Studien som är ett forskningsprojekt men också en produktutvecklingsprocess utgår från de två forskningsfrågorna: Hur kan man genom design hantera befintligt spillmaterial? Hur kan man genom design förebygga och minska avfall?  Eftersom våra resurser på planeten börjar bli knappa måste vi bli bättre på att ta hand om de resurser vi har. Den här studien handlar om spillmaterial och utgår från befintligt sådant från möbelföretaget Blå station. Detta ska representera och visualisera problematiken med att bra spillmaterial energiåtervinns eller deponeras istället för att användas som material i nya produkter. Studien börjar med en teorigenomgång inom hållbar utveckling och cirkulär ekonomi samt hållbar och cirkulär design. Expertintervjuer har gjorts med två designers samt några designexperiment som syftat till att ta fram möjliga designförslag för spillmaterialet vilket resulterade i tre olika designförslag samt några generella principer för hur man kan hantera spillmaterial samt minska mängden avfall när man tar fram produkter. / This study is a research project as well as a product development process and is based on the two research questions: How can design handle existing left-over materials? How can design prevent and reduce waste?  As our resources on the planet are becoming scarce, we need to better handle the ones we have. This study is about left-over materials and is based on such from the furniture company Blå station. This will represent and visualize the problems we have with good left-over materials is burned or thrown away instead of being used as material in new products. The study starts with a theory review in sustainable development and circular economy together with sustainable and circular design. Expert interviews with two designers were done and some design experiment with the intention to produce some possible design proposals for the left-over material and it resulted in three different proposals and some general principles for how to handle left over materials and also reduce waste in new products.

This diploma thesis deals with application optimization method in circular economy branch. The introduction is focused on explaining main features of the issue and its benefits for economy and environment. Afterwards are mentioned some obstacles, which are preventing transition from current waste management. Mathematical apparatus, which is used in practical section, is described in the thesis. Core of the thesis is mathematical optimization model, which is implemented in the GAMS software, and generator of input data is made in VBA. The model includes all of significant waste management options with respect to economic and enviromental aspect, including transport. Functionality is then demostrated on a small task. Key thesis result is application of the model on real data concerning Czech Republic. In conclusion an analysis of computation difficulty, given the scale of the task, is accomplished.

SMEs are an integral part of the Kenyan economy, and SMEs working with a circular economy (CE)can play a crucial role in contributing to sustainable growth and the nation’s sustainable development goals, Vision 2030. However, these SMEs face several challenges. This study aims to contribute to the body of research on CE and SMEs in developing countries, an area that is under-researched. Through the study, the researchers explore and bring to the fore the barriers and enablers experienced by SMEs practising CE in emerging economies. This study further examines whether SMEs can apply organisational learning to overcome and harness the barriers and enablers. This research is a qualitative study of an exploratory nature. Primary data was collected from SMEs across different sectors through semi-structured interviews. The main findings indicate that the SMEs face barriers with resources, collaborations, infrastructure, regulations and policies, culture, awareness, and the internal and external environment. However, these categories were also found to act as enablers in addition to adaptive spaces and knowledge management. The research further establishes that the present conditions in the external environment attached to weak policies and regulations are a barrier to progression and learning in CE. This study invites further research of circular economy in developing countries and practical solutions for a way forward.

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Background: Circular economy has received an increasing amount of attention and a move towards a circular economy recently became a top priority within the EU. The food industry contributes to a large amount of the anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. In spite of this few studies have explored circular economy in regard to grocery store companies. The lack of prior research in the area serves as a motivation to carry out this study.  Purpose: The purpose of this study is to describe and analyze how grocery store companies have developed their communication to influence their customers’ behaviors and influence the relationship they have with them. Research question: How has the communication regarding a circular economy developed within grocery store companies during 2014-2020? Method: A content analysis of Swedish grocery store companies’ annual reports and sustainability reports between the years 2014-2020 has been conducted. Qualitative coding was mainly used, but some quantitative elements occur. The coding emanated from the two themes plastic and food waste. Results and conclusion: This study shows that the grocery store companies’ circular communication have congregated as a result of changes in the social expectations. The companies have concretized the idea of a circular economy and have introduced their own initiatives to reach it. / Bakgrund: Cirkulär ekonomi är ett begrepp som blivit alltmer uppmärksammat. En övergång till cirkulär ekonomi är numera en av EU:s främsta prioriteringar. Matindustrin bidrar till en stor del av de antropogena utsläppen av växthusgaser. Trots detta finns det få studier som kopplar samman ämnena cirkulär ekonomi och dagligvaruhandel. Bristen på tidigare forskning motiverade att denna studie genomfördes. Syfte: Syftet med studien är att beskriva och analysera hur företag inom dagligvaruhandeln har utvecklat sin kommunikation om cirkulär ekonomi för att påverka sina kunders beteende och relationen de har med dem.  Frågeställning: Hur har kommunikationen kring cirkulär ekonomi utformats inom dagligvaruhandeln mellan åren 2014–2020? Metod: I denna undersökning har en innehållsanalys av aktörerna i den svenska dagligvaruhandelns års- och hållbarhetsrapporter mellan åren 2014–2020 genomförts. Främst användes kvalitativ kodning, men vissa kvantitativa inslag förekommer. Kodningen utgick ifrån begreppen plast och matavfall. Resultat och slutsats: Resultatet av denna studie visar att företagen inom dagligvaruhandeln utformat och ökat sin cirkulära kommunikation på liknande sätt som en följd av förändringar i samhällets förväntningar. Företagen har konkretiserat begreppet cirkulär ekonomi och presenterat egna initiativ för att uppnå det.

Moving towards a more circular economic model is necessary in order to secure the sufficiency of vital raw materials and to achieve a balance between both economic and environmental prosperity. However, the discussion regarding circular economy from a business perspective is still rather limited, and the practical applications of circular economy are mostly related to waste management and industrial applications. Needless to say, circular economy is much more than just large-scale recycling. Circular economy, as a system which aims to ensure a more circular flow of resources, materials and energy, can embody a variety of expressions from closing resource loops to redesigning products, services and the nature of ownership towards favoring renting, sharing, reusing and other alternative ways of maximize the resource efficiency and extend product life. Hence, the principles of circularity can be applied across all industries, instead of just those operating in the industrial sector. Standing on the way of the development of a global circular economy is the perceived mismatched objectives of profit seeking businesses and sustainability advocators. Businesses want high sales levels and profit margins, whereas at the core of environmental sustainability is often to promote conscious consumption and cut down on activities resulting in pollution and waste. And because circular economy is often strongly associated with sustainability matters, businesses tend to stray away from it as it is considered to work against a company’s purpose of making profit. Yet here is the catch – instead of seeing circular economy just as a sustainability tool, it can also be considered as a viable business opportunity which when effectively exploited, can be a source of competitive advantage and a source of economic value

The surges in the deterioration on all fronts of sustainability have led to the conceptualization of the Circular Economy (CE). The compliance of production and consumption tightly knitted with the linear model has created a much-needed debate as well as a barrier to the transition towards the CE. In order to drive the transition from linear to CE, various typologies of CE business models have been derived. The Product-Service System (PSS), a business model for creating a circular flow of materials, necessitates the transformation of consumers from being owners into mere users. The textile industry, where the use of virgin materials is deemed to be a primary component for its production and consumption, requires the ingestion of CE-based business models. However, such a transition requires a constant and conscious effort from various actors as well as consumers.   The study takes a holistic perspective targeting both the PSS provider as well as the consumers in providing an understanding of frictions that occur between a PSS Business model and the existing consumption practices. As different actors form a network to drive a PSS business model, this study, firstly aims to develop an understanding of the interactions that take place between two different actors who aim to develop a PSS business model within the domain of textiles. Secondly, as there tend to be consumers who oppose business models that change their existing habits and routines, one such as PSS, this study focuses on analyzing the existing practices related to the consumption of textiles. By contemplating between the consumption side and the PSS provider side, the thesis concludes with a model on how a PSS business model can be made to stabilize the differences with respect to consumption practices by taking into account the factors that influence the consumption of a product.

Abstract The management and handling of organic waste in primarily low-income developing cities, due to high urbanization has become a global problem. The main form of waste handling in these cities are landfilling, due to it being the cheapest and easiest option. Not only are nutrients wasted, but landfills of mixed waste create strong emission of greenhouse gasses and a leachate that affects groundwater quality. This major problem in addition to a higher demand for food due to the increase of the world population leaves us two problems to solve; to handle waste and produce food. The Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) and its larvae can solve both of these problems in one. The organic waste is fed to the fly larvae and the larvae produce biomass (larval weight) and a residue similar to un-mature compost. The larvae can then be fed live to animals or made into pellets to feed animals such as fish, and the residue can be used as fertilizer. However, in order for the larvae to be able to be extruded into pellets or fed live to ex. hens, an optimal protein and fat content of the larvae is needed. A higher protein and lower fat content of the larvae is optimal for both pellet production and to feed to animals. It has previously been found that an inclusion of mussels can lower the fat content and increase the protein content of the larvae. In this article, different amounts of mussels are included in the larvae diet apart from bread and cabbage to see if it has an effect on the compost process efficiency. The experiment is done by larvae being added to different ratios of bread: cabbage: mussels. The larvae are then harvested and process efficiency parameters; BCE (biomass conversion efficiency), survival percentage, material reduction and respiration are calculated. It was found that mussel inclusion was equivalent to a higher feeding load per larva. The BCE of the treatment with a higher feeding load and the treatment with the highest mussel inclusion were the same, meaning that mussel inclusion is equivalent to a diet with high amounts of carbohydrates. Mussel inclusion in the larva diet seems to be beneficial from a BCE standpoint and suits as a substrate as pH and survival was not negatively affected by the mussels.

The Reusist project has explored, evaluated, and designed a system through a co-creation process around the unsustainable disposal of valuable surplus furniture found at Återbruket (SSAM) and on-campus at Linnaeus University. The main aim of this project is implementing positive circular economy behaviours and attitudes through a designerly perspective, in light of consumerism and the constant need for and disposal of furniture. Design ethnography methods, workshops, and other techniques were used to drive co-creation; deriving values from stakeholders to shape the design outcome. Sustainability is explored holistically through environmental, social, economical, and cultural factors, with a main focus on the practice of re-framing value and circulating household furniture for as long as possible as a step towards a circular economy. The system proposed targets students as well as the general public, and so can be considered as a public service. Its main components consist of an umbrella concept of ‘Share’ founded upon ‘Furniture Packages’, enabled through ‘Repair’ and ‘Redesign’, and whose accessibility is amplified through a ‘Digital Presence’ which also enables ‘Crowdsourcing’. This project ended by presenting the proposal to the two direct collaborators, Återbruket (SSAM) and Svenska Kyrkan. However, this project isn’t finalised, as there are possible future steps to expand with an even more embedded collaboration alongside stakeholders and organisations.

Bakgrund: Människans ökade konsumtion av produkter använder upp naturens resurser och bidrar till utsläpp, detta är särskilt relevant gällande produkter med kort livslängd så som sportmode då dessa produkter massproduceras på olika geografiska regioner för att sedan fraktas världen över och användas en kortare period för att sedan kastas. Producenterna jobbar främst med en linjär ekonomi men de börjar gå mer mot en cirkulär ekonomi istället genom att använda mer hållbara material och återanvända gamla produkter. Syfte: Syftet med studien är att beskriva hur återförsäljare inom sportmode branschen använder sig av green marketing för att bidra till en cirkulär ekonomi? Metod: En kvalitativ fallstudie med abduktiv ansats, där vi genomfört semistrukturerade intervjuer. Teoretiskt perspektiv: Studien utgår från teorier som anses vara relevanta för att se hur återförsäljarna använder sig av green marketing för att nå en cirkulär ekonomi. Teorierna berör green marketing, strategier, green washing, cirkulär ekonomi och konsumentbeteende. Empiri: Empiri delen består av fyra semistrukturerade intervjuer med företag i Skandinavien som jobbar med återförsäljning av sportmode på den svenska marknaden. Slutsatser: Återförsäljare av sportmode använder sig av green marketing till stor del för att skapa starka samarbeten med externa intressenter. Där kan vi se att hållbarhetskrav ställs från båda håll vilket i sin tur bidrar till att företagen fortsätter att utveckla deras miljötänk och hållbarhetsarbete. Genom att forska fram nya material och tillverkningsprocesser jobbar företagen för att kunna öka deras cirkulära flöden och gå ifrån dagens linjära ekonomi. / Background: Man's increased consumption of products uses up natural resources and contributes to emissions, this is especially relevant for products with a short lifespan such as sports fashion as these products are mass-produced in different geographical regions and then shipped around the world and used for a shorter period. cast. Producers work mainly with a linear economy, but they are starting to move more towards a circular economy instead by using more sustainable materials and reusing old products. Aim: The aim of the study is to describe how retailers in the sports fashion industry use green marketing to contribute to a circular economy? Method: A qualitative method with an abductive approach, where we conducted semi-structured interviews. Theoretical perspective: The study is based on theories that are considered relevant to see how retailers use green marketing to achieve a circular economy. The theories concern green marketing, strategies, green washing, circular economy and consumer behavior. Empirical: The empirical part consists of four semi-structured interviews with companies in Scandinavia that work with the resale of sports fashion on the Swedish market. Conclusions: Retailers of sportswear use green marketing to a large extent to create strong collaborations with external stakeholders. There we can see that sustainability requirements are set from both sides, which in turn contributes to companies continuing to develop their environmental thinking and sustainability work. By researching new materials and manufacturing processes, companies work to be able to increase their circular flows and move away from today's linear economy.