This thesis concerns waste management on construction sites and was conducted on behalf of ICA Fastigheter. Areas of concern: How can an environmentally-efficient waste management system on construction sites be defined?  What potential exists for exploiting the waste resources that are generated? How can the waste management be optimised by reducing the quantity of waste and by optimal sorting? How can the client of a project influence the waste management? The purpose of the work was to investigate sustainable waste management in the building and construction sector and to highlight waste as a resource from an environmental and economic perspective.The aim of the work was to define an environmentally-efficient waste management system, to analyse the potential that exists in waste management and to draw up guidelines for optimal waste management.The method consisted of a literature study, two visits to construction sites and four interviews.An environmentally-efficient waste management system means that the waste is managed in the following order of priority: Prevention      Reuse   Recycling      Energy recovery Landfill      The prevention of waste is an important area that has not been adequately explored by the building and construction industry. The quantities of waste could decrease with the implementation of measures such as ordering materials in the dimensions required, prefabricated components, logistics centres with Just-In-Time deliveries, less and improved packaging and less wrapping. The reuse of waste materials and temporary apparatus as well as the use of a return pallet system are examples of reuse that reduces the quantities of waste. In most cases the source sorting work is a matter of course and the proportion going to landfill is down at a low level. The source sorting can be optimised by sorting all materials that can be reused and recycled to use them as a resource. The client of a project has great opportunities to influence the waste management in a sustainable direction by placing demands on the contractor. Demands can be placed on measures to reduce the quantities of waste, on a specific level of source sorting and on the reporting and monitoring of statistics.

With the population growing gradually and economy booming in the world, the need of textile product accordingly increases rapidly, which results in the big generation of textile waste. The disposal of textile waste brings in many adverse effects on environment, such as the landfill occupation. The production of textile product itself also causes much environmental concerning. In order to cope with the increasing textile waste and reduce the pressure of waste management, waste prevention is primary, as well as effective choice. The prevention of waste from textile can return ideal revenue from economic, social and environmental aspects. So many countries have conducted some researches and practices on the prevention of waste from textile. Sweden also has some existed prevention measures. But these prevention measures mainly focus on two stakeholders: consumer and charitable organization.  Associated with the practical situation in Sweden, some existed prevention measures are transferred to the Swedish circumstance and then suggest a new prevention scheme about textile waste in Sweden. The suggested prevention scheme is based on four stakeholders’ (designer, retailer, consumer, charitable organization) point of view.

För att uppnå en hållbar utveckling krävs en omställning från den linjära ekonomin med sin avfallsgenerering till en mer cirkulär sådan där resurser inte utarmas utan används i en takt där de hinner förnyas och återskapas. En konsekvens av den ohållbara resursförbrukningen är att avfallsmängderna i världen ökar vilket bidrar till den ohållbara utvecklingen och bör således undvikas. För att lösa detta problem kan man arbeta avfallsförebyggande, det vill säga minska avfallsmängderna och dess negativamiljöeffekter innan avfallet uppkommer. Enligt avfallshierarkin som anger en prioriteringsordning utifrån vad som är bäst sett ur ett miljöperspektiv ska avfall i första hand förebyggas, därefter återanvändas, återvinnas, energiutvinnas och om inget av ovanstående alternativ är möjliga, deponeras. Rapporten har som syfte att sammanställa incitament, hinder, avfallsförebyggande metoder och utvärderande mätmetoder kopplade till avfallsförebyggande åtgärder och är en förstudie till ett större projekt som genomförs av IVL Svenska Miljöinstitutet. För att uppnå syftet har en litteraturstudie gjorts för insamling av material. Utöver litteraturstudien har intervjuer som IVL genomfört med aktörer som redan påbörjat ett avfallsförebyggande arbete använts som material. De intervjuade aktörerna är Ikea, JM, Avfall Sverige, Kretslopp och vatten samt Uppsala kommun. Resultatet sammanställer fyra olika typer av incitament: institutionella, ekonomiska, uppsatta mål och övriga incitament. Identifierade hinder grupperas också in i fyra olika typer: mål- och intressekonflikter, ekonomiska hinder, organisatoriska hinder och informativa hinder. Mätmetoder som lyfts för att utvärdera avfallsförebyggande åtgärder är direkt kvantifiering, kostnadsanalys, användande av indikatorer samt resursproduktivitetsförhållanden. Avfallsförebyggande metoder inkluderar i denna rapport product-service system (PSS), återanvändning, ekodesign och beteendeförändringar. Olika aktörer som arbetar avfallsförebyggande lyfts i ett exempelkapitel. I analysen kopplas metoderna samman med de utvalda aktörernas avfallsförebyggande arbete. Direkt kvantifiering visade sig vara en vanligt förekommande mätmetod och en vanligt förekommande avfallsförebyggande metod är beteendeförändringar. Ekonomiska incitament lyfts som särskilt viktiga och behovet av uppskalning och spridning av det avfallsförebyggande arbetet bedöms vara ett viktigt hinder att överbrygga. / To reach a sustainable development there is a need to convert from the linear economy with its waste generation to a more circular economy where natural resources are not depleted but are consumed in a sustainable rate so that the resources are given time to be renewed. One of the consequences of the unsustainable consumption of natural resources is that the amounts of waste is increasing in the world which contributes to the unsustainable development and should therefore be avoided. A solution to this problem is to work with waste prevention, which means to reduce the amounts of waste and its negative environmental effects before the waste is generated. According to the waste hierarchy, which is an order of priority decided by what is best in an environmental point of view, waste should primary be prevented, thereafter it should be reused, recycled, used for energy recovery and, if none of the other options are possible, be disposed. The objective of this report is to compile incentives, obstacles, methods and measuring methods for waste prevention. The report is a pilot study/pre-study for a bigger project by the Swedish environment institution (IVL). To reach the aim material has been collected from a literature study. Besides the literature study, the report also uses material from interviews held by IVL. The interviewees are actors who have already started preventing their waste and these are Ikea, JM, Avfall Sverige, Kretslopp och vatten and Uppsala kommun. In the result the incentives have been divided into four parts: institutional incentives, economic incentives, goals and other incentives. The obstacles are also divided into four parts: conflicts of interests and aims, economic obstacles, organisatory obstacles and informative obstacles. The measuring methods found in the material are direct quantification, cost analysis, indicators and resource productivity ratios. Waste prevention methods in this report includes PSS, reuse, ecodesign and behavioural changes. Also, some examples of actors who are preventing waste are presented. In the analysis the methods are connected to the chosen actors’ waste prevention. The most common method to prevent waste is, according to the result of the report, behavioural changes. The most common method for measuring waste prevention in the result is direct quantification. Economic incentives seem to be of significant importance and the need of spreading and upscaling of waste prevention is an important obstacle to tackle.

A prevenção de resíduos, enquanto estratégia ambiental, tem sido aplicada com sucesso em várias indústrias. Porém, sua aplicação durante a fase de desenvolvimento dos produtos ainda é pouco explorada. A prevenção de resíduos é mais efetiva quando incorporada ao projeto do produto, pois possibilita uma análise dos impactos durante todo o seu ciclo de vida. Os resíduos de embalagens são particularmente preocupantes, pelos materiais utilizados e pelo volume que ocupam nos aterros sanitários. A análise das potencialidades da prevenção de resíduos de embalagens justifica-se pelas características destes resíduos quanto a degradabilidade e volume, e também pela vida reduzida associada às embalagens. O objetivo desta pesquisa foi realizar uma análise das potencialidade da prevenção de resíduos de embalagens com abordagem sobre o seu consumo e seu projeto, através da introdução de considerações ambientais no desenvolvimento de embalagens. Para isso, buscou-se um referencial que permitisse entender os mecanismos do modelo de produção e consumo, as tendências de consumo, o comportamento dos consumidores e sua importância na modificação dos projetos de embalagens. No desenvolvimento de embalagens foram identificadas as alternativas quanto às considerações ambientais durante a fase de projeto. Finalmente, realizou-se uma confrontação entre as possibilidades identificadas e a atual aplicação no mercado nacional e um apontamento das oportunidades não exploradas. Com isso, buscou-se não somente apresentar um panorama sobre a situação brasileira quanto ao desenvolvimento de embalagens com vistas a prevenção de resíduos, como também contribuir para que esta seja realmente implementada. Explorou-se também as características e tendências da legislação ambiental referentes aos resíduos sólidos, tendo em vista ter a legislação papel fundamental na prevenção de resíduos. Várias alternativas de estratégias de projeto de embalagens com considerações ambientais foram identificadas: redução da quantidade de material por embalagem ou número de embalagens, projetar a forma da embalagem visando a facilitar seu transporte, projetar produtos de uso coletivo e compartilhado, produtos concentrados ou desidratados, redução das dimensões físicas dos produtos, projetar produtos mais duráveis e reutilizáveis [redução do uso de recursos - materiais e energia]; priorizar recursos vindos de fontes renováveis, usar materiais biodegradáveis, eliminar o uso de constituintes tóxicos, como metais pesados dos corantes, usar material reciclado [escolha de recursos de baixo impacto ambiental]; projetar para reuso [extensão da vida do produto]; projetar para reciclagem [extensão da vida do material]. Estas alternativas ainda são pouco utilizadas no desenvolvimento de embalagens nacionais. Quanto aos consumidores brasileiros, estes demonstram um baixo nível de priorização e informação quanto às questões ambientais, o que compromete a motivação para o consumo mais consciente. Com relação à legislação brasileira, inexiste uma lei que oriente, em nível nacional, quanto à gestão de resíduos sólidos, uma política nacional de resíduos sólidos, o que compromete a gestão dos resíduos com enfoque na prevenção, embora a tendência dos projetos analisados, com vista à instituição de política de resíduos, é sobre a prevenção de resíduos e a co-responsabilização do setor produtivo pelos resíduos pós-consumo. / Waste prevention as an environmental strategy has been applied with success in many fabrication plants. However, its application at the product design stage remains underexploited. Waste prevention is more effective when incorporated in the product design, since this allows for an impact analysis throughout the product life cycle. Packaging related waste is particularly worrying due to the materials used and the volume they occupy at landfill sites. The analysis of waste prevention potentialities is justified by the degradability and volume characteristics of waste, and also by the short life of packaging. The purpose of this research has been to perform an analysis of potentialities of packaging waste prevention, focusing on packaging consumption and design, by introducing environmental concerns in packaging development. To that end, we have sought a referential that allowed us to understand the production and consumption model, consumption trends, consumer behaviour and its importance in packaging design. In the packaging development, alternatives have been identified relating to environmental considerations at the design stage. Finally, we have confronted the identified possibilities with their current application in Brazil, which highlighted unexploited opportunities. We have attempted to present not only an overview of the brazilian situation in what concerns the design of packaging with a view to waste prevention, but also a contribution so that such strategies can be actually implemented. We have also explored the characteristics and trends of environmental laws concerning solid waste, given the fundamental role of legislation in waste prevention. Several alternative packaging design strategies with environmental concerns have been identified: reduction in the amount of packaging material or reduction in the number of packages; design of packaging shape for easier transportation; design of products for collective and shared use; concentrated or dehydrated products; product size reduction; product design for durability and reusability [reduction in resource consumption - materials and energy]; prioritizing renewable resources; use of biodegradable materials; eliminating the use of toxic materials such as heavy metals in colouring pigments; use of recycled materials [choosing low environmental impact resources]; design for reuse [extending the product lifespan]; design for recycling [extending the lifespan of materials]. These alternatives are still not common in brazilian packaging design. Brazilian consumers, on the other hand, still have a low level of prioritization and information about environmental questions, which compromises motivation for more conscious consumption. There is not a brazilian law or policy for ruling solid waste management on a nationwide level, which compromises the management of waste focusing on prevention, although there is a trend in the analyzed projects towards waste prevention and co-responsibilization of the productive sectors for post-consumption waste.

The four papers of this dissertation explore themes related to waste prevention, the system boundaries, functional units and scale of life cycle assessments (LCAs) of municipal solid waste (MSW) management, as well as the transparency and consistency of the application of LCA methods. The first paper is a comparative analysis of the methodological choices and transparency of 20 LCAs of MSW that were recently published in peer-reviewed journals, and includes a comparison of their midpoint level impact values using statistical indicators. The second paper proposes a conceptual model, designated WasteMAP (Waste Management And Prevention), for evaluating LCAs of MSW which incorporate waste prevention. In WasteMAP, waste prevention through dematerialization is viewed as analogous to waste treatments so long as it does not affect the functional output (product services) of MSW-generating product systems. Papers 3 and 4 comprise the WasteMAP LCA case study. Paper 3 depicts product LCAs of wine and spirit packaging (conventional, lightweight and refillable, each type generating different quantities of waste) at the scale of the individual package and the municipality. At the municipal scale, the LCAs address impacts from the wine and spirit packaging supplied in the City of Toronto, Canada in 2008, and a waste prevention scenario which substitutes lighter weight and reusable containers. The lowest endpoint level impacts out of the five container types studied were associated with refillable containers and aseptic cartons. Paper 4 addresses the Toronto MSW management system and applies the WasteMAP model to allow for the comparison, on a functionally equivalent basis, of the LCA results of a reference scenario, based on 2008 data, with a scenario incorporating six types of waste prevention activities (prevention of unaddressed advertising mail, disposable plastic bags, newspapers, lightweight and refillable wine and spirit packaging, and yard waste). The findings highlight the benefits of waste prevention, and the relative significance of the decision to account for recycled content when modelling waste prevention. The endpoint level impact assessment results using the ReCiPe and Impact 2002+ evaluation methods are in keeping with the assumption in the waste hierarchy that waste prevention has a superior environmental performance.

The four papers of this dissertation explore themes related to waste prevention, the system boundaries, functional units and scale of life cycle assessments (LCAs) of municipal solid waste (MSW) management, as well as the transparency and consistency of the application of LCA methods. The first paper is a comparative analysis of the methodological choices and transparency of 20 LCAs of MSW that were recently published in peer-reviewed journals, and includes a comparison of their midpoint level impact values using statistical indicators. The second paper proposes a conceptual model, designated WasteMAP (Waste Management And Prevention), for evaluating LCAs of MSW which incorporate waste prevention. In WasteMAP, waste prevention through dematerialization is viewed as analogous to waste treatments so long as it does not affect the functional output (product services) of MSW-generating product systems. Papers 3 and 4 comprise the WasteMAP LCA case study. Paper 3 depicts product LCAs of wine and spirit packaging (conventional, lightweight and refillable, each type generating different quantities of waste) at the scale of the individual package and the municipality. At the municipal scale, the LCAs address impacts from the wine and spirit packaging supplied in the City of Toronto, Canada in 2008, and a waste prevention scenario which substitutes lighter weight and reusable containers. The lowest endpoint level impacts out of the five container types studied were associated with refillable containers and aseptic cartons. Paper 4 addresses the Toronto MSW management system and applies the WasteMAP model to allow for the comparison, on a functionally equivalent basis, of the LCA results of a reference scenario, based on 2008 data, with a scenario incorporating six types of waste prevention activities (prevention of unaddressed advertising mail, disposable plastic bags, newspapers, lightweight and refillable wine and spirit packaging, and yard waste). The findings highlight the benefits of waste prevention, and the relative significance of the decision to account for recycled content when modelling waste prevention. The endpoint level impact assessment results using the ReCiPe and Impact 2002+ evaluation methods are in keeping with the assumption in the waste hierarchy that waste prevention has a superior environmental performance.

A prevenção de resíduos, enquanto estratégia ambiental, tem sido aplicada com sucesso em várias indústrias. Porém, sua aplicação durante a fase de desenvolvimento dos produtos ainda é pouco explorada. A prevenção de resíduos é mais efetiva quando incorporada ao projeto do produto, pois possibilita uma análise dos impactos durante todo o seu ciclo de vida. Os resíduos de embalagens são particularmente preocupantes, pelos materiais utilizados e pelo volume que ocupam nos aterros sanitários. A análise das potencialidades da prevenção de resíduos de embalagens justifica-se pelas características destes resíduos quanto a degradabilidade e volume, e também pela vida reduzida associada às embalagens. O objetivo desta pesquisa foi realizar uma análise das potencialidade da prevenção de resíduos de embalagens com abordagem sobre o seu consumo e seu projeto, através da introdução de considerações ambientais no desenvolvimento de embalagens. Para isso, buscou-se um referencial que permitisse entender os mecanismos do modelo de produção e consumo, as tendências de consumo, o comportamento dos consumidores e sua importância na modificação dos projetos de embalagens. No desenvolvimento de embalagens foram identificadas as alternativas quanto às considerações ambientais durante a fase de projeto. Finalmente, realizou-se uma confrontação entre as possibilidades identificadas e a atual aplicação no mercado nacional e um apontamento das oportunidades não exploradas. Com isso, buscou-se não somente apresentar um panorama sobre a situação brasileira quanto ao desenvolvimento de embalagens com vistas a prevenção de resíduos, como também contribuir para que esta seja realmente implementada. Explorou-se também as características e tendências da legislação ambiental referentes aos resíduos sólidos, tendo em vista ter a legislação papel fundamental na prevenção de resíduos. Várias alternativas de estratégias de projeto de embalagens com considerações ambientais foram identificadas: redução da quantidade de material por embalagem ou número de embalagens, projetar a forma da embalagem visando a facilitar seu transporte, projetar produtos de uso coletivo e compartilhado, produtos concentrados ou desidratados, redução das dimensões físicas dos produtos, projetar produtos mais duráveis e reutilizáveis [redução do uso de recursos - materiais e energia]; priorizar recursos vindos de fontes renováveis, usar materiais biodegradáveis, eliminar o uso de constituintes tóxicos, como metais pesados dos corantes, usar material reciclado [escolha de recursos de baixo impacto ambiental]; projetar para reuso [extensão da vida do produto]; projetar para reciclagem [extensão da vida do material]. Estas alternativas ainda são pouco utilizadas no desenvolvimento de embalagens nacionais. Quanto aos consumidores brasileiros, estes demonstram um baixo nível de priorização e informação quanto às questões ambientais, o que compromete a motivação para o consumo mais consciente. Com relação à legislação brasileira, inexiste uma lei que oriente, em nível nacional, quanto à gestão de resíduos sólidos, uma política nacional de resíduos sólidos, o que compromete a gestão dos resíduos com enfoque na prevenção, embora a tendência dos projetos analisados, com vista à instituição de política de resíduos, é sobre a prevenção de resíduos e a co-responsabilização do setor produtivo pelos resíduos pós-consumo. / Waste prevention as an environmental strategy has been applied with success in many fabrication plants. However, its application at the product design stage remains underexploited. Waste prevention is more effective when incorporated in the product design, since this allows for an impact analysis throughout the product life cycle. Packaging related waste is particularly worrying due to the materials used and the volume they occupy at landfill sites. The analysis of waste prevention potentialities is justified by the degradability and volume characteristics of waste, and also by the short life of packaging. The purpose of this research has been to perform an analysis of potentialities of packaging waste prevention, focusing on packaging consumption and design, by introducing environmental concerns in packaging development. To that end, we have sought a referential that allowed us to understand the production and consumption model, consumption trends, consumer behaviour and its importance in packaging design. In the packaging development, alternatives have been identified relating to environmental considerations at the design stage. Finally, we have confronted the identified possibilities with their current application in Brazil, which highlighted unexploited opportunities. We have attempted to present not only an overview of the brazilian situation in what concerns the design of packaging with a view to waste prevention, but also a contribution so that such strategies can be actually implemented. We have also explored the characteristics and trends of environmental laws concerning solid waste, given the fundamental role of legislation in waste prevention. Several alternative packaging design strategies with environmental concerns have been identified: reduction in the amount of packaging material or reduction in the number of packages; design of packaging shape for easier transportation; design of products for collective and shared use; concentrated or dehydrated products; product size reduction; product design for durability and reusability [reduction in resource consumption - materials and energy]; prioritizing renewable resources; use of biodegradable materials; eliminating the use of toxic materials such as heavy metals in colouring pigments; use of recycled materials [choosing low environmental impact resources]; design for reuse [extending the product lifespan]; design for recycling [extending the lifespan of materials]. These alternatives are still not common in brazilian packaging design. Brazilian consumers, on the other hand, still have a low level of prioritization and information about environmental questions, which compromises motivation for more conscious consumption. There is not a brazilian law or policy for ruling solid waste management on a nationwide level, which compromises the management of waste focusing on prevention, although there is a trend in the analyzed projects towards waste prevention and co-responsibilization of the productive sectors for post-consumption waste.

Food waste has been a worldwide concern for several decades but this problem is relatively new in the Malaysian context due to the increasing amount of food waste in recent years. Thus, the goal of the study is to provide the basic information of knowledge and involvement level, and their interaction in food waste prevention among households in Malaysia. This study seek to further mass communication research in the area of food waste. The Hallahan’s Issues Processes Model was used within this study in order to determine the relationship between knowledge, involvement, and food waste prevention behavior. The convenience sampling method was adopted and the surveys were conducted using the online survey tool, Qualtric. The data were analyzed using SPSS 22.00 software. The results supported the hypotheses that the level of knowledge has a positive impact on food waste behavior only if the household’s involvement is high and vice versa. According to this model, Malaysian households fall under the category of an active audience, because they recognize the negative consequences and their acceptance that food waste prevention is personally relevant in their daily life. The findings of this study contribute further recommendations for government campaign that could focus on enhancing household planning skills and routines when it comes to the food preparation. Furthermore, the need for educational campaign against food waste should focus on selected information such as demographic background and presented in mass media to stimulate model behavior in the households.

Food waste is a serious problem in today’s society. Functional food waste is going to waste treatment while people are suffering from food insecurity. Food redistribution in form of a central food bank which collects food waste at food companies and delivers it to social organizations is a measure to deal with this issue. Stockholm City Mission plans to start up a central food bank in Stockholm and it is this implementation that is of focus in this report. The purpose of this study is to compare two scenarios, with and without a food bank, and evaluate this food bank regarding the possibilities for reduced climate impacts and the economic outcomes of the involving actors (food companies, the central food bank and social organizations). The methods used are literature studies, interviews and a material flow analysis to be able to follow the flows of food through the redistribution system. The results found are that costs can be saved for the actors involved and whether the food bank will go with profit depends on the revenues that can be collected from the involved actors and external investors. Climate impacts are reduced as a result of the implementation, mainly in terms of that functional food waste avoids waste treatment and can be of use.

In the municipal kitchens of Gothenburg, the implementation of the Gothenburg Model for reduced food waste has resulted in reducing the food waste by half in two years. The objective of this study is to contribute in the work of food waste prevention at the street markets in São Paulo by investigating how a model like the Gothenburg Model could be created and implemented. The study has mainly been carried out through a field study on a selection of street markets in São Paulo by performing observations, interviews and estimations of the food waste quantities. The findings of the study are that a model alike the Gothenburg Model could be of relevance at the street markets. It was found that both the model as a tool and as a process could be of use, with the phase of motivating and training the workers having special importance. The social responsibility felt by the vendors has been identified as a great opportunity to present not only donation but also food waste prevention as a social issue. The heterogeneity between the different market stalls and the lack of management on each market presents a challenge in the development and implementation of a tool. Further work should therefore be done to find solutions applicable to the various vendors and to investigate the eventual existence of natural leaders. / I Göteborgs kommunala kök har införandet av Göteborgsmodellen för reducerat matavfall resulterat i att matsvinnet halveras på två år. Syftet med denna studie är att bidra till arbetet med förebyggande av matsvinn på gatumarknaderna i São Paulo genom att undersöka hur en modell som Göteborgsmodellen skulle kunde skapas och införas på plats. Studien har huvudsakligen genomförts genom en fältstudie på ett antal gatumarknader i São Paulo genom att utföra observationer, intervjuer och uppskattningar av matsvinnsmängderna. Resultatet av studien är att en modell lik Göteborgsmodellen skulle kunna vara relevant på gatumarknaderna. Man fann att både modellen som verktyg och som process skulle kunna användas, med särskild betydelse i motivering och träning av försäljarna. Det sociala ansvaret som leverantörerna känner har identifierats som en utmärkt möjlighet att presentera inte bara donation utan även förebyggande av matsvinn som en social fråga. Heterogeniteten mellan de olika marknadsstånden och bristen på ledning på varje enskild marknad utgör en utmaning när det gäller utveckling och implementering av ett verktyg. Ytterligare arbete bör därför göras för att hitta lösningar relevanta för de olika försäljarna och för att undersöka den eventuella förekomsten av naturliga ledare.