SCM. Qualitative semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions were conducted to determine the obstacles and drivers that concrete producers in Sweden face when converting to a circular economy by partially replacing cement with new potential SCMs. The amount of ash produced in Sweden was estimated based on the value of ash content and the potential annual supply of wood fuels in Sweden. In addition, a literature review was performed to investigate the properties of wood ash. The economic and environmental aspects, as well as the fact that the supply of fly ash and slag is likely to decrease in the future form the main driving forces for concrete producers. The obstacles raised by the correspondents were the availability of SCMs, technical barriers, logistics, and standards. The amount of the annual production of wood ash in Sweden is estimated to be between 851 450 and 1 232 950 tons. The chemical characteristics of wood ash did not meet the requirements according to European standard (EN450-1). However, the reviewed articles indicated a potential for wood ash to be used as a supplementary cementitious material due to the indication of some hydraulic and pozzolanic activities. The combination of fly ash and wood ash in concrete is considered viable due to promising results based on mechanical strength. / EU-kommissionen antog den första handlingsplanen för omställningen till en cirkulär ekonomi 2015. Som ett resultat av detta är betongindustrins mål att all betong som används i Sverige ska vara klimatneutral år 2045. Cementindustrin är den tredje största koldioxidutsläpparen i Sverige och står för 90 % av betongens koldioxidutsläpp. För att sänka betongens klimatavtryck är det nödvändigt att hitta alternativ till cement. Potentialen för användningen av träaska i cement som ett alternativt bindemedel har undersökts i flera studier. Med hänsyn till Sveriges natur- och träindustri har en omfattande studie gjorts för att undersöka möjligheten att använda träaska som alternativ bindemedel i Sverige utifrån tillgänglighet och effektivitet. Arbetet syftar till att undersöka de hinder och drivkrafter som betongföretag möter vidövergången till en cirkulär ekonomi genom att delvis ersätta cement med nya alternativa bindemedel. Syftet är också att undersöka tillgången på träaska som genereras i Sverige och redogöra för potentialen att användas som ett bindemedel. Kvalitativa semistrukturerade intervjuer med öppna frågor genomfördes för att fastställa de hinder och drivkrafter som företag inom betongtillverkning i Sverige möter vid en omställning där cement ersätts delvis med nya bindemedel. Mängden aska som produceras i Sverige har uppskattats utifrån värden på askhalt och den potentiella årliga tillgången på trädbränslen i Sverige. Dessutom har en litteraturöversikt genomförts för att undersöka träaskans egenskaper. Drivkrafterna för en omställning till cirkulär ekonomi hos betongindustrier genom delvis ersättning av cement med nya alternativa bindemedel är de ekonomiska och miljömässiga aspekterna samt det faktum att tillgången på flygaska och slagg riskerar att sjunka i framtiden. Hindren som korrespondenterna tog upp var tillgången till alternativa bindemedel, tekniska barriärer, logistik och standarder. Mängden av den årliga produktionen av träaska i Sverige uppskattas mellan 851 450 och 1 232 950 ton. Kemiska egenskaper hos de undersökta träaskorna uppfyller inte kraven enligt europeisk standard (EN450-1). Litteraturöversikten visar dock en potential för träaska att användas som ett alternativt bindemedel till följd av en viss hydraulisk och puzzolanisk aktivitet. Kombinationen av flygaska och träaska i betong anses lönsam på grund av lovande resultat baserade på mekanisk hållfasthet.

Background. Between 2012 and 2017 the plastic supply in Sweden increased by almost 400000 metric tons. In 2017, the hospitals in Sweden contributed to 4550 metric tons of plastic waste, disposable gloves counted for 2100 metric tons, which is 358 million disposable gloves. The majority made in other countries than Sweden, which is not only contributing to a considerable waste stream but also vulnerability when the system is dependent on continuous material supplies. Aim and Purpose. The research aim has been to understand the challenges and opportunities of needs relating to plastic waste flows from the health care sector. From the needs, choose an area to develop an innovative solution that changes the current waste flow into value for the health care sector in Sweden. Method. For this thesis, the researcher has used the Design Research Methodology and the MSPI innovation process. Design Research Methodology has been used to find and validate crucial information about the problem, by the usage of literature research and Unstructured interviews within the research area. MSPI was iteratively used with DRM to design the intended support as well as building the actual support. Results. The final prototype proves that circularity for plastic materials in hospitals is reachable. The Needfinding highlights the need for circularity, regarding both an effective use of the material and the health care’s readiness levels where access to Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) is crucial, especially in times of crisis. Conclusions. During the time of crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been clear that changes regarding preparedness and access to PPE needs improvement. Circularity is one way of achieving greater control of the material flow, which affects the hospital's level of independence. The development has proven one way of making the flow of disposable gloves circular by developing an inhouse recycling machine. This thesis work is just one angle of approach towards circularity and more efficient usage of material. To prove the concept in a hospital environment, future development is required. / Bakgrund. Mellan åren 2012 och 2017 har plastförsörjningen i Sverige ökat med nästan 400 000 ton. Under 2017 bidrog sjukhusen i Sverige till 4550 ton plastavfall varav engångshandskar bidrog med 2100 ton, vilket motsvarar 358 miljoner engångshandskar. Majoriteten är tillverkade i andra länder än Sverige, vilket inte bara bidrar till en stor avfallsström, utan också sårbarhet när systemet är beroende av kontinuerlig materialförsörjning. Syfte och Mål. Forskningens syfte har varit att förstå utmaningarna och möjligheterna med plastavfallsflöden från vårdsektorn. Från behoven väljs ett område för att utveckla en innovativ lösning som stöder cirkularitet inom hälso-sjukvården i Sverige. Metod. Denna avhandling har genomförts med hjälp av DRM- och MSPI-innovationsprocess. DRM, Design Research Methodology, har använts för att hitta och validera avgörande information kring problemet och har också gett akademisk trovärdighet. Detta har gjorts med litteraturforskning och ostrukturerade intervjuer inom forskningsområdet. MSPI har använts tillsammans med DRM på iterativt sätt för att utforma det avsedda stödet och bygga det faktiska stödet. Resultat. Projektets prototyp bevisar att cirkularitet för plastmaterial på sjukhus kan nås. Behovsundersökningen visar på behovet av cirkularitet, både när det gäller materiell effektivitet och beredskapsnivåer på sjukhus där tillgången till personlig skyddsutrustning är avgörande. Speciellt i kristider. Slutsatser. Under kristiden, covid-19-pandemin, har det varit tydligt att förändringar avseende beredskap och tillgång till personlig skyddsutrustning måste göras. Cirkularitet är ett sätt att uppnå större kontroll över materialflödet som påverkar sjukhusens självständighetsnivå. Projektet har visat ett sätt att göra flödet av engångshandskar cirkulärt genom att utveckla ett system för remanufacturing. Detta är bara en inställningsvinkel mot cirkularitet och en mer effektiv användning av material. För att bevisa konceptet i en riktig sjukhusmiljö krävs vidareutveckling.