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Strategier för omvänd logistik hos stora e-detaljhandelsföretag : Effektivisering av returlogistikLam, Lisa, Al-Zhori, Rabi, Karlsson, Tilda January 2024 (has links)
Background: In recent years during and after the Covid-19 pandemic, consumers' purchasing behavior has changed and e-commerce has taken an increasingly large part of total consumption in Sweden, as well as in the whole world. The significant increase of online purchases has resulted in a large number of returns, and it has become a challenge for companies to manage them. Purpose: The purpose of our study is to identify which strategies and digital solutions home furnishing e-retailers can implement to streamline return logistics and manage its challenges. Method: In order to fulfill the purpose and answer the research question, our study is based on a qualitative method and an abductive approach. We have done a literature review and conducted a case study and semi-structured interviews. Conclusion: Our conclusion is that several factors are critical when considering strategies in reverse logistics. The company must understand its customers and the problems they experience during the return process. Which strategies a company should implement also depends on how far in the development of return logistics they have come and whether they have previously focused on it. After that, they can apply other strategies depending on the need at the time.
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Challenges and Opportunities of Reusing Materials in Construction (Sweden) : A PEST-SWOT AnalysisInanloo, Peyman January 2024 (has links)
This thesis explores the challenges and opportunities of reusing construction and demolition waste within Sweden's construction sector, employing a PEST-SWOT analytical framework. The focus is on three primary materials prevalent in residential single-family houses: brick, concrete, and timber. The study identifies key political, economic, social, and technological factors that influence material reuse practices. The analysis highlights substantial barriers including regulatory complexities, lack of incentives, and the tendency to often prioritize new over reused materials due to perceived risks and higher costs associated with reuse. Despite these challenges, the research identifies significant opportunities for advancing material reuse. These include the potential for implementation of technological advancements in material processing, and growing public and governmental support for sustainable construction practices. The thesis goes forward by proposing strategic recommendations aimed at enhancing the adoption of reuse practices, thereby contributing to a more sustainable and resource-efficient construction sector in Sweden. / Demand trust for circular building materials
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LCA of Office Desks : Applying Circular Strategies to Enhance User ScenariosAlevåg, Rebecca, Johansson, Klara Mia Johanna January 2024 (has links)
Globally, the rising extraction of raw materials results in substantial resource depletion. The global circularity rate declines yearly as goods manufacturing consumes energy, fossil fuels, and primary materials. In the EU, about 11 million tonnes of furniture are discarded annually, and most end up in landfills. Sweden discards about 330.000 tonnes of office furniture each year. Sharing and reusing with Circular Economy (CE) strategies can possibly reduce environmental impact, yet challenges may arise from extra measures and expectancies when sharing. There are few studies that assess CE strategies in the use phase and environmental impacts of furniture. For the evaluation of CE strategies and a product's potential environmental impact and comparing user scenarios, this study used a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The goal is to explore under what circumstances height adjustable desks (desks) in four user scenarios (baseline scenario and three scenarios with adopted CE strategies for closing, slowing, and narrowing the material loops) are the most beneficial for the environment. The evaluation is conducted by analysing the scenario’s potential impact (i.e., midpoint categories GWP, HNCT and MRS). The results show that the manufacturing of the desk frame has a significant impact in the midpoint categories GWP and MRS, and the manufacturing of the motor in the midpoint category HNCT, in all four scenarios. The rental scenario, with high utilisation (80%) due to flexibility, has the lowest potential impact, compared to the three other scenarios with 40% utilisation. Two sensitivity analyses were conducted, which showed that the utilisation rate and lifespan of parts (due to aesthetic expectations) is crucial for what scenario that has the best outcome. Rental and reuse have a lower impact compared to recycling and baseline. The circumstances of high utilisation rate and flexibility benefitted the rental scenario. Product design strategies such as modular, easy repair and maintenance, and the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) keeping ownership or agreeing with the user are critical for substituting parts in the reuse and rental scenarios. This study shows that renting office desks is the best option, compared to the other scenarios, as long as utilisation is over 54% and high user expectations do not demand new desktops every 5th year.
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Building Sustainable Industrial Partnerships: Factors Affecting Industrial Symbiosis in Vetlanda, Sweden.Yousif, Katren, Lindén, Alexander, Vahedi, Niki January 2024 (has links)
Abstract Background:Industrial symbiosis, a concept where waste or by-products from one industry serve as resources for another has gained attention as industries seek sustainable and efficient resource management solutions. However, the practical implementation of industrial symbiosis remains complex. Purpose:This research investigates the factors influencing the establishment of industrial symbiosis among stakeholders in Vetlanda, Sweden. Method:Utilizing a qualitative approach, interviews with six regional stakeholders provide insights into the dynamics of symbiotic relationships and the obstacles and aids to their development. Key findings indicate that financials, collaboration, resources, geographical proximity, politics and regulations are crucial factors when establishing industrial symbiosis partnerships. Conclusion:Despite potential benefits like resource efficiency and reduced environmental impact, practical challenges like high initial investment costs and organizational complexities remain significant. This study contributes to understanding the conditions necessary for successful industrial symbiosis implementation and suggests areas for future research that include, continuation of this research and cross regional research.
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Beyond Waste Management : Challenges to Sustainable Global Physical Resource ManagementSingh, Jagdeep January 2016 (has links)
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. / I denna avhandling undersöktes fysisk resursanvändning i ett globalt perspektiv, för att få en djupare förståelse av dess konsekvenser i ett hållbarhetsperspektiv. Framför allt undersöktes de största utmaningarna med den aktuella fysiska resurshanteringen och vilka typer av systemförändringar som krävs för en hållbar fysisk resurshantering. I fem studier analyserades olika teoretiska och praktiska utmaningar för den nuvarande fysiska resurshanteringen. Litteraturstudier, kausala loopdiagram och semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes för att samla kvalitativ och kvantitativ information. Perspektiv från industriell ekologi, livscykeltänkande, systemtänkande och miljöfilosofi tillämpades för att analysera globala resurs- och avfallshanteringsfrågor. Analysen resulterade i en översikt av den nuvarande fysiska resurshanteringens globala ekologiska hållbarhetsutmaningar och identifiering av stora utmaningar för den globala avfallshanteringen. Kausala loopdiagram användes för att kvalitativt analysera strukturen och beteendet hos de produktions- och konsumtionssystem som gör att ändamålsenliga åtgärder för att förbättra material- och energieffektivitet får oavsiktliga negativa miljökonsekvenser. Hur resurskvalitet kan upprätthållas i produktions- och konsumtionssystemen som helhet bestämdes genom att identifiera de utmaningar som produktdesigners möter när de sluter kretslopp av material. En planeringsmodell utformades för att operationalisera kraven på hållbar utveckling i samhället, bland annat produktions- och konsumtionssystem. Ett bredare systemtänkande föreslås för en hållbar global fysisk resursförvaltning i framtiden, med fokus på att säkerställa samhällsfunktioner inom det mänskliga aktivitetssystemet. Tillvägagångssättet innebär att utforma och hantera antropogena fysiska resurser i syfte att: minska inflödet av fysiska resurser; och utflödet av avfall och utsläpp. Livscykelbaserade databaser som länkar resursanvändning till avfallsgenerering behövs för att förbättra den globala fysiska resursförvaltningen. / <p>QC 20160516</p> / India4EU
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AB Småland : En undersökning om kanaler för återbruk åt AB Småland samt möjligheter med miljömärkningar för kommersiell handel.Carrass, Johanna, Nordborg, Madelen January 2016 (has links)
Sustainable development has for a long time been a much spoken topic worldwide and so in Sweden. Sustainable development is about creating a social economic and cultural development and to ensure human well-being in balance with the earth´s ecological system. Nowadays sustainable consumption is also a much spoken topic. Sustainable consumption is about how humans consume, what humans consume and in what way. This means that we carefully need to choose what products to buy and use them as long as they are still alive. Because of human’s unsustainable way of using the resources from earth, we now need to stop using the linear economy and start using the circular economy. This will lower the environmental effect. This study aimed to investigate how AB Småland, a company in Malmö, can get customers to hand in furniture to the store for reusing. The company wants to expand their business by collecting second-hand furniture from costumers. In turn, they will sell these furniture at the company’s own auctions. The students' work was to help AB Småland to see what is required of them to get this process working, to get a flow with recycled furniture. The study included an investigation of the Miljönär-Vänlig labels’ options to facilitate consumers to make better choices for a more sustainable consumption in the future. To do research on how consumers think and act was relevant to understand why these behaviors occur in order to understand the value of marketing sustainability. The study also included previous research in the area. The study’s two issues: [1] How can AB Småland get customers to hand in furniture to the store for recycling? [2] Can a label like Miljönär-Vänlig help consumers to understand the concept for stores that work with sustainability? To answer the first issue of the study the students gathered data through interviews with companies that work with the durability to take note of how they solved it. To be able to answer the second issue of the study the students carried out a web survey in which the purpose was to gather information about consumers' attitudes to sustainability and their consequences of consuming. In order to underpin both issues, literatures were used and were carefully chosen to answer the purpose of the study. The report presents the results for the study’s two issues that both have all three data collection methods proving them. The result from the study’s’ first issue shows that AB Småland should focus a lot on the preparatory work and strategies that will be required to get their new part of the business to be profitable. They have got help with some parts through the proposal of a business model, SWOT analysis, competitive analysis, how to design the "Re-Mill tab" on the website, which the students produced. The result from the study’s’ second issue shows that Miljönär-Vänlig is a label that is not suitable for AB Småland in the current situation because it is for those operations where the main part of the business is about "fix, borrow and reuse" in order to minimize waste. It can be a good tool for stores, which work with environmental issues, in order to help the consumer make better choices. But AB Småland can create an own label that shows customers how the company works with sustainable products. To get AB Smålands new part of the business profitable, they should consider that it requires thorough preparation. Time is of essence and other resources are needed and the work should not be rushed. Before they start this process, AB Småland should establish and clearly review policies and their business model so everyone in the company can be initiated. The students have come to the conclusion that AB Småland has to work with their marketing in order to reach consumers and help them understand the company’s values and concepts. / Hållbar utveckling har varit ett omtalat ämne, internationellt men så även i Sverige, under en längre tid. Hållbar utveckling handlar om att skapa en fungerande samhällelig ekonomisk och kulturell utveckling samt att säkerställa mänskligt välbefinnande- i balans med jordens ekologiska system. Nu är även hållbar konsumtion ett mycket omtalat ämne. Med detta menas hur och vad vi konsumerar men också på vilket sätt, vilket innebär att vi måste välja rätt vara, som ska användas på rätt sätt under tillräckligt lång tid. Vi behöver övergå från de linjära materialflöden vi har idag, där produkter tillverkas för att användas och sedan kasseras, till cirkulära flöden där vi förlänger produkter livscykel och på så sätt minskar miljöpåverkan eftersom vi använder jordens resurser på ett sätt som inte är hållbart. Den här undersökningen syftade till att undersöka hur AB Småland (hädan efter kallat ABS), ett företag med butik i Malmö, kan få kunder att lämna in möbler till butiken för återbruk. Företaget vill utöka sin verksamhet genom att ta in begagnade möbler från kunder, som de i sin tur ska sälja vidare på företagens auktionstillfällen. Det var här studenternas arbete blev relevant, att hjälpa ABS att se vad som krävs av dem för att få ett bra flöde med återvunna möbler. Att undersöka möjligheterna för hur en märkning som Miljönär-Vänlig påverkar konsumenters inställning till mer hållbara konsumtionsval, blev intressant för att se hur ett företag som ABS bör marknadsföra sig. Här blev det relevant att undersöka hur konsumenter tänker och agerar. Vad vet konsumenter om hållbarhet idag? Studiens två frågeställningar är: [1] Hur kan ABS få kunder att lämna in möbler till butiken för återbruk? [2] Kan en märkning som Miljönär-Vänlig hjälpa konsumenter att förstå konceptet hos butiker som arbetar med hållbarhet? För att besvara studiens första frågeställning samlade studenterna in data genom intervjuer, med företag som arbetar med återbruk, för att ta del av hur de arbetar med detta. Vidare genomfördes en webbenkätsundersökning där syftet var att samla information kring konsumenters inställning till hållbar konsumtion för att besvara frågeställning två. För att stärka båda frågeställningarna, användes även litteratur som var noga utvald för att besvara studiens syfte. I rapporten presenteras resultat under studiens två frågeställningar som båda har samtliga tre datainsamlingsmetoder, webbenkätundersökning, intervjuer och litteraturstudier som styrker dem. Resultat till frågeställning ett visar att ABS bör arbeta mycket med förarbete, så som SWOTanalys, konkurrensanalys, marknadsföring och strategier för att få deras nya del i verksamheten att bli lönsam. De har som hjälp fått ta del av förslag till en affärsmodell, där SWOT-analys och konkurrensanalys tagits fram som underlag till detta. Studenterna har även utformat ”Återbruks-fliken” som är tänkt att finnas på företagets hemsida. Detta för att visa på ett förslag hur ABS kan marknadsföra sitt arbete. Resultatet under frågeställning två visar att Miljönär-Vänlig är en märkning som inte lämpar sig för ABS i dagsläget då märkningen är till för de verksamheter där huvuddelen handlar om ”laga, fixa, låna och återanvända”. Dock kan märkningen vara ett bra verktyg för butiker i handeln som arbetar med miljöfrågor i syfte att hjälpa konsumenter. ABS bör beakta att det krävs gedigna förberedelser för att få arbetet med återbruk lönsamt. De bör även ta hänsyn till att arbetet kommer kräva olika resurser och tiden är inte att underskatta. De borde tydligt gå igenom strategier och de delar som studenterna arbetet fram för att sedan utveckla detta med sin kompletterade kunskap. Studenterna har även kommit fram till att ABS bör arbeta mycket med sin marknadsföring till konsument för att de ska få upp ögonen för företaget och förstå deras nya koncept. I nuläget blir det inte aktuellt för ABS att märka sig med Miljönär-Vänlig men de kan däremot skapa en egen ”märkning” som visar hur företaget arbetar med hållbarhetsfrågan.
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實施循環經濟政策對公司營運效率之影響 / Circular economy program and operating efficiency change in the company張貴欽 Unknown Date (has links)
中國政府自2005年開始進行第一批循環經濟試點計畫。循環經濟強調資源減量化、再利用及再循環的原則,促成企業降低成本、減少污染排放並提高資源利用率。而目前探討循環經濟對效率影響之研究甚少,且研究大多著重於區域層級。因此本研究針對2004年至2007年的循環經濟試點公司,利用資料包絡分析法求出公司技術效率值並分析其長期趨勢,以探討公司採行循環經濟後是否能實質增加其營運效率。
研究結果發現,實施循環經濟後,循環經濟試點單位之技術效率與純技術效率呈現上升的趨勢,且其效率值亦顯著的高於非試點公司,顯示實施循環經濟確實有助於企業技術效率之提升。 / Chinese government has started to implement the first circular economy pilots program since 2005. Circular economy emphasizes the principle of reducing, reusing and recycling resource to promote enterprises to reduce cost, cut down pollution and enhance the use of resource. This research tried to apply Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to examine whether the companies improve their operating efficiency after implementing circular economy program. The samples include18 pilot companies and 18 matching samples 4 years data from 2004 to 2007.
The research major finding reveals that after implementing the circular economy the pilot companies have significantly improved their technical efficiency and pure technical efficiency than those of non-pilots companies. The result suggests that pilot companies indeed help the companies to gain more efficiency after implement of circular economy.
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Utveckling av tjänstefiering genom värdekonstellationer : En studie om hur företag med knappa resurser kan tillhandahålla erbjudanden som främjar relationer och en cirkulär ekonomi / Developing servitization through value constellations : A study about how a company with scarce resources can provide offers that facilitates relations and a circular economyFollin, Hector, Hallenberg, Daniel January 2019 (has links)
Informationsteknologi, IT, och hållbarhetsarbete har blivit två strategiska frågor i nästintill alla företag. Företag måste implementera IT för att optimera nuvarande verksamheter och transformeras till IT-drivna affärsmodeller som kräver hög kompetens och strategiskt tänkande vilket många små- och medelstora företag, SMF, saknar. Att köpa rekonditionerad IT-hårdvara är ett alternativ till att agera hållbart. Däremot erbjuder de företag som levererar rekonditionerad IT sällan mycket mer än just hårdvara eftersom de också ofta saknar de resurser som krävs för att tillhandahålla ytterligare tjänster inom IT. IT-tjänster är ofta avgörande om SMF ska bli kunder eller inte eftersom att köpa all IT från en leverantör minimerar administrationskostnader samtidigt som det skapar djupare relationer mellan kunden och leverantören. De bristande interna resurserna bland SMF har lett till att de frigör delar eller hela verksamheter till externa leverantörer. Frigörandet är däremot inte riskfritt för SMF. Att överlämna delar av verksamheten till externa leverantörer kräver nära relationer med leverantörer vilket gör kommunikationen mellan dem avgörande. Ett sätt för leverantörer att skapa relationer med kunder är genom att utveckla tjänstefiering, det vill säga gå från varucentrerat till tjänstecentrerat erbjudande. För att utveckla tjänstefiering, trots avsaknaden av interna resurser, måste leverantörer samproducera erbjudanden. Genom att skapa ett interaktivt samarbete i nätverk där aktörer tillsammans tillhandahåller erbjudanden har lett till nya värdeskapande system kallat värdekonstellationer. Leverantörer och kunder är nu tillsammans med och skapar värde och kunden ses inte längre som konsument utan snarare medproducent då de är med och deltar i produktionen. Aktörernas roll har således blivit vidgade. De bristande resurserna är inte längre ett hinder för att utveckla nya erbjudanden eftersom de i konstellationen bidrar med resurser samtidigt som de bygger relationer med varandra. / Information technology, IT, and sustainability work have become strategic questions in almost any business. Not only do firms have to implement IT to optimize current operations, they must transform into new business models which requires high level of competence and strategic thinking which especially small and medium-sized enterprises, SME, tend to lack. Buying refurbished IT-hardware is an option for SME to act sustainable. However, suppliers of those goods seldom offer much more as they too tend to lack the resources needed to provide IT services. IT services are usually critical whether SME will become customers or not since buying IT from one supplier minimizes administration costs as well as it creates deeper relationships. Lack of internal resources has led to SMF outsource parts or whole operations more frequently to external suppliers. But the outsourcing does not come harmless. Leaving an operation to an external supplier requires close relationship with the supplier to maintain quality, making the communication vital. A way for a supplier to facilitate relationships is to develop servitization, i.e go from product- to service-centric offers. To develop servitization regardless the scarce resources suppliers have to co-produce offers. Creating an interactive strategy in networks consisting of actors that co-produce offers creates new value creating systems- value constellations. Suppliers and customers are now part of the value creation as they both participate in the production. Their roles have been broadened and the scarce resources as a barrier has now been eliminated as they now share competences while their relationships are being flourished.
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New economy, same challenges: Is Circular Economy enabling a sustainable and holistic transition in Europe?Ubbelohde, Céline Karina E. January 2019 (has links)
Circular economy has emerged as a new economic paradigm to solve problems of natural resource scarcity and environmental pollution by using resources more efficiently and designing products to minimize waste. This study examines the potential of circular economy to enable the achievement of sustainable development and the Sustainable Development Goals in Europe. This thesis, through a qualitative content analysis of four overarching European reports related to circular economy strategies, uses a social-ecological systems perspective to: (a) analyze how the three aspects of sustainable development are addressed in the reports and (b) pointing out at missing elements in the European circular economy project that could hinder the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals. Circular economy is a good start to change habits in terms of recycling, reusing and repairing but it also raises awareness about the link between our level of consumption and production and its impact on the environment. However, the results of this study show that the link between Sustainable Development Goals and circular economy is weak and that the economic aspects are highlighted in all the reports to the detriment of environmental and social aspects. As a consequence, the current application of circular economy in Europe does not provide systemic and structural changes, fails to address the root of the problem and reflects a weak vision of sustainability.
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Is blue mussel farming a potential mitigation tool to combat eutrophication in the Baltic Sea? A synthesis based on stakeholder interviewsZilinskaite, Emilija January 2019 (has links)
The Baltic Sea is the most polluted sea in the world. Its hydrological conditions and ongoing eutrophication are a high threat for marine biodiversity and ecosystems. Additionally, eutrophication has negative effects on the wellbeing of countries and their societies in the Baltic Sea Region (BSR). Actions to mitigate eutrophication in the Baltic Sea have been implemented through on-land measures in the last 40 years. Although the improvement in the marine environment is notable, it happens very slowly. In order to combat eutrophication, there is a need for a combination of on-land and in-situ measures. In this study, blue mussel farming practices are presented as one of the in-situ measures to combat eutrophication in the Baltic Sea. Blue mussel farming has been implemented in Sweden since the 1980s and has potential to not only mitigate the amounts of nutrients that accumulate in the sea but also brings a circular approach to resource use. In this study, stakeholders from four different sectors that are closely related to blue mussel farming practices and Baltic Sea issues have been interviewed with the aim of making a comprehensive analysis of stakeholder perceptions of blue mussel farming practices in the BSR. Interviewed stakeholders represent four different sectors - academia, entrepreneurs, municipalities and NGOs. A comprehensive analysis of stakeholders’ perceptions on blue mussel farming practises from environmental, social and economic perspective is presented. All interviewed stakeholders are actors in Sweden and represent Swedish perspective on blue mussel farming activities. Potential causes for different perceptions across sectors are discussed.
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