I denna rapport undersöks återanvändnings- och återvinningspotentialen för stommaterial ur byggnader i Sverige. De två materialen som har undersökts är betong och trä. Rapporten innehåller en litteraturstudie över återanvändning och återvinning. En fallstudie har även utförts på två byggnader. Den första byggnaden är ett småhus med träkonstruktion. Den andra byggnaden är ett flerbostadshus med betongkonstruktion. Byggsektorn står för stora mängder utsläpp och har en stor påverkan på miljön. Av allt material som ligger på deponi står byggbranschen för ca 35 % av allt material. Ett alternativ för att minska byggbranschens påverkan på miljön är att återanvända och återvinna material i högre grad. Hantering av avfall ska prioriteras enligt EUs direktiv gällande avfall. I direktivet finns avfallstrappan som rangordnar avfall efter vad som ska prioriteras över andra alternativ. Betong är ett material som både går att återanvända och återvinna. Att återvinna betong är en vanlig process som innebär att betong krossas och sedan används som ballast till ny betong. Denna process kan innebära att betongens kvalitet ändras. Återanvändning av betong utförs inte i samma utsträckning men har stor potential i framtiden. Materialet trä bör följa kaskadmodellen för att förlänga dess livslängd. Kaskadmodellen beskriver hur träets livslängd kan förlängas innan den går till förbränning med energiutvinning. Fallstudien i denna rapport har utförts på två teoretiska byggnader. Byggnaderna har grundats på undersökningen BETSI och ska representera ett medelvärde av byggnader i Sverige. Fallstudien undersöker hur mycket material som går att återanvända och återvinna ur byggstommen. Resultatet visar på att all betong har en stor potential att återanvändas och återvinnas. Allt trä som används i de två byggnaderna bör följa kaskadmodellen där de komponenter som går att återanvända återanvänds.

Increased effectivity in resource management in the construction sector is required to achieve the environment goals of Agenda 2030. The largest source of total accumulated waste derives from the construction and demolition area. This thesis contains a literature study about circular economy application in the process of construction- and demolition waste and interviews with local actors that represent the Swedish construction material chain in the Region of Gästrike, Sweden. A cooperation with the municipality property owner Gavlefastigheter AB has provided an opportunity to study the demolition process to examine what actions the building sector requires to increase reusage of demolition waste. Gavlefastigheter AB own and manage a variation of building types such as schools, agencies, sports arenas and other exclusive designs. The result of this study shows that the existing policy instruments of waste management are primarily developed to evaluate climate change impacts and to avoid waste that could cause harm to the environmental and health. In the literature review life cycle assessment was shown to be the most common method to analyze the effects of circular economy. The Swedish construction Federation have recently updated the construction- and demolish waste management directives mainly to help transitioning the construction business towards circular economy. Albeit these directives are not yet practically utilized the result of the interviews of local actors indicated that there were a few practices of demolish with reusage applications. The conclusion summarizes the important subjects that need to be dealt with to increase reusage within future demolition projects in the Region of Gästrike, Sweden.

In der vorliegenden Arbeit konnte am rekombinanten Tom40 aus Neurospora crassa und aus Saccharomyces cerevisiae gezeigt werden, dass in beiden Spezies ein einziges Tom40-Molekül in der Lage ist ein membrandurchspannendes Beta-Barrel Protein aus 16 transmembranen Beta-Strängen auszubilden. Tom40 aus beiden Spezies bildet einen kationenselektiven Kanal dessen charakteristischer Hauptleitwert eine gute Übereinstimmung zu publizierten Werten zeigt und genau einer porenbildenden Einheit im TOM-Komplex entspricht. Ein generell unterschiedliches Verhalten von Tom40 durch eine Fehlfaltung des zuvor denaturierten Proteins, kann also ausgeschlossen werden. Der Kanal interagiert seitenabhängig mit aminoterminalen mitochondrialen Präsequenzen. Die Spezifität der Wechselwirkung mit Tom40 ist jedoch geringer als die mit dem TOM-Komplex. In elektrophysiologischen Untersuchungen des SAM-Komplexes aus Saccharomyces cerevisiae konnte gezeigt werden, dass Sam50 die charakteristische porenbildende Einheit im Komplex darstellt. Sam50 aus Saccharomyces cerevisiae und Homo sapiens bilden kationenselektive Kanäle, wobei der Hauptleitwert im humanen Protein signifikant größer als im Hefe-Protein ist. Der evolutiv konservierte C-Terminus von Sam50 reicht hierbei aus diese Pore zu bilden, ist aber im Vergleich zum Volllängenprotein stark im Schaltverhalten beeinträchtigt. Die elektrophysiologischen Eigenschaften von Sam50, spiegeln exemplarisch die Werte verwandter Poren der Omp85-Familie wider. Der Sam50-Kanal wird im SAM-Komplex durch die ebenfalls essenzielle Komponente Sam35 reguliert. Es konnte gezeigt werden, dass sich durch eine Interaktion von Sam35-Protein mit einem konservierten Beta-Signalpeptid der Komplex in einen aktiven Zustand größerer Leitfähigkeit überführen lässt, der sich durch ein dynamisches Schaltverhalten und das Auftreten multipler Leitwerte auszeichnet, wobei im Komplex mehrere Porenproteine am Stromfluss beteiligt sind.

Zinc is an essential metal ion for the activity of multiple enzymes and transcription factors. Among many other transporting proteins human serum albumin (HSA) is the main carrier of Zn(II) in the blood plasma. HSA displays multiple ligand binding sites with extraordinary binding capacity for a wide range of ions and molecules including fatty acids. Hence, HSA controls the availability and distribution of those molecules throughout the body. Previous studies have established that the existence of one zinc site with high affinity (MBS-A) that is modulated by the presence of fatty acids. Therefore, the fatty acid concentration in the blood influences zinc distribution which may result in a significant effect on both normal physiological processes and a range of diseases. Based on the current knowledge of HSA's structure and its coordination chemistry with zinc ion, here, we attempted to investigate zinc interactions and coordination with HSA and the effect of different fatty acids on the protein structure, stability and on Zn(II) binding. By NMR titration, we examine the Zn(II) binding to HSA and the spectra show distinct movements of some resonances showing a conformational change has occurred as a result of Zn(II) binding. Isothermal calorimetry titrations study was performed to evaluate zinc binding affinity to HSA in the absence and presence of fatty acids. Free HSA results indicates the existence of one high affinity site and multiple low affinity sites. Upon the binding of fatty acids to HSA, three distinct behaviors of Zn(II) affinity was observed ranging from no effect to moderate to significant depending on the FAs. By the use of circular dichroism, we investigate secondary and tertiary structure of HSA in the presence and absence of FAs and Zn(II). We found albumin is predominately α-helical and the overall conformation of the protein remains unchanged even after interacting with FAs and Zn(II) with some exception. The structural stability of HSA was evaluated by obtaining the denaturation temperature in the presence and absence of fatty acid and we found the thermal denaturation of HSA increases with the increase of amount of fatty acids.

In the sports industry, the products currently being developed by design teams are degraded over time due to wear and tear. During the last decade, awareness about the global environmental crisis has increased and sports users are now more demanding about the environmental impact of products and services that they are using. Therefore, people are searching for companies that make durable and sustainable products and services. While the importance of durability regarding the development of a circular economy has been recognized, a concrete concept has not yet been specifically addressed in European product policies. Standards are missing and this research aims to develop a method, where companies from the water-sports industry could follow a step-by-step process to assess the normative lifespan of a product, especially in the early design stages of the product development process. The case study of OLAIAN, the DECATHLON surf brand, has made it possible to develop repeatable long-term quality test protocols on neoprene wetsuits and surfboards to characterize the ageing of these products. A product’s resistance is one of the durability factors that are tested in this method, by creating a database containing the number of uses a product has made and its evolution over time. This case study has allowed the testing of different protocols in co- creation with the surf organizations and explores further the study of a testing phase during the product development process. From these empirical findings, a 10-step method has been designed to estimate the normative lifespan of a product. Globally, the outcomes are intended for the design team, in order to know a product’s resistance over time and its weaknesses, thus being able to improve and further its lifespan. A second outcome is to fulfill information to complete studies on durability. Therefore, increase the reliability of Life Cycle Analysis and observe where is the biggest environmental impact in the product’s process (from inception to recycling) to take actions. This also helps to know more precisely the temporal warranty that companies can promise to their customers, and it completes studies on environmental indicators display to guide consumers to more sustainable choices. This study aims to allow in the future, sports organizations certified by Standardization organization for testing of products and the assessment of their durability. Further research on sensors or electronic devices, to more precisely follow the evolution of product during field- testing would be very relevant. As this thesis focused on field-testing for the reliability of products, based on these results further research in statistical models to support failures analysis in accelerated lab-testing must be implemented. Another opportunity is the emergence of platforms and product-service systems in the sports field. This could open up opportunities to have products used at a high frequency and in intense conditions to enable faster feedback on durability.

The objective of our thesis was to conduct a pilot study to evaluate if an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for textiles in the EU could be a socioeconomically beneficial policy to complement the EU Waste Framework Directive’s amendment of separately collected textiles. The aim was to investigate if the policy could achieve increased circular design of textiles as well as if it could work as a management plan for the increased collection rates. The evaluation was made with a Cost-Benefit Analysis, using the French EPR-system for textiles as a base. It was further complemented with previously conducted research of EPR-systems for other waste streams in the EU, as well as by previously conducted investigations for other national implementations of producer responsibilities for textiles. In additional support, we used data for differences between the member states in the European Union and conducted an expert interview. The EPR was compared to a situation where the municipalities in the member states would instead be responsible for the separate collection of textiles. The result of our investigation illustrates how both alternatives generate a net-loss, the Municipal Responsibility with - €7,611,410,291 and the Extended Producer Responsibility with - €6,012,109,341 during the first year of implementation. The EPR alternative generates a lower net-loss during the first three years of implementation. The producer responsibility is however the less beneficial alternative four years after implementation, since the decreased opportunity cost of labour generated through the hiring of unemployed assumed under the producer responsibility is deducted. The producer responsibility does however generate benefits through clearly defined responsibility of the textiles placed on the European market and gives incentives for increased fibre-to-fibre recycling and for increased durability of textiles. The initiative therefore generates both higher quantifiable-and non-quantifiable, environmental benefits than the alternative. We conclude that an Extended Producer Responsibility should be further examined as a complement to the regulation of separate collection of textiles, to reach an increased circular textile industry.

The fashion industry has been criticized due to environmental issues, such as the causation of increased scarcity of landfills, hazardous emissions, and exhaustion of non-renewable resources. At the same time, customers, and governments require organizations within the industry to be transparent, offer sustainable consumption, and take responsibility for textile waste. The proposed solution for this is called circular economy (CE), which aims to present a circular system where the value of materials, resources, and products is preserved in the economy for as long as possible. Reverse logistics, referring to managing product returns, end-of-life processing followed by recovery operations, has been stated to be the primary component of CE. Thus, there has been a research gap on how CE practice can be applied to reverse logistics within the fashion industry. To enrich the literature in the field, the purpose of this study is to describe and analyze how sampled Swedish founded fashion retailers state that they apply CE practice to reverse logistics. The methodology applied was a multiple case-study, using semi-structured interviews and official documents. Driving forces that were stated as reasons for applying CE practice to reverse logistics were categorized into three main categories: environmental, social, and economic forces. They were linked to the theory of institution. Signs of all types of isomorphism was shown in the research. This could explain why fashion retailers stated that they performed similarly causes of actions. The stated approaches were divided into four main categories: product-service system, clothing collection, direct redistribution, and reuse or recycling. These categories included the following practical activities: 1) product care and leasing service, 2) in-store clothing collection, 3) sales in outlet stores, sales in second-hand stores, and donating garments to charity and, 4) collaboration with a recycling organization, reuse, and producing and selling upcycled collections. Thus, before implementing the approaches the design and production stage had to be considered.

Waste is a global composite of organic and inorganic derivatives from human activities. Municipal solid waste consists primarily of plastics from households and e-wastes, creating opportunities for waste management businesses. The purpose of this study was to explore leadership strategies for reducing operational costs in waste management businesses in Liberia. In this multiple case study, 6 business leaders from 6 waste management businesses in Liberia were recruited as participants. The conceptual framework guiding the study was the transformational leadership theory. Each business leader responded to open-ended questions in a semistructured interview. Data were analyzed by iteratively searching recurrent codes to elicit themes. Themes that emerged included education and training for customers and staff, as well as efficiency and effectiveness for value creation from waste. Based on the findings of this study, waste management business leaders might contribute to social change by employing marginalized population segments in local communities. The marginalized segments in communities could be empowered to communicate waste management messages about recycling, supplementing their skills and messages using waste management technological innovations. The results from this study might provide insight into how waste management leaders might use innovative solutions to reuse, recycle, and re-engineer wastes. The results from this study might help waste management business leaders envision opportunities for improvement on waste-to-energy products and services in the lives of customers and employees.

Les quadruplexes de guanines (G4) sont des structures d’ADN non-canoniques qui résultent de l’empilement hydrophobe de tétrades de guanines, stabilisé par des cations métalliques (tels que Na+ et K+). Il existe aujourd’hui un nombre croissant de preuves expérimentales qui attestent de l’implication des G4 dans d’importantes fonctions cellulaires corrélées à leur mécanisme de repliement/dépliement. Toutefois, très peu d’études ont abordé les aspects dynamiques de leur formation. Aussi, nous avons entrepris l’étude de plusieurs G4 mono-moléculaires à l’aide d’une nouvelle extension d’expériences de saut de température, capable de mesurer la dynamique de dénaturation thermique et de renaturation consécutive de l’ADN, sur une fenêtre temporelle allant de quelques millisecondes aux secondes. Les changements conformationnels ont été sondés par dichroïsme circulaire (CD) résolu en temps, connu pour être très sensible à l’arrangement des guanines dans les G4. Au préalable des études résolues en temps, en collaboration avec DISCO/SOLEIL, nous avons mesuré les spectres CD statiques de différentes séquences G4 présentant des topologies distinctes, comme celles des télomères humains, de l’aptamère de la thrombine ou des promoteurs de c-MYC. Nous avons observé des cinétiques de dénaturation et renaturation biphasiques avec des constantes de temps de quelques centaines de millisecondes et quelques secondes. Ces cinétiques dépendent fortement de l’amplitude du saut de température et de la concentration de cations métalliques. L’ensemble de ces observations suggère l’existence de plusieurs voies de repliement/dépliement des G4 sur des surfaces de potentiel très rugueuses. / Guanine-quadruplexes (G4) are non-canonical DNA structures that result from the hydrophobic stacking of guanine quartets stabilized by metal cations (typically Na+ and K+). There is now an increasing body of experimental evidence of their occurrence in important cell functions correlated to their folding/unfolding mechanisms. However, only few studies have addressed the dynamical aspect of their formation. In this context, we have undertaken the study of several intramolecular G4 with a novel extension of temperature-jump experiments capable to measure the thermal denaturation and the consecutive renaturation of DNA over a time window spanning a few ten milliseconds to seconds. Conformational changes have been monitored by time-resolved circular dichroism (CD), which is known to be sensitive to the chiral arrangement of guanines in the G4 scaffolds.Prior to time-resolved measurements, within the frame of a collaboration with DISCO/SOLEIL, we have performed static synchrotron radiation CD measurements on several short G4-forming sequences, such as human telomere, thrombin-binding aptamer and c-MYC promoter sequences, displaying distinct topologies. Denaturation and renaturation kinetics are found to exhibit biphasic decays with time constants of a few hundred milliseconds and a few seconds, respectively. Those kinetics depend strongly on the amplitude of the temperature jump and the concentration of cations. Taken together these observations suggest the existence of multiple folding pathways on extremely rugged landscapes.

The contemporary economic, social and environmental context is at the edge of change. Governments, individuals and, companies need to take drastic measures to save the planet Earth. It has been globally communicated and understood that our lifestyle is not sustainable. If we do not transform how we produce, consume, travel and live, the future generation’s ability to evolve in the world we know today might be compromised. The study is using the Circular Economy as a way to rethink industries and furniture usage. In this case, the researcher inquired the office furniture industries. The goal at the end of the research process is to find an alternative to the linear business model established in the office furniture industry. The project is providing a holistic vision on the furniture’s journey from production to recycling. The proposal is based on the analysis of the current state of the office furniture industry to transform the linear business model to a circular model. The research was mainly lead thanks to three collaborators. The most important collaborator in the study is Steelcase. The company is the leader and expert in the office furniture field. Thanks to one year of experience at Steelcase, the researcher acquired deep knowledge about the office furniture industry in the heart of the industry of interest. It allowed to collect valuable information to understand the challenges office furniture industries are facing. And, finally, analyse the potential and challenges the transition from a linear to a circular business model represents for office furniture companies. The researcher also gained knowledge from dealers working at Blanchet-D’Huismes, who have a lot of expertise about the workplace and the office furniture industry. Finally, the last collaborator involved in the study is WeWork, a company renting workplaces, which represent the new business models appearing in the office industry. The research is lead from a designer’s point of view. Thanks to the experience and conversations with professionals from the workplace industry, valuable knowledge was acquired. With a deep understanding of the office furniture industry, the researcher designed a circular model. In order to share the findings of the research, the model was visualised with diagrams which allow anyone from the office furniture industry to understand the project. The goal of the project is to communicate the issues with the current model and propose a new approach to how the workplace could be furnished in the future.