Plastic waste from industries and manufacturing development poses a significant issue due to its exponential environmental and economic impacts. This study aims to optimize the industrial plastic waste management by exploring the different ways of handling this waste for small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the energy production sector in line with the EU and Swedish waste directives. This study draws on a mixed research method and a case study. The results disclose that proper sorting system, the implementation of waste policies and regulations, and informed waste practices based on knowledge and education in plastic waste management are essential for the implementation of sustainable plastic waste management system. While aspects such as the market demand and economic efficiency, the presence of hazardous and waste contamination, and the waste volume were identified to hinder the implementation. However, this study explored sorting techniques through the lens of practical strategies, introducing innovative solutions to address the challenges associated with mixed and contaminated industrial plastic waste. By leveraging the selective dissolution sorting technique, the study proposed the waste sorting process as essential practices to pave the way for sustainable waste management practices in SMEs in the energy sector. The findings not only contribute to the existing knowledge in waste management but also offer practical recommendations for businesses striving for efficient waste management. However, these findings necessitate implementing new protocols for waste sorting and changes in waste flow to ensure effective sorting practices. This could require investments in equipment, training for employees, creating specialized waste management department or establishing cross-functional teams to oversee waste sorting initiatives.

Waste is a complex challenge when it comes to reaching a more sustainable society, to achieve this everyone needs to get involved, not only in the own household but also at the workplace. Unsorted waste increases the risk of toxic substances being released in nature as well as a more rapid depletion of resources which then results in an increase of required amounts of energy to be utilized. The purpose of this study was to examine factors that influence employees’ behaviors regarding waste sorting at municipal workplaces. By gaining a better understanding of the factors that affect this behavior and the role attitudes play in it, obstacles and opportunities for achieving higher levels in the waste hierarchy could be identified. A survey was conducted amongst employees at a Swedish municipality to study what influenced the frequency of the waste sorting they performed. A significant difference between behavior at home and in the workplace was confirmed. The results showed that attitudes about the importance of waste sorting did influence behavior, but there were factors that hindered the behavior from occurring more frequently. Lack of knowledge about waste management, unclear routines, perceived low engagement from colleagues and thus no clearly established social norms, as well as poor access to sorting bins, were factors that proved to disrupt the correlation between attitudes and behavior. The motivation and willingness for more accurate waste sorting exist among employees, but more education, greater access to sorting facilities, and transparency from management are needed.

The thesis deals with waste management. The aim of the thesis is to describe and evaluate present waste legislation including amendmets to several waste management institutions and comparison to waste legislation of European Union. The thesis is divided into eight chapters. The first chapter focuses on introducing into general range of waste management. The second chapter deals with sources of law, both national and international. The third chapter describes the central term of waste management and of the thesis, i. e. waste, and presents its definition, exceptions from the definition and exception from regulation of the Waste Act 185/2001. The fourth chapter focuses on the waste hierarchy and explains it. The fifht chapter includes the waste management plans, and presents them in accordance with their importance in the hierarchy of waste management plans. The chapter explains content and meaning of the waste management plans. The sixth chapter refers subjects to the obligations given by Waste Act . At the end of the sixth chapter author mentions the matter of legal liability in case of the subjects being in breach of the obligations. The seventh chapter deals with all operations with waste, and divides them into waste prevention, means of waste handling according to waste hierarchy and other waste...

There has been an increase of the consumption rate and consumers are buying garments that they dispose in too early of a stage of the product lifecycle. This has caused an increase regarding landfill of waste. The aspect of implementing environmental oriented material science and garment technology has not been taken into consideration in the design process, something that quickly became an issue when the consumption rate increased. Therefore it is essential to rethink and restructure the business models applied today. The implementation of a circular economy, which focuses on giving textiles and garments a second life and basing production on used fibres whilst not harming the natural resources in the process, is a good start of the long journey to recovery which lies ahead. Both fast fashion companies and premium lifestyle brands are nowadays applying and integrating new business models into their daily operations, Tommy Hilfiger is an example of such a company. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to explore the relationship between material science, garment technology and the concept of circular economies from a premium lifestyle brand perspective The researcher will explore how material science and garment technology can prevent faulty items and short product lifecycles. Furthermore, the researcher will investigate how a company develops underwear collections with regards to material science, garment technology, and the concept of circular economies. The company Tommy Hilfiger will be implemented as an exponent throughout this report. Research questions: • What is the relationship between material science, garment technology, and the concept of circular economies? • What does a premium lifestyle brand take into consideration regarding the concept of circular economies when developing a collection of underwear? Methodology: This thesis was conducted by applying a qualitative method and by implementing a deductive approach. The gathering of secondary data was done through assembling suitable concepts and theories. The researcher collected the primary data through a participating observation and four qualitative interviews. The participating observation corresponded of an internship at the European headquarters of Tommy Hilfiger in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The researcher executed the interviews via email with key people within the departments of Design, Production, Central Sourcing and Production, and Corporate Responsibility. Conclusion: Material science and garment technology are correlated given that the choice of material and manufacturing technique utilized in production determines the durability and sustainability level of the fabric output. Therefore the two concepts are further correlated to the product aspect, which can enable a closed textile value chain loop, of a circular economy based business model. A premium lifestyle brand takes the aspects of design out waste, build resilience through diversity, work towards using energy from renewable sources, and think in consecutive processes into consideration regarding the concept of circular economies when developing a collection of underwear.

I dagsläget står VafabMiljö inför en utveckling av sin verksamhet för att i framtiden kunna nå högre upp i avfallstrappan. För att få en bättre och mer miljösäker avfallshantering i regionen har VafabMiljö påbörjat arbetet med att ta fram en ny avfallsplan. Denna avfallsplan ska skapa en gemensam plattform för alla kommuner i förbundet och ska bidra med förståelse för avfallsfrågor bland regionens invånare. VafabMiljö har ett mobilt Återbruk som åker runt och besöker mindre orter i regionen och samlar in hushållens grovavfall och farliga avfall. En del av den nya avfallsplanen är en utvärdering av det mobila Återbruket för att se dess framtida potential. Detta examensarbete syftade till att studera det mobila Återbrukets historik, nuläge samt att studera andra system i landet. Syftet med den historiska tillbakablicken var att få en inblick i systemets uppkomst och utveckling över tid. Nulägesanalysen syftade till att beskriva den nuvarande verksamheten med avseende på utformning, erfarenheter från personal och besökare, insamlade mängder samt finansiering och kostnader för det mobila Återbruket. Information om det mobila Återbruket erhölls från VafabMiljö samt från personal ute på plats. Andra orter och kommuner kontaktades för att få information om deras insamlingssystem och för att få inspiration till förlag och komplement till framtida förbättringar på det mobila Återbruket. Resultatet av examensarbetet påvisade att det mobila Återbruket är ett väl utvecklat system som ligger i nivå med andra lösningar för mobil avfallsinsamling i landet. Det mobila Återbruket visade sig vara uppskattat ute i regionen och det har en stor utvecklingspotential. Examensarbetet rekommenderar att VafabMiljö bör fortsätta sitt arbete med det mobila Återbruket och det lyfter även fram flera förbättringsåtgärder. Bland annat rekommenderades att det mobila Återbruket borde få en mer bestående profil samt en fraktion för återbruksmaterial. Det rekommenderades även att VafabMiljö borde använda sig av nya informationskanaler för att nå regionens invånare och att de borde göra en vidare undersökning ifall dagens uppställningsplatser är de mest optimala. Flera av de föreslagna komplementen syftade till att underlätta avfallshanteringen för regionens invånare och kommer därmed hjälpa VafabMiljö att nå högre upp i avfallstrappan. / At present, VafabMiljö is facing a business development in order to reach higher in the European waste hierarchy. They have therefore begun the work of a new waste plan in order to get a better and a more environmentally safe waste management. This management plan will create a common platform for all municipalities in the federation and will contribute to the understanding of waste issues among regional residents. VafabMiljö has a Mobile-recycling centre that travels around in the region and collects household waste and hazardous waste. A part of the new waste plan is an evaluation of the Mobile-recycling centre in order to evaluate its potential. This thesis included an evaluation of the system’s history, a situation assessment and a study of other waste systems in Sweden. The purpose of the historic review was to get an insight into the system’s origin and development over time. The situation assessment was aiming to describe the current system relating to design, experiences from the staff and visitors, collected volumes, costs and revenues. Information about the Mobile-recycling centre where received from VafabMiljö and other municipalities were contacted to get information about their waste collection systems. The experiences from other systems in the country were used to get inspiration for future improvements of the Mobile-recycling centre. The results of the thesis showed that the Mobile-recycling centre is a well-developed system. The visitors at the recycling centre appreciated the solution and it has a great development potential. This thesis recommends that VafabMiljö continue their work with the Mobile-recycling centre and the thesis highlighted several improvement measures that was inspired from other systems in the country. Among other things, it where recommended that the Mobile-recycling centre should have a more permanent profile and it was recommended that it should have a material fraction for reuse. The thesis also recommended that VafabMiljö should use new information channels and that they should make further examinations of whether today´s locations are the most suited. Several of the proposed complements aims to facilitate waste management for the region's inhabitants and therefor help VafabMiljö to reach higher in the European waste hierarchy.

The construction sector is the largest producer of waste in the European Union (EU) and each EU member state needs to take the necessary steps to reduce the quantity of construction waste. Similarly, Sweden's construction and demolition (C&D) sector generates the majority of the country's waste. Consequently, Sweden is now striving to make its construction operations more sustainable. With an emphasis on the function of a Swedish property owner, this study attempts to explore ways of managing materials and waste from interior office remodeling projects in a sustainable manner andinvestigate challenges and opportunities while getting insights and viewpoints from different parts of the value chain. The study additionally explores what measures the property company can apply to enhance their sustainable efforts.To accomplish this, coding and thematic analysis were conducted on data obtained from semi-structured interviews with relevant stakeholders, articlesfrom peer-reviewed journals and grey literature, alongside observations gathered from site visits. The analysis resulted in nine themes that highlightthe challenges and opportunities within sustainably managing material and waste from remodeling projects. The identified themes were (1) Regulations and strategies, (2) Economic aspects, (3) Stakeholder impact, (4) Collaboration, (5) Routines, (6) Material and waste management, (7) Reuse market, (8) Quality of product and (9) Digital systems. The study discusses the findings and initiatives that support sustainable operations in interior office renovation projects and concludes with suggestions for future work and recommendations for the property company.

The Fast Fashion industry, which operates on a take-make-waste model, has a significant environmental impact due to its high-water consumption, use of chemical substances, and waste production. Consequently, textiles and clothing waste have become a major global concern. In response, the Circular Economy model has garnered considerable attention worldwide, with theEuropean Union showing notable progress in transitioning towards this sustainable approach. New regulations are creating an enabling framework for the circular economy to thrive and for better waste management. This transition necessitates substantial changes in both legal and business practices. The present study aims to analyse EU measures that influence the development of sustainable practices and the shift to a circular economy in the Fast Fashion industry. It employs a legal analysis and a business case study to identify and evaluate the laws implemented by the EU and the strategies used by Fast Fashion companies to adapt their waste management practices to the circular economy.

The beverage industry plays a pivotal role in global environmental impact, necessitating an urgent transformation from its current linear economy model of extract-produce-use-dispose. The evidence of environmental disasters has highlighted the unsustainable nature of this model and the pressing need for change. Consequently, the industry is exploring how to contribute to a more sustainable future. Here, the circular economy (CE) has emerged as a strategic tool to promote more sustainable resource utilization and mitigate environmental impacts. The aim of the research was to identify the prevailing discourse and expectations around CE at the microlevel in the Swedish beverage industry across the whole value chain as well as map the trajectories outlined for circularity within this sector. A content analysis of 121 Swedish magazines and media articles from the past six years was conducted, along with a narrative analysis. The study reveals active engagement in CE practices across several stakeholder groups, primarily led by processing companies. These initiatives align with the waste hierarchy, with recycling and re-use of plastics, food waste and by-products being the most prevalent. The beverage industry’s stakeholders anticipate CE efforts to contribute to environmental and economic benefits as well as compliance with legal requirements and a change in consumer behavior. The findings led to three narratives being formed: "Rethinking Plastics: Transforming Plastic Use in the Swedish Beverage Industry", "From Waste to Taste: Rescuing Resources in the Swedish Beverage Industry", and "From Sustainability to Profitability: Unveiling the Economic Potential of CE Ventures in the Swedish Beverage Industry". / Dryckesindustrin spelar en central roll för den globala miljöpåverkan, vilket kräver en omfattande omställning från den nuvarande linjära ekonomimodellen som omfattas av ”slit-och-släng”. Miljökatastroferna har visat att denna modell är ohållbar och att det finns ett akut behov av förändring. Följaktligen undersöker industrin hur man kan bidra till en mer hållbar framtid. Här har den cirkulära ekonomin (CE) vuxit fram som ett strategiskt verktyg för att främja ett mer hållbart resursutnyttjande och minska miljöpåverkan. Syftet med studien var att identifiera den rådande diskursen och förväntningarna kring CE på mikronivå i den svenska dryckesindustrin över hela värdekedjan samt kartlägga de banor som beskrivs för cirkuläritet inom denna sektor. En innehållsanalys av 121 svenska tidskrifter och medieartiklar från de senaste fem åren har genomförts, tillsammans med en narrativ analys. Studien påvisar ett aktivt engagemang för CE-metoder inom flera intressentgrupper, främst drivet av förädlingsföretag. Dessa initiativ är i linje med avfallshierarkin, med återvinning och återanvändning av plast, matavfall och biprodukter som de mest förekommande. Aktörer inom dryckesindustrin förväntar sig att CE-insatserna ska bidra till miljömässiga och ekonomiska fördelar samt efterlevnad av lagkrav och ett förändrat konsumentbeteende. Resultaten ledde till formuleringen av följande tre narrativ: "Att omvärdera plast: Förändring av plastanvändningen i den svenska dryckesindustrin", "Från avfall till smak: Rädda resurser i den svenska dryckesindustrin", "Från hållbarhet till lönsamhet: Synliggör den ekonomiska potentialen i CE-satsningar inom den svenska dryckesindustrin".

I en värld där människan är det enda djur som lämnar efter sig avfall som inte kan brytas ned naturligt, är det viktigt att avfallet vi producerar tas om hand på bästa möjliga sätt. EU har därför tagit fram en prioriteringsordning för hur avfallet ska behandlas. Denna kallas avfallshierarkin och ska ligga till grund för medlemsländernas lagstiftning om avfallshantering. I Sverige kallas byggsektorn för den ”40-procentiga sektorn” vilket syftar på att 40 procent av Sveriges avfall genereras av denna sektor. Till år 2020 har EU som målsättning att 70 viktprocent av allt bygg- och rivningsavfall ska återvinnas eller återanvändas. För att presentera säkra siffror som visar ländernas utveckling mot EU:s mål måste avfallsstatistik tas fram på ett bättre sätt än vad som görs i dagsläget. Detta examensarbete syftade till att beräkna de miljömässiga och ekonomiska konsekvenserna vid källsortering av blandat byggavfall samt analysera vilken av de tillgängliga metoderna för framtagning av byggavfallsstatistik som är lämpligast. En screening av innehållet i det blandade avfallet vid ett renoveringsprojekt hos Telge Bostäder tillsammans med uppgifter om genererad avfallsmängd i ett tidigare genomfört renoveringsprojekt användes för att göra beräkningarna. Den befintliga hanteringen, där avfallet sorterades som blandat avfall, jämfördes sedan med ett hypotetiskt scenario där det vid screeningen identifierade innehållet (plast, trä och wellpapp) istället sorterades ut i separata fraktioner. Beräkningarna gjordes dels i ett av program (WAMPS) framtaget av Svenska miljöinstitutet (IVL) för beräkning av utsläpp från hantering av hushållsavfall och dels med egna beräkningar över koldioxidutsläpp. Kostnaden för att sortera ut avfallet bestämdes genom att använda Sorteras sortiment och prislista. Resultatet från WAMPS var att utsläpp av 62 ton koldioxid kunde undvikas från avfallshanteringen genom att sortera ut innehållet i drygt 70 ton blandat byggavfall i separata fraktioner på byggarbetsplatsen. Motsvarande siffra vid egna beräkningar blev 95 ton. Container- och behandlingskostnaden för det sorterade avfallet var lägre än för det osorterade avfallet vilket medförde att den totala avfallskostnaden för drygt 70 ton blandat avfall hade kunnat sänkas med 63 000 kronor om avfallet hade källsorterats. Analysen av redovisningsmetoder pekade på att det på kort sikt lämpligaste sättet att ta fram byggavfallsstatistik på, är att använda miljörapporter från avfallsbehandlingsföretagen som underlag för avfallsstatistik. Denna metod kräver ingen lagändring för att genomföras och utnyttjar ett redan befintligt rapporteringssystem. / In a world where mankind is the only creature that generates waste that cannot be naturally decomposed, it is of great importance that we correctly take care of the waste we produce. The EU has therefore developed a list of priority regarding methods of waste treatment. It is called the waste hierarchy and is supposed to form the basis for legislation on waste management. In Sweden the construction sector is called “the 40 percent sector” which refers to the fact that 40 percent of Sweden’s waste is generated by this sector. By 2020, the EU has set up a goal that 70 weight percent of all construction and demolition waste must be recycled or reused. In order to present secure statistics that show the member nations’ progresses toward the goal, the waste statistics must be produced in a better way than today. This master thesis aimed to calculate the environmental and economic consequences with source sorting of the mixed construction waste and to determine the best available accounting method to produce construction waste statistics. A screening of the content of the mixed waste at a renovation project at Telge Bostäder together with data over the generated waste quantity in a previously conducted renovation project, were used to make the calculations. The existing management, where the waste was sorted as mixed waste, was then compared with a hypothetical scenario where the content encountered during the screening (plastic, wood and cardboard) was sorted out separately instead. Calculations were then made partly in a program (WAMPS) developed by IVL to calculate the emissions from household waste management and partly with own calculations of carbon dioxide emissions. The cost of sorting out the waste was determined using Sortera’s catalog and price list. The result of WAMPS was that emissions of 62 tons of carbon dioxide could be avoided from the waste management process by sorting about 71 tons of mixed construction waste at the construction site. The corresponding amount at own calculations was 95 tons. The cost of containers and cost of treatment of the sorted waste was lower than the costs for mixed waste, which meant that the total waste related cost of managing 71 tons of mixed waste would have been reduced by 63 000 Swedish crowns if the waste had been source sorted. The analysis over accounting methods indicated that in the short term, the most appropriate way to produce construction waste statistics is to use environmental reports from the treating companies as a basis. This method does not require a change in the law to be implemented and utilizes an existing reporting system.

Ökad efterfrågan på produkter och varor kräver stora mängder råmaterial för produktion och distribution, vilket har inverkan på global och lokal miljö och klimat. Det som tillverkas kommer också att bli avfall, vilket har ytterligare inverkan på miljö och klimat. Det finns olika strategier för att hantera avfall med olika mycket miljöpåverkan och avfallshierarkin är en indikator som rangordnar strategier för hanteringen och anger vilka metoder som är att föredra ur miljösynpunkt. Avfallshierarkin är lagstadgat i EU och medlemsnationerna bör efterleva den. Avfallshantering styrs ofta på lokal nivå och eftersom lokala förutsättningar kan variera, påverkar det vilka strategier som städer väljer. Syftet med studien var att jämföra två städer (Malmö, Sverige och Ljubljana, Slovenien) för att se hur deras avfallshantering, i relation till avfallshierarkin, utvecklats samt att jämföra hur bakomliggande drivkrafter påverkat de strategier som respektive stad valt. Genom statistisk innehållsanalys av avfallsmängder och behandlingsmetoder i de båda städerna och en kvalitativ innehållsanalys av städernas policydokument, fann vi att Ljubljana gjort en större utveckling under undersökt tidsperiod. De möjliga förklaringarna var att Ljubljana haft extern finansiering, tydliga målsättningar, samt att de inte varit lika inlåsta i gamla strategier som Malmö. Indikationer som dessa kan underlätta förbättrad avfallshantering och därmed minska avfallets klimat- och miljöpåverkan. / Increased demand on products and goods requires large quantities of raw materials for production and distribution, which has effects on global and local environment and climate. Things that are made will also become waste, which has even more effects on the environment and climate. There are different strategies for waste management with different amounts of environmental impact and the waste hierarchy is one indicator that ranks strategies for waste management and states which methods that are preferred from an environmental standpoint. The waste hierarchy is legally stated in the EU and the member states should comply with it. Waste management is usually run from local level, and since the local conditions may vary, that may have effects on which strategies a city chooses. The purpose of this study was to compare two cities (Malmö, Sweden and Ljubljana, Slovenia) to see how their waste management developed in relation to the waste hierarchy, and to compare how underlying incentives affected the choice of strategies for each city. With statistical content analysis of waste quantities and treatment methods in both cities and qualitative content analysis of the cities policy documents, we found that Ljubljana made a bigger development under our measured period. Possible explanations were that Ljubljana had external financing, clearly set goals, and that they were less locked in old strategies compared to Malmö. These sorts of indicators may ease improvement of waste management and thus mitigate the effects that waste has on climate and environment.