The aim of this project is to investigate a cultural history of mushroom collecting in Sweden from the 19th century to the present with a focus on connections between aesthetics and the environment.  Collecting is defined broadly as gathering, storing, and accumulating.  This definition encompasses mycologists, mushroom enthusiasts, botanists, and natural historians documenting and preserving as many species as possible.  But it also includes collecting in the sense of leisurely mushroom collectors taking a part of the environment home with them to eat, store, or learn from. A history of mushroom collecting in Sweden is framed that does not only focus on edible mushrooms or scientific value, but emphasizes their linkages to place, memory, conservation, sociality, and embodied knowledge. Mushroom aesthetics are a starting point for exploring wider human connections to the environment and human perceptions of nature.   Collecting is presented as a process which is argued to be a means for constant dialogue with the environment. The cyclical collecting process is broken into stages that are discussed in designated chapters: Hunting, Identification and Assessment, and Storage and Sharing. Aesthetic aspects of mushroom collecting in Sweden are examined within these stages applying visual and discourse analyses to archival images, questionnaires, historic cookbook recipes, and mushroom identification books. Importance is also assigned to fully immersed aesthetic experiences and specific sensory stimuli that facilitate interconnection with non-human actors. Immersed aesthetic experiences are argued to be significant in their ability to democratize aesthetic appreciation of nature, in contrast to historical associations of aesthetics with taste and high culture. Fluctuating historical judgments are mapped about mushrooms, highlighting the framing of nature as a productive asset. Mushroom exhibitions are shown to be a point of collective meaning making, where aspects of natural time according to mushrooms challenge anthropocentric notions of temporality. This thesis through its focus on aesthetics in mushroom collecting reveals spaces of uncertainty and dynamic fluctuation in human-nature relationships, as well as a sense of value for being physically present and part of environments.

Keywords: E-commerce, Order process, Return process, Order picking, Waste, Lean production, Process flowchart, Poka Yoka, 5S, Six Sigma, Kaizen, Kata. Introduction: To sell products on the internet, it is important to be at the forefront of internal routines and processes to not be overtaken by a competitor. Small e-commerce companies do not have the same resources to implement autonomous processes to the same extent as large e- commerce companies, therefore this study examines the shortcomings in the order picking and return process for small e-commerce companies and how these shortcomings can be remedied from a Lean perspective to have an opportunity to compete on the market. Purpose: The aim of this study is to develop different opportunities for improvement from a Lean perspective by analyzing different e-commerce companies, focused on its processes within order picking and return management. Method: The study has been done as a qualitative case study with a deductive approach and a critically realistic approach. The primary data has been collected through semi-structured interviews and observations. Conclusion: Shortcomings as motion, defects, waiting and non-utilized potential have been identified in the order pick process and return process. Suggested Lean techniques as 5S, Kaizen & Kata and six sigma have been presented as methods for improving the identified shortcomings that occur in these processes for e-commerce companies.

Many companies do not prioritize warehouse logistics sufficiently in their core business, with the help of increased knowledge, more companies can reduce non-value-creating activities on their warehouse space. There is research and methods designed for standard warehouses that help reduce picking time and non-value-adding activities, however, there is not enough research regarding companies with limited warehouse space and how they can work towards continuous improvement. The purpose and contribution of the study is increasing knowledge of how companies with limited warehouse space can manage and time-efficient their warehouse space with the help of warehouse logistics. A qualitative case study has been performed with observations and an interview where picking time has been the main focus. The collection of the theoretical framework has been reviewed and revised through scientific articles and other literature to strengthen the empirical research. The research is delimited and focuses on limited storage areas. More specifically, the study has placed its emphasis on warehouse logistics and picking time. The study looked at a company's limited storage space and focused on a small part in a delivery, from arrival control to storage. In the empirical study, a case company has been studied and confirmed that warehouse logistics needs to be given better priority in companies with limited warehouse space. With the help of reduced time in warehouse routines, many companies can reduce non-value-creating activities. The purpose of the study and issues will contribute to future research and can be used as a basis. Future research will also help other companies in the same situation to eliminate non-value-adding activities and reduce picking time. / Många företag prioriterar inte lagerlogistik tillräckligt i sin kärnverksamhet, med hjälp av en ökad lagerlogistik-kunskap kan fler företag reducera icke-värdeskapande aktiviteter på lagerytan. Det exister forskning och metoder som är utformade för standardlager som hjälper till att reducera plocktid och icke-värdeskapande aktiviteter, däremot saknas det tillräcklig forskning gällande företag med begränsad lageryta och hur dom kan arbeta mot ständiga förbättringar när det kommer till lagerlogistik.  Studiens syfte och bidrag ligger i att öka kunskapen om hur företag med begränsad lageryta, med hjälp av lagerlogistik, kan hantera och tidseffektivisera sin lageryta. En kvalitativ fallstudie har utförts med observationer och mejlkommunikation där plocktid varit huvudfokus. Samling av det teoretiska ramverket har genom vetenskapliga artiklar och annan litteratur granskats och reviderats för att stärka den empiriska undersökningen. Forskningen avgränsas och fokuserar på begränsade lagerytor. Mer specifikt har studien lagt sin vikt på lagerlogistik och plocktid. Studien har tittat på ett fallföretags begränsade lageryta och på en liten del i en leverans, från ankomstkontroll till förvaringsförråd.  I den empiriska undersökningen har ett fallföretag studerats och bekräftat att lagerlogistik behöver prioriteras bättre hos företag med begränsad lageryta. Med hjälp av reducerad tid vid lagerrutiner kan många företag reducera icke-värdeskapande aktiviteter. Studiens syfte och frågeställningar kommer att bidra till framtida forskningar och kan användas som underlag. Framtida forskning kommer även bidra med att hjälpa andra företag i samma sits att eliminera icke-värdeskapande aktiviteter och reducera plocktid.

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The berry industry is one of many migration corridors where migrant workers work under precarious forms of employment. The essay’s purpose is to examine different perspectives on the living and working conditions in the Swedish berry picking industry. This will be studied qualitatively, with oral history as the primary research method, by analysing inspection reports and through interviews with six informants. The informants consist of workers from The Swedish Municipal Workers' Union (Kommunal), a berry picker and a berry principal. Previous research on this topic is sparse and few have used historical and sociological perspectives to explain the phenomenon. The Thai berry pickers’ living conditions varies. Some municipalities need to execute inspections far more frequent, for the inspections to become an important mechanism of control which can exert pressure. Kommunal has since 2009 had the right to represent the Thai berry pickers and the working conditions have improved ever since. Through the collective agreement the workers are given the right to minimum-wage in addition to the piece rate. Kommunal plays an important role but are limited as few berry pickers are members of the labour union. The working hours is one area of concern where Kommunal has difficulties to act. The piece rate has given rise to intense work and the berry pickers therefore want to maximize their profits. The berry picking principals, in the competitive industry, varies in terms of seriousness but can change the industry. This responsibility has not always been adopted. / Bärindustrin är en av många migrationskorridorer, där migrantarbetare arbetar under prekära anställningsformer. Uppsatsens syfte är att undersöka ett flertal perspektiv på boende- och arbetsförhållandena inom den kommersiella bärplockningen i Sverige. Detta studeras kvalitativt, med muntlig historia som huvudsaklig undersökningsmetod, genom att analysera opublicerade inspektionsrapporter samt förhållningssätt till företeelsen genom intervjuer med sex relevanta informanter. Informanterna består av anställda på Svenska Kommunalarbetareförbundet (Kommunal), en bärplockare och en bärföretagare. Forskningsläget om den kommersiella bärplockningen är begränsat och få har anlagt historiska och sociologiska perspektiv för att förklara fenomenet. De thailändska bärplockarnas boendeförhållanden varierar. Vissa kommuner behöver utföra mer frekventa inspektioner för att inspektionerna ska kunna utgöra en viktig kontrollmekanism i form av ett påtryckningsmedel.  Sedan 2009 har Kommunal haft organisationsrätt att företräda de thailändska bärplockarna och därefter har arbetsförhållandena förbättrats. Genom kollektivavtalet har alla thailändska bärplockare rätt till lagstadgad grundlön, utöver ackordslönen. Kommunal har ett viktigt ansvar men är begränsade då organiseringsgraden är låg. Arbetstiderna är ett problemområde där Kommunal har svårt att agera. Ackordslönen ger upphov till intensivt arbete och bärplockarna vill därför maximera sina inkomster. Bärföretagen i den konkurrerande branschen varierar i seriöshet men har möjligheter att påverka arbetsförhållandena. Detta medför ett ansvar som inte alltid har antagits.

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Au cours de ces dernières années, les Déchets Solides Municipaux (DSM) se sont révélés comme une problématique environnementale et économique majeure dans tous les pays. Les quantités collectées et les dépenses publiques nécessaires à leurs gestions croissent de façon insoutenable et ce, particulièrement dans les pays en développement (y compris ceux en transition). Face à ce constat, notre thèse a pour objectif de proposer des éléments de compréhension ainsi que des recommandations pour les politiques publiques. Pour cela, nous avons combiné une approche macroéconomique, pour étudier les liens entre la quantité de DSM et la croissance économique, à une approche microéconomique centrée sur la question du financement par une taxe incitative. Les contributions de cette thèse sont de trois ordres et ont pour référence les pays méditerranéens. La première contribution a consisté à tester la viabilité de l’hypothèse de la Courbe Environnementale de Kuznets (CEK) dans un contexte d’ouverture au commerce international. Cette première approche a permis de déceler une relation monotone croissante entre l’intensité de la production des DSM et la croissance économique sur la période 1990-2010 et ce, quel que soit le niveau de revenu des pays. Ce qui nous conduit à la conclusion d’une incompatibilité entre les objectifs de croissance et de prévention de la production des DSM. La deuxième contribution a été l’occasion de considérer, dans un modèle théorique, le recyclage informel qui est une caractéristique commune au pays en développement. L’objectif de cette contribution a été d’une part d’analyser l’impact du recyclage informel sur l’efficacité d’une politique de taxation incitative et d’autre part, de déterminer les conditions optimales d’une telle politique en présence du recyclage informel. En étudiant l’efficacité d’une politique de taxation directe de type tarification à l’acte et d’une politique de taxation indirecte de type Deposit and Refund System (DRS), nous montrons que la présence du recyclage informel ne permet pas de faire coïncider optimum social et équilibre du marché. Cependant, la politique DRS peut être optimale, à condition de subventionner à la fois le recyclage formel et informel. Enfin, la troisième contribution est une étude économétrique des impacts du système de taxation incitative d’un pays riche méditerranéen. Cette étude vient du constat selon lequel les pays riches, contrairement aux pays en développement, mettent en œuvre plusieurs taxes incitatives de façon concomitante. Nous évaluons l’efficacité du système de taxation de la France, qui avec ses trois taxes incitatives est un cas d’école en la matière. Nous proposons dans cette contribution, à l’aide de tests économétriques sur données départementales, une mesure de l’élasticité de la quantité de DSM collectés, valorisés et éliminés par rapport à la Redevance sur l’Enlèvement des Ordures Ménagères (REOM), la Responsabilité Élargie du Producteur (REP) et la Taxe Générales sur les Activités Polluantes (TGAP). Les résultats montrent une complémentarité des trois taxes avec une supériorité de la REOM pour inciter les ménages à la prévention et à la valorisation, et une supériorité de la REP pour inciter les collectivités locales à la substitution des technologies d’élimination à celles de valorisation / In last decades, Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) has become a major environmental and economic problem in many countries. The quantity of MSW collected and the expenditures necessary for its management have rapidly increased, particularly in developing countries (including those in transition). Our thesis aims to shed light on the relationship between MSW collection and economic growth and to propose how public policy can sustainably manage this pollution. To attempt our objective, we combined a macro and micro economic approaches in theoretical and empirical studies. The contributions of this thesis are threefold and have the scope of Mediterranean countries. First, we complete the empirical literature on the validation of the Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis (EKC) by studying the relationship between MSW collected and the economic growth over the period 1990-2010. The main added value of this study is the use of multiple imputations methodology to control for the sample bias due to missing values. We find out that MSW collected monotonically increase with income whatever countries’ income level. This leads us to conclude that the economic growth and MSW prevention are not compatible. So in a second contribution, we investigate, in a theoretical model, the efficiency of using market-based incentives to reach to objective of waste prevention and diversion from disposal in developing countries. We consider the common phenomenon of waste picking in these countries and we analyze the conditions in which a policy of Deposit and Refund System (DRS) can help to achieve the first best optimum. We first analyze the impact of waste picking on the effectiveness of the user fee and the DRS, then we show that social optimum and market equilibrium can be hold by taxing consumer goods and by subsidizing both formal recycling and waste picking. Our third contribution in this thesis is an econometric evaluation of French MSW taxing system in order to test the hypothesis of the complementarity of direct and indirect MSW incentive taxes in developed countries, which implement simultaneously several incentives taxes. Using data aggregate at French administrative departments level, we assess the prevention and substitution effects of the three incentive taxes namely the French user fee (La Redevance d’Enlèvement des Ordures Ménagères), the Extended Producer responsibility and disposal tax levied at landfill and incineration (la Taxe Générale sur les Activités Polluantes). We confirm the complementarity hypothesis of these taxes.

The world is facing a global waste crisis due to half of the waste produced not being collected, treated or safely disposed of. Waste not managed in a proper way causes air and water pollution and has negative health and social impacts on people living or working close to the waste. Alt- hough evidence shows that implementing gender approaches improves environmental issues, and the majority of waste pickers are women, few organisations focused on waste management are implementing gender mainstreaming into their work. This case study examines gender main- streaming within the organisation Women in Informal Employment: Globalising and Organising (WIEGO) in relation to environmental issues. WIEGO is an international organisation working to increase the voice, visibility and validity of the working poor, with a special emphasis on women, with a core project that supports cooperative waste picker women in Brazil. The study was conducted through two interviews on local and international level and the analysis of 20 documents describing WIEGO and its work. The theories and concepts of gender mainstreaming, intersectionality, Feminist Political Ecology and Environmental Justice were used to analyse the results. The study showed that WIEGO was implementing gender mainstreaming in their opera- tive work, in the policy framework and in the waste picker projects in Brazil which has resulted in physical and emotional improvements for WIEGO employees internationally and waste pick- ers in Brazil. <<< / Världen står inför en global avfallshanteringskris där hälften av allt avfall som produceras inte insamlas, hanteras eller kasseras på ett säkert sätt. Avfall som inte hanteras säkert skapar luft- och vattenföroreningar och har negativa hälsosamma och sociala effekter för människor som lever eller arbetar nära avfallet. Trots att forskning visar att genusperspektiv förbättrar miljö- problem, och att majoriteten av avfallshanterare är kvinnor, fokuserar få organisationer som hanterar avfall på ”gender mainstreaming” i sitt arbete. Denna fallstudie undersöker ”gender mainstreaming” i organisationen Women in Informal Employment: Globalising and Organising (WIEGO) i relation till miljöproblem. WIEGO är en internationell organisation som arbetar med att öka inflytandet, synligheten och validiteten hos fattiga arbetande, med ett särskilt fokus på kvinnor, med ett kärnprogram som stöttar kooperativ av avfallshanterande kvinnor i Brasi- lien. Studien genomfördes med två intervjuer på lokal och internationell nivå och analys av 20 dokument som beskriver WIEGO och dess arbete. Teorierna och koncepten ”gender mainstrea- ming”, intersektionalitet, Feministisk Politisk Ekologi och miljörättvisa användes för att analy- sera resultaten. Studien visar att WIEGO använder sig av ”gender mainstreaming” i sitt opera- tiva arbete, i sitt policyramverk och i avfallshanteringsprojekten i Brasilien, vilket resulterat it fysiska och emotionella förbättringar för WIEGOs internationellt anställda och för de avfalls- hanterande kvinnorna i Brasilien.