Examensarbeten för masterexamen // Master Theses
Länka till denna samling:
Browse
Browsar Examensarbeten för masterexamen // Master Theses efter Program "Industrial ecology (MPTSE), MSc"
Visar 1 - 20 av 74
Sökresultat per sida
Sortera efter
- PostA Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Advanced Processes for the Removal of Pharmaceutical Residues in Wastewater A Detailed Analysis Based on a Pre-study by Gryaab at Rya Wastewater Treatment Plant(2022) Andersson, Sara; Karlsson, Maria; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för teknikens ekonomi och organisation; Peters, Gregory; Peters, GregoryThere are no requirements for wastewater treatment plants to treat pharmaceutical residues today. However, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency has distributed grants to investigate solutions for improving the aquatic environment. Gryaab received grants in 2019 to examine processes for the removal of pharmaceutical residues. A pre-study including a multicriteria-analysis was conducted where three processes were investigated: ozonation, Pulverized Activated Carbon (PAC), and Granular Activated Carbon (GAC). The result showed the importance of further studies on the processes’ environmental impact, leading to this life cycle assessment (LCA) study. This LCA study analysed the processes from five midpoint impact categories: global warming potential, fossil depletion, energy use, eutrophication potential, and acidification potential. The aim was to provide Gryaab with useful data regarding which of the three processes is the environmentally preferable choice and regarding the major environmental impacts of each advanced process. Furthermore, several sensitivity analyses were made to depict what parts of the advanced processes are most crucial for the total environmental impact. This study included two functional units to enable comparisons with both the pre-study and with other LCA studies. They were: the treatment of Gryaab’s wastewater for the removal of pharmaceutical residues for one year; and the treatment of one m3 of wastewater to this end. The calculations in this LCA were made in the software GaBi 9.2.1 Education, where the three processes and the existing sludge treatment were modelled separately. All flows were added in GaBi per m3 of wastewater and then scaled up for the yearly functional unit. According to the results, ozonation with wind power and the GAC process with renewable GAC, wind power, the largest possible bed volumes, and a regeneration plant at Rya wastewater treatment plant were considered the two most preferable alternatives in terms of environmental impact. Ozonation contributed the most to the midpoint impact category energy use. The PAC process contributed the most to global warming and acidification, while global warming was most significant for the GAC process. The value of using renewable alternatives where it is possible was thus strengthened. However, the environmental benefit of advanced wastewater treatment in comparison to its environmental burden must be further analysed to conclude if an implementation is environmentally advantageous.
- PostA Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Nudie Jeans’ Repair and Reuse Concept(2019) Saric, Mate; Nellström, Maja; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för teknikens ekonomi och organisation; Janssen, Mathias; Brinkberg, Eliina; Andersson, SimonAs one of the largest and most polluting industries, the fashion industry plays a significant role regarding the ongoing degradation of the environment. Nudie Jeans is a Swedish denim company that has taken an active approach by contesting the current paradigm of producing fast fashion, which contributes to the throwaway society, which in turn contributes to polluting the environment. Instead, they focus on giving their jeans a narrative, where ageing and letting the jeans break in is encouraged by the means of their Repair and Reuse concept. This Master’s thesis has investigated to what extent this concept helps mitigate environmental impacts with respect to a studied pair of Nudie Jeans entire life cycle using the Life Cycle Assessment method with the help of the LCA software GaBi. A linear case, where the studied jeans were assumed to be discarded after their functional life time had expired, was compared to a circular case, which assumed an extension of the functional life time through repairing and reusing the jeans three times. These two cases where compared with regard to the environmental impact they cause per year that they are worn. According to the results, the environmental impact decrease by extending the life time of the jeans. Thus, for each added event of reuse, the environmental load associated with the life cycle of the studied pair of Nudie Jeans decrease. However, the decrease occurs at an increasingly lower rate late with increasing number of reuses. Active measures that can be taken in order to further reduce the Repair and Reuse system includes decreasing the environmental impact related to maintenance of the jeans and repairing the jeans. For example, decreasing the frequency of washing and tumble drying will decrease the environmental impact. Moreover, the paper bag that customers get when they repair their jeans at a Repair Shop, were identified to be a considerable source of environmental impact with regard to the Repair stage of the Repair and Reuse concept. Valuable insights were identified, which indicate that Nudie Jeans is contributing to mitigating environmental impact within the fashion industry by promoting their Reuse and Repair concept. The results of this study imply that considerable environmental impact could be mitigated if more actors in the fashion industry implement an approach similar to Nudie Jeans’ Repair and Reuse concept.
- PostA Comparison of Different Frameworks for Product Environmental Performance A life-cycle-Based Environmental Assessment of HVO from Used Cooking Oil (UCO) based on EPD, PEF and REDII frameworks(2021) Nojpanya, Pavinee; Jogner, Carolina; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för teknikens ekonomi och organisation; Baumann, Henrikke; Rydberg, TomasIn this project, Product Environmental Footprint (PEF), Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) and the recast of the Renewable Energy Directive (REDII) framework were assessed and compared through the application on the case study of Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) from Used Cooking Oil (UCO). The case study is part of the Impacts on Fuels Producers and Customers of Conflicting Rules for LCA (ICON) project to gain a deeper understanding on the differences between different environmental frameworks. The assessment was done based on the life cycle of the UCO-based HVO. The applied functional unit was 1 MJ of the studied HVO used by a heavy-duty truck (Euro V). The UCO was assumed to be a mixture of palm oil and rapeseed oil. The impact category that was chosen to be assessed was climate change as it was the only impact category the three frameworks have in common. The results show that there are differences between the PEF, EPD and REDII frameworks, which led to different results. The highest impact (51.3 g CO2-eq) was obtained when the PEF framework was applied and the REDII frameworks gave the lowest impact (11.9 g CO2 -eq). The results in EPD and REDII shows 70% and 77% respectively lower impact compared to the PEF. The observed differences between the frameworks were the choice of allocation method when secondary material was used, allocation hierarchy for multifunctional processes, the assessed number of elementary flows and impact categories, the CFs, the accounting of biogenic CO2 and the downstream process. The upstream processes gave the highest contribution to the results in PEF, while for the EPD and REDII it was the hydrogen production. In addition, the UCO collected in Sweden was the most environmentally preferred alternative compared to UCO from China. However, the lack of a specific ruleset such as PEF Category Rules (PEFCR) and EPD’s Product Category Rule (PCR) for biofuels may affect the reliability of the results in this case study.
- PostA Life Cycle Assessment of ABB Process Industries’ mine hoist system(2021) Hjelm, Axel; Ström, Fredrik; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för teknikens ekonomi och organisation; Ljunggren, Maria; Ljunggren, MariaAn extensive shift in how materials are being produced, used, and disposed of, and measures in how to use effectively and efficiently, is needed to handle future environmental challenges and comply with the Paris Agreement. This study investigates the environmental impacts of ABB Process Industries’ mine hoist system by conducting an attributional LCA on a recently installed system currently used by LKAB in Kiruna. Mine hoist systems are industrial lifts used in underground mines for transporting mining ore, equipment, and humans. The information for the assessment is gathered from interviews and contacts with personnel at ABB and LKAB. The LCA-software openLCA is used in combination with the database Ecoinvent v.3.7. Within the investigated mine hoist system, assumed to be used for 25 years in Kiruna in northern Sweden, the LCA results showed that the use phase was the most contributing life cycle phase. The electricity consumption over the life cycle showed the most contributing activity within all investigated environmental impact categories and contributed 72% of the climate change impact. The sensitivity analysis led to the understanding of critical aspects and how to proceed. Differences in electricity mix showed that it is possible to save up to 266 kilotonnes of CO2eq over the lifetime. Materials used in various applications for yearly maintenance over the entire lifetime showed a significant contribution. Each year, close to 30 tonnes of materials are replaced as maintenance materials, and over 25 years, more than one kilotonne of materials are used. A circular perspective and life cycle thinking, framed around waste and resource management with measures to use materials more effectively and efficiently and measures to extend the usage, could reduce the material flows with significant environmental savings. The study helps ABB Process industries to understand the environmental impacts of their operations and provides suggestions for how to proceed in their environmental work. The results of this study, emphasizing the environmental impacts associated with energy consumption and material usage throughout the lifetime, shows how ABB could reduce the environmental impact associated with products offered by the hoist division. Other impacts that ABB and LKAB initially believed had more significant importance, such as transportations, end of life treatment, and lubrication oils usage showed little importance. The study found that ensuring that the energy comes from clean sources and further measures to reduce the material use, especially maintenance materials, are the two key takeaways and should be prioritized in order to reduce environmental impacts.
- PostA Mixed-Methods Approach to Identify and Assess Sustainability Criteria for Battery Chemistries in Electric Vehicles(2023) Andersson, Pernilla; Nilsson, Elin; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för teknikens ekonomi och organisation; Chalmers University of Technology / Department of Technology Management and Economics; Arvidsson, Rickard; Nordelöf, Anders; Chordia, MuditThe transport system is currently undergoing a transition, with car manufacturers shifting from producing conventional internal combustion engines to producing electric vehicles (EVs). One of those actors is Volvo Car Corporation, which has the ambition to become a fully electric car manufacturer by 2030, as well as climate neutral and circular by 2040. One important factor to assess in the transition to EVs is the choice of battery cell chemistry. The aim of this study is to identify and assess sustainability criteria for multiple lithiumion batteries (LIBs) and sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) chemistries for EV application. The LIB cell chemistries examined are nickel manganese cobalt - graphite (NMC811-Gr) and lithium iron phosphate - graphite (LFP-Gr), and SIB cell chemistries are nickel manganese magnesium titanium oxide - hard carbon (NaNMMT-HC) and nickel manganese cobalt oxide - hard carbon (NaNMC-HC). Prior research within sustainability in battery cell chemistries for electric vehicles has often been covered through life cycle assessments (LCA) studies. However, LCA has been shown to only address limited aspects of sustainability. This thesis proposes a mixed-methods approach to assess sustainability, by combining an open space technology (OST) workshop, data from LCAs, expert interviews, and multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA), in order to bring forward other aspects in the sustainability assessment. The sustainability indicators identified in the OST workshop and used in this study are ’Responsible sourcing and social aspects’, ’Human health’, ’Raw material availability’, ’Longevity of cell’, ’Climate impact’, and ’Recyclability’. Quantification of the indicators and the MCDA showed that the LFP-Gr cell is a promising chemistry amongst those assessed. In conclusion, it is recommended to adopt additional stakeholder perspectives, and other tools, to complement the environmental and social assessments conducted using LCA studies, when assessing the sustainability of both current and emerging battery chemistries.
- PostA Product Chain Organization study of Brazilian soy The role of financial actors(2019) Magnolo, Francesca; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för teknikens ekonomi och organisation; Baumann, Henrikke; Baumann, Henrikke; Dauriach, AliceDeforestation in Brazil is a result of a complex network of actors and their interests around farmland and agricultural products’ chains. A particular interest by foreign investors on Brazilian farmland has also increased after the global financial crisis, leading to a process of financialization. The complexity of interests and financialization make sustainable management and governance of global product chains very difficult. What is needed, is an understanding of how this system of interests works and how this leads to negative impacts, in order to find mitigation solutions. The aim of this thesis project has been to describe and model the actor-network around the soybean product chain in order to support its sustainable management. The method used consisted in a Product Chain Organization (PCO) study which has looked at the actors, especially focusing on financial actors, along different steps of the chain, identified using a life-cycle perspective. The focus on financial actors resulted in following both the product chain and the financial chain. For doing so, a document study on soybean companies, foreign investors, Brazilian communities and deforestation policies has been performed as well as two interviews to some important financial actors. The model created showed the importance of specific types of actors along the chain and the links between them. Some investors own very large shares of agricultural funds or companies for farmland investments. Hence, they can exert a strong influence on how agricultural funds and their farmland investments are managed, with the power of having a highly positive or negative impact on a local level. So far, the main limitation of investors in their approach to sustainable investing is due to the subordination of environmental and social benefits to financial ones. Thus, there is still a gap between sustainability commitments and actual outcomes. The method used proved that LCA studies and PCO studies can complement each other. PCO studies, looking at the interactions of actors responsible for the actual global flowing of products, provide opportunities for minimizing the impacts identified by LCA studies. Moreover, this thesis project has shown that there is scope for all types of financial actors to reduce deforestation and build more sustainable global product chains. Remote actors, such as foreign investors, have a concrete influence on a local level and the power of changing the fate of vast areas of territories. Thus, the financial root is of interest and worthy of further study for sustainable management.
- PostAchieving Long-Term Social Sustainability Through Car-Free Development: A Multiple Case Study of the Planning Processes for Car-Free Areas in Oslo, Stockholm and Gothenburg(2020) England, Emily; Eriksson, Elin; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för teknikens ekonomi och organisation; Lundin, Per; Troje, Daniella
- PostAdapting to ISO 14001:2015(2016) Jensen, Robin; Bondesson, Shanna Moen; Säther, Christina; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för teknikens ekonomi och organisation; Chalmers University of Technology / Department of Technology Management and Economics
- PostAnalysis of Multi Stakeholder Processes in Ecosystem Based Marine Management - A Case study(2022) Raj, James Emmanuel; Hellekant, Josefin; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för teknikens ekonomi och organisation; Chalmers University of Technology / Department of Technology Management and Economics; Nyström Claesson, Anna; Nyström Claesson, AnnaIncreasing public knowledge in environmental matters and decisions combined with a growing scepticism of science and distrust in management processes has pushed the need for enhanced decision and management methods. The very use of participation has been filled with intrinsic value and meaning, such as social, ideological, methodological and political. Stakeholder participatory processes could help widen perspectives of issues and be put in different contexts, thus increasing the quality of decision-making in environmental management. The study aimed to identify the gaps and places of improvement with an eye to explore and understand the obstacles linked to Multi stakeholder networks. The outcome of the study was aimed to support dialogic dynamics among the involved stakeholders and to contribute to the understanding of how these types of participatory processes can be improved. The study’s focus was directed towards the three pilot projects administered by SwAM that worked towards developing an Ecosystem Based Marine Management model. The methodology of this study involved conducting semi-structured interviews to elicit information from the interviewees. The results were based on the themes of Stakeholder Identification, Perceptions of pilot’s purpose, Expectations, Perceived working climate, Communication channels and Challenges. An analysis was performed respectively by comparing the data obtained with the compiled literature on how a good MSP should work. Upon performing the analysis, common and individual hindrances affecting the process’s effectiveness and productivity were identified among pilots. The overall pulse of the pilot process was understood to be quite good, but it could be tweaked even more by improving certain measures. The pilot’s unique administration and facilitation proved that MSPs could also be performed in such ways where more weightage was placed on ensuring a bottom-up, democratic and inclusive approach.
- PostAnalysis with Business Model Life Cycle Assessment for Innovation of a Circular Business Model A case study of rental products at events(2023) Claesson, Albin; Skogum, Christoffer; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för teknikens ekonomi och organisation; Chalmers University of Technology / Department of Technology Management and Economics; Baumann, Henrikke; Baumann, HenrikkePlastic waste in seas and oceans is growing and becoming a larger problem. As of 2022, it was estimated that there are 139 million tonnes of plastic waste in the Earth’s aquatic environments where it harms wildlife and ecosystems (OECD, 2022). Simultaneously as the plastic waste in the oceans increase, legislations, and regulations to mitigate the environmental problem of plastic waste are beginning to being implemented (European Parliament, Council of the European Union, 2019). The Swedish government has decided that by 2024, no disposable cups with more than 15% of plastic is allowed to be sold, as response to the European Parliament’s legislation (Swedish Government, 2021).With new business models appearing, a problem rises. Substituting old business models with new ones that uses multiple use products is only beneficial if the new business models are more environmentally sustainable than the old ones. Furthermore, there has been a problem when trying to assess the environmental performance of business models as conventional product LCA often is used for assessment but fails to capture the social and economic dimensions of business model (Böckin et al., 2022). As conventional product LCA assesses a physical entity, the product as a unit and not the entire business model. The aim of this project is to understand the environmental performance of the Light My Fires rental business model for events. Furthermore, the study aims to enable business model innovation by running a sensitivity analysis that shows how the environmental impacts changes due to changes of the business model such as the return rate, rental price, loss fee, storage location and material and manufacturing cost. Lastly, the intended outcome of the project is to answer what the environmental performance of the studied business model is, what environmental hotspots there are, and suggest courses of action to maintain profit of the company while minimising the environmental impact. The functional unit of the study was desired profit level during an event season for Light My Fire.The GWP per f.u. was: 0,037 kg CO2 eq/f.u. It was found that the largest hotspots for all impact categories: Global warming potential100, Marine aquatic ecotoxicity, Acidification, Terrestrial ecotoxicity, Fresh water aquatic toxicity, Human toxicity, Abiotic depletion, Ozone layer depletion, Photochemical oxidation, Eutrophication, Abiotic depletion (fossil fuels) analysed, were the production for making up for losses depended on the return rate, the transports between Västervik, Gothenburg and Malmö, and the production of polypropylene. Interestingly, it was revealed that the return stations effect on the environmental performance of the business model was of great significance. From the sensitivity analysis it was found that the most significant change in environmental impact with a high possibility of implementing was to increase the return rate after each event. By increasing the return rate to 85% the business model would lower the kg CO2 eq/f.u. with 23% as production of new products were decreased and ultimately decreasing the need for extra transports. Furthermore, it showed that moving the storage facility to the same city as the event reduced the contribution to total emissions from transports with 8%. Further, combining the increase of return rate, with the change of storage facility entails a 32% reduction in kg CO2 eq/f.u. Studies have shown that sustainable business models are considered to reduce impacts to environment and society (Bocken et al., 2014). However, this study showed that marketing business models as sustainable without analysing its entirety could have implications in the form of unforeseen impacts. Subsequently, there are possibilities to improve sustainable business models with business innovation using the BMLCA method. Ultimately, the BMLCA worked as a tool for analysing and evaluating the environmental performance of a rental business model used at events with a timeless functional unit. The rental case differed from previous conducted studies since the case was conducted at a real event which has not been done previously, however, the method presented in this study could be successfully modified and subsequently applied to the rental business model at events.
- PostAssessing circularity in terms of environmental impacts and supply chain. A case study of reusable food container service in Indonesia(2022) Ghassani Ramadhina, Putri; Afina Wardhani, Nadhira; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för teknikens ekonomi och organisation; Van Loon, PatriciaIn the battle against plastic waste, reusable packaging is hailed as the adversary to the rising dependence on single-use packaging. However, reuse system is mostly suffered from impacts from considerable weight of the reusable packaging compared to single-use and higher energy requirements for reverse and redistribution logistics, as well as water heating for cleaning purposes. This study investigates the environmental impacts contributed by both single-use and reusable packaging in the context of online food delivery using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and qualitative analysis under a framework of Closed-loop Supply Chain, using a real business case in Jakarta, called Allas Circular Packaging, where the company provides product-service system (PSS) of reusable containers to restaurants for food deliveries. The LCA results were used to quantify necessary break-even point for reusable packaging to fully offset the impacts of the single-use. Allas, restaurant, and logistics service provider are the respondents for the qualitative research to define the challenges arising from the implementation of the supply chain. The results showed that one-time usage of reusable silicone packaging system yields two to six times higher environmental impacts than the single-use, particularly caused by the use of silicone material and motorcycles for transportation as depicted in global warming, human non-carcinogenic toxicity, and terrestrial ecotoxicity impact categories, and the water used for washing in water stress index (WSI). It requires four to six uses at minimum to offset the first three impact categories, while WSI prevents any break-even point. In addition, the challenges in the supply chain lie in the obscurity in the value chain, inefficient packaging return mechanism, lack of communication with each actor, including customers, and different mindsets on the selection of sustainable packaging. Considering the break-even point and its feasibility, the reuse system should be well supported by proper measures and policies to be widely used in online food delivery businesses.
- PostAssessing Environmental Performance of a Circular Business Modelusing Business Model Life Cycle Assessment A Case Study of a Sharing Service for Power Tools(2023) Holzhausen, Frida; Troedsson, Linn; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för teknikens ekonomi och organisation; Chalmers University of Technology / Department of Technology Management and Economics; Baumann, Henrikke; Baumann, HenrikkeClimate change is becoming more and more inevitable and the pressure to act is higher than ever. While facing a growing world population and increasing con- sumption, production, and consumption patterns must become more sustainable. To counteract climate change, there is a need for business models that separate resource use and economic profit. One such type of model is the circular business model. By looping the resources in a non-finite system characterized by reuse and recycling, we can achieve decoupling. Circular business models can however be difficult to quantify and thus the actual climate impact compared to a linear counterpart becomes difficult to estimate in many cases. LCA is a tool that has been used in recent years to calculate the cli- mate impact of a product’s total life cycle. To apply this measurement method to an entire business model, BM-LCA was developed, which includes the use phase in the calculation and then relates the environmental impact to the profit. In this study, a BM-LCA is conducted on a case company that provides a subscription- sharing service for power tools. The BM-LCA is focused on one of the products, a percussion drill, and the locker depot holding all the tools. The method of the study consisted of information-gathering meetings with the case company as well as a literature study of relevant theory. It was found that the locker depot had a significant environmental impact and that a change in its material would have a significant effect on the emissions per profit. Additionally, the lifetime of the product was found to be significant as well as the user behavior which was found to be hard to estimate. Lastly, it was concluded that the BM-LCA did highlight valuable hot spots in the business model and that some changes could have a large impact on the final climate footprint of the product service offering. The study resulted in the following recommendations for the case company: Increase the lifetime of the product, reduce the weight and consider another material for the locker depot, increase the number of subscribers, consider partnerships with other actors in the ecosystem, lobby for a change in consume and considerhow the inconveniences related to sharing can be overcome.
- PostAssessing impacts on biodiversity in the building sector A study on wood and concrete as building materials(2023) Albinsson, Louise; Larsson, Mikhaela; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för teknikens ekonomi och organisation; Chalmers University of Technology / Department of Technology Management and Economics; Palme, Ulrika; Palme, UlrikaBiodiversity is the vast variety of all life on this planet and their interactions together in ecosystems. As the building sector is one of the top three sectors that threatens global biodiversity, the Swedish building company, Sveafastigheter, wants to address the impacts the building sector has on biodiversity by comparing two building materials to each other in a project called Wood vs. concrete. The purpose of this study is to support the Wood vs. concrete project by finding methods to assess biodiversity in the building sector, with the aim to develop tools for biodiversity assessment. The method used has been a literature search, with an integrated case study where Sveafastigheter was interviewed about the Wood vs. concrete project, as well as the indicators identified in this thesis project. Over a hundred different indicators to assess biodiversity were found which were categorised into three different categories depending on how they were measured. The three different categories were (1) measured with the help of experts, (2) measured with the help of maps or datasets, and (3) measured in investments or reports. A majority of the indicators could be found in category two which included indicators such as the Biodiversity Integrity Index (BII), threatened forest species and Ecosystem Integrity Index (EII). The results of the case study showed that the found indicators were too complex to aggregate into one and that choosing just one that can accurately represent the variety and intricate nature of biodiversity was too complicated. No current policies, regulations or frameworks that target biodiversity specify what needs to be measured or how to measure biodiversity and the findings of this thesis project showed that there is a need for fast-paced development within this area. Taking this into consid- eration, five different internal Key Performance Indicators, KPIs, based on the indicator and methods findings, as well as future policy scenarios, were suggested to Sveafastigheter. These internal KPIs would enhance transparency and demonstrate that Sveafastigheter ac- tively engages in measuring something related to biodiversity. Measuring something means that there is at least a sense of direction of where biodiversity assessment and policies should be, and are, headed. The proposed internal KPIs establish a foundation which provides other companies within the building sector knowledge on where to start on their journey in assessing biodiversity impacts when choosing materials.
- PostAssessing the Possibility of a Circular Economy for Phosphorus Sweden(2019) Lorick, Dag; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för teknikens ekonomi och organisation; Svanström, Magdalena; Harder, RobinPhosphorus is essential for all biological life, and as such it is necessary for biomass production. Today, most of the phosphorus in agricultural fertilizers originates from mineral reserves, which are steadily declining both in terms of quantity and quality. Estimates for when the mineral phosphorus fertilizer production will reach its peak vary, with some estimates suggesting that it will peak as soon as 2030. Moreover, mineral phosphorus is not equally distributed around the globe, with a few nations controlling a majority of the mineral reserves. In addition to the scarcity problems, emissions of phosphorus can lead to excessive growth of algae and cyanobacteria, which causes anoxic bottom zones. This has been a severe problem in the Baltic sea, which stretches along the eastern coast of Sweden. The aim of this thesis was to evaluate if a circular economy for phosphorus is possible in Sweden. To aid with the evaluation, a Material Flow Analysis (MFA) was conducted for phosphorus in Sweden. The recirculation potential of different phosphorus-containing waste flows was then assessed based on the magnitude, concentration, chemical form or plant availability, contamination and geo-spatial availability of the flows. This thesis found that there is a large potential for improving phosphorus management, especially regarding the utilization of sewage sludge from municipal wastewater treatment and ashes from the forestry sector. There is also a large amount of phosphorus in mining waste, which in the future could potentially be used for fertilizer production. It is concluded that the amount of phosphorus in flows fit for recirculation is not sufficient to replace mineral phosphorus with current demand, unless the phosphorus in mining waste is used. Thus, to achieve a circular economy for phosphorus in Sweden, production sectors have to become more resource-efficient in their phosphorus usage. The agricultural sector is pointed out as an area with particularly high potential for improvement in this regard.
- PostAssessment of an LCIA method for evaluating biodiversity impact from food production An LCA case study of pork(2022) Häggström, Maja; Harisson Lundmark, Viktor; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för teknikens ekonomi och organisation; Palme, Ulrika; Palme, UlrikaThe global loss of biodiversity is mainly driven by land use and land use change due to e.g., agriculture and food production. This study presents a case study of pork that assesses the applicability of the biodiversity life cycle impact assessment method (LCIA) developed by Chaudhary & Brooks (2018). The purpose of the study was to increase the understanding of the method in three aspects: (1) aspects of biodiversity captured in relation to food production, (2) the potential inclusion of land transformational impact, and (3) the spatial resolution. The outcome of the study was intended to provide valuable insights to the development of a database for biodiversity impact from food carried out by RISE (Research Institutes of Sweden), a database to be used for consumer communication purposes. The case study consists of a life cycle assessment (LCA) of three pork production systems with different feed compositions. The functional unit was 1 kg of edible pork meat and covered production phases from cradle to farm-gate. Considerable weight was put on the inventory data collection for land occupation and land transformation flows, where modelling the feed composition and the feed crop cultivation was an essential part. Several methods to assess biodiversity impact in LCA are being developed, in this study one of the most promising methods was selected. What aspects of biodiversity the method capture in relation to food production, was assessed through mapping drivers of biodiversity loss and characteristics of biodiversity to illustrate what parts of these were covered. The evaluation of which spatial resolution of the method to be preferred and how to allocate the impacts from land transformation was assessed through applying different characterization factors to demonstrate the variation in result depending on methodological choices. In some respects, the studied method fails to cover the complexity of biodiversity loss, as it only assesses species loss and how it is impacted by land use interventions, but no other indicator or driver. Yet, the method was found relatively easy to apply and could be used when comparing products of similar character for indicating land use impacts on species. For cropland, three intensity levels are included. However, the method is not developed enough to show differences in a comparative LCA on crops cultivated under different agricultural systems (e.g., differences between organic and conventional). When applying the higher spatial resolution provided by the method, ecoregional approach, the results differ from when applying a higher resolution using the country approach, although not by much. Since applying high spatial resolution was found to be more complicated and time consuming, one should consider focusing on other parameters that might have a larger influence, such as assessing a detailed feed composition. The method is not yet developed enough to include several agricultural land use types nor taxa groups (e.g., insects and microorganisms), two important factors potentially providing a larger difference in result between products of different character. Altogether, the lower spatial resolution might in many cases be good enough. A harmonized way of applying the characterization factors for land transformation was not found. However, when included using the approach of this study, the impact from land transformation had a large contribution to the total biodiversity damage. Whether to include land transformation is suggested to be decided by if the food products under study contributes or have contributed to land use change, and not through system delimitations. Altogether, despite highlighted drawbacks of the method, it serves a purpose by capturing potential differences in biodiversity damage between food products. One should however keep in mind that the method accounts for one only driver of biodiversity decline and one biodiversity indicator.
- PostAssessment of the Drivers to Biodiversity Loss in Textile Fibre Production A Case Study of Nudie Jeans’ Supply Chain(2021) Wickman, Clara; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för teknikens ekonomi och organisation; Palme, Ulrika; Palme, UlrikaIt is well known that textile fibre production has large impacts on the environment. However, the impact on biodiversity from this production remains largely understudied. With biodiversity being lost at alarming rates, it is becoming increasingly important to understand the negative impacts on biodiversity from human activities and how they can be reduced. In this thesis, the impact on biodiversity from textile fibre production was analysed by using the clothing company Nudie Jeans’ supply chain as a case study. Four different fibre production systems were analysed and compared: Turkish organic cotton, Indian organic cotton, conventional cotton and lyocell. The contribution to the five direct drivers of biodiversity loss as identified by IPBES – habitat change, pollution, climate change, overexploitation, and invasive species – were assessed. The contribution to these five drivers were used as indicators for the impact on biodiversity. A model for assessing the impact on biodiversity was created, using the DPSIR framework. Within the framework, life cycle assessment (LCA), interviews and literature searches were used. The LCA was used to assess the contribution to the drivers climate change, land use and pollution. Invasive species was assessed qualitatively through literature. Overexploitation was found not to be relevant for the studied systems and was therefore excluded. The results showed that production of conventional cotton had significantly larger contribution to climate change and pollution compared to the other fibres, which could indicate that it also has the largest impact on biodiversity. For the remaining fibres no clear indication of which fibre could have the largest impact on biodiversity was found. The results suggest that actions to reduce impact on biodiversity loss primarily should be focused on land use, pollution and climate change. However, to establish more precise actions, more research is needed to determine how regional sensitivities affect the contribution to the drivers and the impact on biodiversity, as well as on how the drivers can be weighted.
- PostAt the end of the road: is there life after rolling? Life cycle assessment of the impacts of different end of life treatments of tyres(2019) Anchustegui, Pedro; Pasakopoulos, Efstathios; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för teknikens ekonomi och organisation; Janssen, Mathias; Bitencourt de Oliveira, FelipeEnd of life tyres (ELTs) are waste in the form of passenger car tyres that are no longer suitable to perform their original function. As such, this waste must be disposed of in compliance with European legislation, which forbids them to be landfilled and at the same time encourages them to be recovered or recycled with the End of Life Vehicle Directive. This study is performed for Volvo Car Corporation to map out the Swedish ELT treatment system and, by performing a life cycle assessment, quantify the impacts of the system. An additional goal was to analyze which of all the fates in the treatment of tyres is less impactful from an environmental perspective. The objective of this report is to analyze the fates of ELTs and their impacts in Sweden. The increasing environmental concern which eventually turns into legislation puts pressure on companies to acquire knowledge for the environmental impacts of their products. The method of this study is LCA and it is performed from gate to grave. It is a method to assess the environmental impacts related to a product or a service. The stages that were taken into account were the use of energy, resources, water and transportation. The results are presented in the form of different impact categories which gives a broader perspective in the environmental attribute. LCA can be used for detecting improvement possibilities and mapping all the different processes in a system not studied as a whole, and calculate their impacts, which is what is done in this study. The system was mapped and the four main fates were found to be: incineration of ELTs as fuel in the clinker production, with 40.4% of the share per weight; incineration in coal furnaces for the production of metallurgical coke, with 32% of the share per weight; separation into rubber, steel and textile fractions, as 12% of the share per weight; and pyrolysis with 5% of the share per weight. The impact assessment shows that the incineration of ELTs as fuel in both coal furnaces and clinker production contribute the most to the overall impact of the system. When a system expansion is done, however, the credits from avoiding the production and incineration of fossil fuels paints a different picture on the role of ELTs play in the system as a viable replacement of fossil fuels in energy intensive processes. Pyrolysis was found to be the best treatment option for ELTs from an environmental standpoint, and a sensitivity analysis was performed to evaluate the change in the overall impacts of the system with an increase in the pyrolysis share. The sensitivity analysis confirmed that an increased percentage of pyrolysis in the system would lower its overall emissions.
- PostAttitudes to conserving biodiversity and the experienced possibilities and challenges A case study with individual forest owners in Sweden(2022) Amann, Katrin; Eberger, Jenny; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för teknikens ekonomi och organisation; Palme, Ulrika; Palme, UlrikaForests provide welfare to Sweden in many aspects, but the national goals for biodiversity conservation in these forests are not met. Individual forest owners are part of the solution, as they have the power to manage their land. The purpose with the case study was to investigate individual forest owners’ attitudes to biodiversity conservation in forestry and their perceived possibilities and challenges. A qualitative method was used with semi-structured interviews together with a literature search. The interviews were done with 30 individual Swedish forest owners, owning five to more than a thousand hectares. A conceptual framework was used to understand preconditions for behavioural change to solve environmental problems. The three most frequently mentioned possibilities were: taking general nature considerations in forestry, using continuous cover forestry (CCF) methods, and small-scale forestry as it is seen as an enabler for biodiversity. The three most frequently mentioned challenges were: lack of profitability when enhancing biodiversity, damage from elk and deer, and being afraid of having too much biodiversity. More than half of the forest owners believe biodiversity conservation is important. Most forest owners are willing to use CCF methods, to a varied degree, but experience difficulties to implement these. Only a few think that laws, regulations, and certifications work well for biodiversity conservation in Sweden, and the majority are afraid of losing ownership rights if authorities find high levels of biodiversity in their forests. There might be a potential to strengthen the acceptance of structural measures for biodiversity conservation, such as regulations, if more respect is paid to individual forest owners’ attitudes.
- PostBiodiversity in cotton farming in western Turkey A qualitative case study on Nudie Jeans’ impacts on biodiversity(2022) Comstedt, Hanna; Ridderstad, Alina; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för teknikens ekonomi och organisation; Palme, Ulrika; Palme, UlrikaThe concept of biodiversity relates to richness and variability of species and ecosys- tems, and is linked to health and resilience of natural systems. Agriculture, and specifically cotton farming, has large impacts on the environment and causes a rapid decline in biodiversity globally. The Swedish jeans company Nudie Jeans (NJ) wants to identify the impacts on biodiversity from their cotton production in Turkey. The aim of this study is therefore to map the impacts of NJ’s organic cotton production in western Turkey, and to provide suggestions on how NJ can decrease the identified negative impacts and take action to enhance biodiversity. The study was purely qualitative and used the backcasting tool as a guiding frame- work to assess the impacts and suggest actions. A field study on site in western Turkey was performed, where most of the needed data was gathered through inter- views and observations from the area in which two cotton fields producing cotton for NJ are situated. The impacts on biodiversity in the area around the studied fields are large in general, with pollution from industries and intensive agriculture as a dominating factor. However, the direct impacts from the farms that produce for NJ are relatively small in comparison, as several mitigating measures are taken already. Several gaps were identified that describe how the present system differs from a desired state regarding impacts on biodiversity. Based on the gaps, three actions were identified that cover the three areas of education, economy, and collaborative work. The results indicate that exact monitoring and inventory of species is needed to conclude exact impacts on biodiversity over time in the cotton production, but the general engagement in finding their impacts that NJ show is already said to be important for the area. Moreover, it can be concluded that sourcing NJ’s cotton from somewhere else likely would not ease the overall burden on biodiversity in the area, as the impacts could instead increase if another actor uses the land instead.
- PostBuilding materials and their impacts on biodiversity A comparison of wood and concrete building frames(2023) Fransson Christiansson, Martin; Roos, Theodor; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för teknikens ekonomi och organisation; Chalmers University of Technology / Department of Technology Management and Economics; Palme, Ulrika; Palme, UlrikaThe usage of biomaterials in society is increasing due to their environmental benefits and renewability. However, risks involved in using biomaterials include biodiversity loss, conflicts in land use, and carbon storage potential. There are numerous ways to assess the environmental impact of materials, one of which is life cycle assessment (LCA). Biodiversity is a very complex subject as it can be measured on different scales and aspects. Due to the complexity, biodiversity is not yet fully internalised in the LCA framework as no generally accepted method can cover all aspects of biodiversity. The purpose of this thesis was to assess the environmental impact of the building materials wood and concrete. To do this, the load bearing constructions of two buildings about to be built by Sveafastigheter was investigated using an LCA approach. The main focus of the assessment was to capture the biodiversity impact at species level by using different methods of impact assessment and comparing the results. Biodiversity loss is often caused by anthropogenic activities induced by underlying causes such as production and consumption patterns, population growth, trade, and technological innovation. IPBES have identified five direct drivers: land use change, climate change, pollution, exploitation of species, and invasive species. Three different methods of impact assessment were chosen due to their connection to the direct drivers behind biodiversity loss. ReCiPe was chosen due to the inclusion of midpoint impact categories covering climate change, pollution, and to some degree land use change. Two separate methods developed by Chaudhary and Brooks, and Kuipers et al., with each looking at land use were chosen since they each look at the impacts of land use more comprehensively than ReCiPe. Completely developed methods of impact assessment was not found for the inclusion of neither exploitation of species, nor invasive species. Results showed that when including climate change, pollution, and land use via ReCiPe, the concrete-framed building had a higher impact on species loss than the wood-framed building. However, the methods unanimously showed that the wood-framed building had a substantially larger impact due to land use change. Thus, a conclusion can be made that when measuring biodiversity loss due to the usage of different materials, there is a need to develop methods covering all aspects of biodiversity including all five drivers behind biodiversity loss as well as the impact on different levels of biodiversity.