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Textile companies are facing a grand challenge towards achieving circularity in their business models. With a growing demand by customers for more sustainable textile products and the increased worldwide attention on how much the textile industry contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and water pollutions, this challenge needs to be addressed.    Therefor the purpose of this master thesis is to investigate the state-of-art regarding recycling options and possibilities for textile industry. Recycling options both refers to how recycling is performed of textiles and how recycled materials are used. Following the aim is also to investigate if the industry’s demands on recycling options and recycled materials are aligned with what can be found from scientifically sources. Further, the study aims to explore re-cycled textile materials, and how (or if) these materials are competitive on the market.   The research questions where: [1] What criteria is important for companies when considering using recycled textile materials?   [2] What technologies are used for re-cycling of textiles today? a.     Are the textile materials that are used today supported by these recycling technologies? This thesis has used a qualitative approach through data collection. Data was collected through interviews and literature review. The interviews were conducted online, with representatives from different textile companies. The structure of the interviews was semi-structed. The literature review was performed based on the research question.   The main requirement companies had on recycled materials were related to quality and cost. The materials were expected to have the same standard as virgin materials. Two recycling technologies was identified, mechanical recycling and chemical recycling.    Limitations in this master thesis is towards recycling technologies and requirements/criteria on recycled materials set by companies. The study takes a comprehensive approach and conclusions that needs to be further investigated. / CircuTex

Circularity is a trending topic in research and in marketing documents from companies, as this notion is essential to move towards sustainability. However, there is no tool assessing the circularity of a manufactured product at a meso-level, i.e. on the product’s perspective, even though the same kind of tools exists for environmental impact. Such a tool could be very relevant to use at different stages of product development or even to harmonize the circularity indicators used by stakeholders at different levels, who are currently communicating using different metrics. To fill this research gap, a framework is proposed to measure circularity of Swedish automotive products, as road transportation is one of the sectors with the highest environmental impacts in Europe. Three indicators have been proposed to monitor circularity around industrial waste, energy use and electronic materials waste, building the foundations for a circularity monitoring framework. These three indicators are combining measurements and strategies from scientific literature as well as good practices from Swedish automotive industries. The indicators have been tested using representative data from online sources and assumed datapoints, the results of these simulations have been assessed by experts from the industry. They confirmed that such a tool would be relevant as it shows areas of improvement to increase the circularity of a product. Using only data available online and the framework developed, the industrial waste indicator of a representative product from the Swedish automotive industry has been calculated to be 38% with an accuracy of 66%, showing the ease of use of the tool developed. Energy and electronic waste indicators have been calculated to be 7.7% and 24% respectively for the case studied. Results shows that value of indicators tend to decrease with the accuracy increasing, which highlights the importance of an accuracy measurement associated with it. More aspects could be added to the existing framework to have a complete picture of the circularity of a product, as the tool is flexible and adaptable, but results shows that it is already possible to use it in its current state of development and could help companies when making decisions about circularity. / Cirkularitet är ett trendigt ämne i forskning och i företagens marknadsföringsdokument, eftersom begreppet är viktigt för omställningen mot hållbarhet. Det finns dock inget verktyg för att bedöma en tillverkad produkts cirkularitet på mesonivå, dvs. ur produktperspektivet, även om det finns samma typ av verktyg för miljöpåverkan. Ett sådant verktyg skulle kunna vara mycket relevant att använda i olika skeden av produktutvecklingen eller till och med för att harmonisera de cirkuläritetsindikatorer som används av intressenter på olika nivåer, som för närvarande kommuniceras med hjälp av olika mått. För att fylla denna forskningslucka föreslås ett ramverk för att mäta cirkulariteten hos svenska bilprodukter, eftersom vägtransporter är en av de sektorer som har störst miljöpåverkan i Europa. Tre indikatorer har föreslagits för att mäta cirkulariteten för industriavfall, energianvändning och elektroniskt materialavfall, vilket utgör grunden för ett ramverk för mätning av cirkularitet. Dessa tre indikatorer kombinerar mätningar och strategier från vetenskaplig litteratur samt god praxis från svensk bilindustri. Indikatorerna har testats med hjälp av representativa data från onlinekällor och antagna datapunkter, resultaten av dessa simuleringar har bedömts av experter från industrin. De bekräftade att ett sådant verktyg skulle vara relevant eftersom det visar förbättringsområden för att öka en produkts cirkularitet. Genom att endast använda data som finns tillgängliga online har indikatorn för industriavfall för en representativ produkt från den svenska bilindustrin beräknats till 38 % med en noggrannhet på 66 %, vilket visar att det utvecklade verktyget är lätt att använda. Indikatorerna för energi- och elektronikavfall har beräknats till 7,7 % respektive 24 % för det studerade fallet. Resultaten visar att indikatorernas värde tenderar att sjunka med ökande noggrannhet, vilket understryker vikten av en noggrannhetsmätning i samband med detta. Fler aspekter skulle kunna läggas till i det befintliga ramverket för att få en fullständig bild av en produkts cirkularitet, eftersom verktyget är flexibelt och anpassningsbart, men resultaten visar att det redan är möjligt att använda det i dess nuvarande utvecklingsstadium och att det skulle kunna hjälpa företag när de fattar beslut om cirkularitet.

Textilindustrin utgör en betydande resursförbrukning och genererar omfattande mängder avfall genom hela värdekedjan. Denna studie har genomfört litteratursökning och en enkätundersökning, för att analysera textilindustrins avfallshantering och de utmaningar som uppstår med EU-kommissionens förslag om ökat producentansvar och avfallskrav. Resultaten belyser textilföretagens utmaningar, inklusive administrativa och ekonomiska belastningar, infrastrukturproblem, materialåtervinningens komplexitet samt osäkerhet kring producentansvar. Studien har identifierat de övergripande strategier som svenska textilföretag använder för att hantera avfall, såsom materialbesparande tekniker, återanvändning av förpackningar och samarbete med leverantörer. Trots dessa insatser kvarstår tekniska och ekonomiska hinder. Studien föreslår förbättringar genom investeringar i infrastruktur, utveckling av innovativa tekniker såsom, samt ekonomiska incitament för att stödja hållbara processer. / The textile industry is a significant consumer of resources and generates substantial amounts of waste throughout the entire value chain. This study conducted a comprehensive literature review and survey to analyze the waste management practices in the textile industry and the challenges posed by the EU Commission's proposals for increased producer responsibility and waste regulations. The results highlight the challenges faced by textile companies, including administrative and economic burdens, infrastructure issues, the complexity of material recycling, and uncertainty regarding producer responsibility. The study identifies the strategies used by Swedish textile companies to manage waste, such as material-saving techniques, reuse of packaging, and collaboration with suppliers and manufacturers. Despite these efforts, technical and economic barriers remain. The study suggests improvements through investments in infrastructure, the development of innovative technologies, and economic incentives to support sustainable processes.

I en alltmer globaliserad värld där behovet av transport och kommunikationer ökar, ställs högre krav på infrastrukturprojekt och deras resursanvändning. Kraven på hållbar utveckling påverkar särskilt dessa projekt och deras masshantering. Ett initiativ som adresserar dessa hållbarhetskrav är konceptet cirkularitet där massor cirkuleras inom ett kretslopp i syfte att främja återanvändning och återvinning. Idag möjliggör digitala verktyg såsom Building Information Modeling (BIM) en plattform för aktörer att få en översikt av projektet. Trots detta återstår det utmaningar med att integrera BIM-teknologi inom masshantering för att effektivt främja cirkulär materialanvändning. Studien grundar sig på en explorativ forskningsdesign med syftet att undersöka aktuella utmaningar för cirkulär masshantering samt potentialen hos BIM inom infrastrukturprojekt för att främja cirkularitet. Studien fokuserar på att identifiera de faktorer som aktörer inom masshantering upplever som hinder för cirkulär masshantering samt på vilket sätt BIM kan bidra till att motverka dessa hinder. Studien visar hur dessa uppfattningar relaterar till cirkularitet genom att undersöka hur dessa faktorer påverkar ekonomisk, social och ekologisk hållbarhet i enlighet med Elkingtons Triple Bottom Linemodell. Arbetet grundar sig på en litteraturöversikt och semistrukturerade intervjuer med respondenter i form av beställare, entreprenörer och konsulter verksamma inom svensk masshantering. I studien identifierades att flera faktorer utgör hinder för en cirkulär masshantering inom svenska infrastrukturprojekt. Resultatet tyder på hinder i form av brist på kompetens, otillräcklig samordning, logistikproblem, oklar ansvarsfördelning, svårigheter med klassificering samt inkonsekvent beräkning av massor. Dessa faktorer ger upphov till negativa konsekvenser på de ekonomiska, sociala och ekologiska hållbarhetsaspekterna inom organisationerna. Trots detta betraktar respondenterna att implementeringen av BIM inom masshanteringsprocesserna har potential att motverka dessa hinder genom att främja förbättrad samordning, informationsdelning och resursanvändning. Dessa åtgärder möjliggör förbättringar inom alla tre hållbarhetsdimensioner och kan därmed underlätta övergången mot en mer cirkulär masshantering inom svenska infrastrukturprojekt. Trots detta indikerar resultaten att den fulla potentialen av BIM begränsas av utmaningar såsom bristande erfarenhet och oenhetliganvändning inom branschen. / In an increasingly globalized world where the demand for transportation and communication is rising, higher demands are placed on infrastructure projects and their resource utilization. Sustainable development requirements particularly affect these projects and their mass haul. An initiative addressing these sustainability demands is the concept of circularity, where materials circulate within a loop to promote reuse and recycling. Today, digital tools such as Building Information Modeling (BIM) enable stakeholders to gain an overview of the project. However, challenges remain in integrating BIM technology into mass haul to effectively promote circular material usage. The study is based on an exploratory research design aimed at investigating current challenges in circular material management and the potential of BIM within infrastructure projects to promote circularity. The study focuses on identifying the factors that stakeholders in mass haul perceive as barriers to circular material management and how BIM can help mitigate these barriers. The results illustrate how these perceptions relate to circularity by examining how these factors affect economic, social, and environmental sustainability in accordance with Elkington's Triple Bottom Line model. The report is based on a literature review and semi-structured interviews with respondents such as clients, contractors, and consultants active in Swedish mass haul operations. The study identified several factors that constitute barriers to circular material management in Swedish infrastructure projects. The results suggest barriers such as lack of expertise, inadequate coordination, logistical problems, unclear responsibility allocation, difficulties in classification, and inconsistent calculation of materials. These factors lead to negative consequences on the economic, social, and environmental sustainability aspects within organizations. However, respondents consider that the implementation of BIM within mass haul processes has the potential to counteract these barriers by promoting improved coordination, information sharing, and resource utilization. These measures enable improvements in all three sustainability dimensions and can thus facilitate the transition to a more circular mass haul within Swedish infrastructure projects. Nevertheless, the results indicate that the full potential of BIM is limited by challenges such as lack of experience and inconsistent usage within the industry.

Yes / The case study presented in this paper is a demonstration of the success of a green public procurement (GPP) model that allows to build buildings in accordance with the principles of the circularity by ensuring sustainable consumption and production. The relevance of green procurement has lately become a focus of research because of public institutions' growing interest in circularity for built environment investment. The case study of a school gym presented in this paper is emphasising the role the public authorities are playing in promoting the transition to the circularity of the built environment through sustainable procurement. Despite being a voluntary instrument, GPP also plays a significant part in the global efforts to develop a more resource-efficient economy. It can help to develop a critical mass of demand for more sustainable buildings that would be difficult to bring to the market otherwise. The challenge of convincing public-sector institutions to use GPP across nations, to become 'normal practice' continues and will drive the market for environmentally friendly buildings. The case study presented demonstrate that the GPP model is widely replicable and leads to positive outcomes. It has already been applied for the Brancati secondary and high school project built in Pesaro, Italy, that has been awarded by the International Jury of the Green Solutions Awards 2020-21, Construction 21, the Prize for the Energy for the Temperate Climate International Platform category.

Yes / We examine corporate inertia towards circularity transition using organisational case studies, observations, and qualitative interviews with business executives. The study explores how the values and beliefs of business leaders and managers promote or inhibit internal and external stakeholder engagement to enable transition to circular business models. We focus on four large UK food companies, conducting interviews with 11 senior managers. Rather than a lack of awareness of the circular economy (CE), the results demonstrate that business leaders are not persuaded by the short-to medium-term business case for a CE. There is misalignment between values and beliefs of business executives and the circularity values and goals of their organisations. The misaligned values and beliefs inhibit relevant stakeholder engagement for transitions to a CE with responsibility shifted to civil society and public institutions. Management commitment to circularity transitions are at best a sophisticated form of circularity greenwashing. The study further suggests a general lack of collective disposition to foster collaborations with sectoral and supply chain partners to engender circularity transitions due to the absence of any standard systems for CE performance indicators. Circularity education and training play a positive mediatory role in changing negative assumptions, including the promotion of managers' engagement with other relevant stakeholders to build synergies and strategies for CE systems. The findings contribute to understanding the dynamics of corporate inertia regarding transitions to CE and highlight the relevance of aligning the personal values and beliefs of top management with organisational, sectoral, and supply chain partners’ values and goals.

The construction industry today accounts for a significant portion of the world's resource consumption and waste production, which greatly impacts the environment. This study examines the opportunities and challenges associated with the reuse of materials within the Swedish construction industry, particularly in large infrastructure and construction projects. The aim is to investigate current practices regarding reuse, identify obstacles and opportunities, and propose improvements to promote circularity in the construction sector. Through an interview study and a field study of an ongoing construction project, the research provides an in-depth understanding of how reuse is handled in practice and the challenges involved.  The results show that despite a great interest in reuse, there are significant obstacles such as regulations, economic factors, and a lack of coordination. Many companies and authorities view reuse as a necessary measure to reduce environmental impact, but face challenges such as costs and complex regulations. However, opportunities exist through digital solutions and better coordination, which can make reuse both economically and environmentally beneficial. Projects with the proper conditions show that reuse can be both profitable and environmentally friendly. The study suggests that to increase reuse in the construction industry, policy adjustments, better economic incentives, and further development of digital platforms for coordination and efficient management of reused materials are required. By introducing clearer regulations and creating economic incentives, companies can be motivated to choose reuse over virgin materials. With the right measures, the environmental impact of the construction industry can be significantly reduced, contributing to a more sustainable future.

This thesis aims at developing a (dis/re)assembly oriented methodology towards product end-of-life. Particular focus in this thesis is on the circularity of furniture via design for (dis/re)assembly. The main motivation behind this study was the need for a method to evaluate the (dis/re)assembly options of furniture designs to be able to facilitate repair, reuse, remanufacturing, refurbishing, or recycling. The study draws upon relevant theories and prior research on Circular product Design, Design for EoL, Design for Environment, and Design for (Dis)assembly of vehicles, electrical and elocronic equipments, whitegoods, as well as office furniture, though relatively limited. The proposed methodology determines major aspects of design for (dis/re)assembly to be taken in to consideration in the early stages of product development. It further provides a set of parameters that are relevant to cabinet type and upholstery furniture group. The study involves a variety of qualitative research methods that are embedded in an interactive research conduct with the engagement of different stakeholders that are charged with the task of product development at Ikea of Sweden (IoS), the collaborator of this study.  The proposed methodology is implemented on three selected furniture designs in a pilot study. The results of the study, above all, suggest that (dis/re)assemblability of a product is a strategic choice that needs to be made at early phases of product development, namely the design phase. Two particular features of the furniture groups, upon which this study focuses, emerges as factors having negative impact on the disassemblability of products: first, wooden frame sofas with respect to their complex structure and connectivity of componants and, second, permanent joints with respect to their destructive impact on the product. The study concludes that it is feasible to develop and implement a potentially comprehensible method to evaluate the ease of disassembly of furniture products and to design for disassembly. The proposed methodology in this study is a contribution to support product design for disassembly towards product circularity.

Dans cette thèse, nous nous intéressons à l'étude des courbes discrètes et ses applications en analyse d'images. Nous avons proposé une amélioration de l'estimation de courbure reposant sur le cercle circonscrit. Celle-ci repose sur la notion de segment flou maximal d'épaisseur [nu] et sur la décomposition d'une courbe discrète en sa séquence de segments flous maximaux. Par la suite, nousavons appliqué cette idée en 3D afin d'estimer la courbure et la torsion discrète en chaque point d'une courbe 3D. Au niveau de l'application, nous avons développé une méthode rapide et fiable pour détecter les points dominants dans une courbe 2D. Un point dominant est un point dont la courbure est localement maximale. Les points dominants jouent un rôle très important dans la reconnaissance de formes. Notre méthode utilise un paramètre qui est l'épaisseur des segments flous maximaux. Reposant sur cette nouvelle méthode de détection des points dominants, nous avons développé des méthodes sans paramètres de détection des points dominants. Celles-ci se basent sur une approche multi-épaisseur. D'autre part, nous nous intéressons particulièrement au cercles et arcs discrets. Une méthode linéaire a été développé pour reconnaître des cercles et arcs discrets. Puisnous avons fait évoluer cette méthode afin de travailler avec des courbes bruitées en utilisant une méthode de détection du bruit. Nous proposons aussi une mesure de circularité. Une méthode linéaire qui utilise cette mesure a été aussi développée pour mesurer la circularité des courbes fermées. Par ailleurs, nous avons proposé une méthode rapide pour décomposer des courbes discrètes en arcs et en segments de droite. / In this thesis, we are interested in the study of discrete curves and its applications in image analysis. We have proposed an amelioration of curvature estimation based on circumcircle. This method is based on the notion of blurred segment of width [nu] and on the decomposition of a curve into the sequence of maximal blurred segment of width [nu]. Afterwards, we have applied this idea in 3D to estimate the discrete curvature and torsion at each point of a 3D curve. Concerning the applications, we have developed a rapid et reliable method to detect dominant points of a 2D curve. A dominant point is a point whose the curvature value is locally maximum. The dominant points play an important role in pattern recognition. Our method uses a parameter: the width of maximal blurred segments. Based on this novel method of dominant point detection, we proposed free-parameter methods for polygonal representation. They are based on a multi-width approach. Otherwise, we are interested in discrete arcs and circles. A linear method has been proposed for the recognition of arcs and circles. We then develop a new method for segmentation of noisy curves into arcs based on a method of noise detection. We also proposed a linear method to measure the circularity of closed curves. In addition, we have proposed a robust method to decompose a curve into arcs and line segments