This book presents the proceedings of the first International Upcycling Symposium 2020, held on 4th September 2020 at De Montfort University (DMU) in Leicester, UK (online), as a joint effort between DMU, Lund University, Nottingham Trent University and Newcastle University. This book presents state of the art of research and practice in “upcycling” at the international level. The subject of this book, upcycling, is a term to describe the processes of creating or modifying a product from used or waste materials, components and products, which is of equal or higher quality or value than the compositional elements. This book describes new theories, approaches and scientific research findings related to upcycling and presents examples of upcycling practice, across multiple sectors, scales and contexts. Bringing together research from over 35 multidisciplinary experts, the book discusses state-of-the-art knowledge and practices on upcycling in different geographical, economic, socio-cultural and technological contexts at an international level. Readers will gain fundamental understanding of upcycling with its varied definitions and forms across sectors and scales, and to be informed of the latest upcycling research and practices including valuable ideas, theories, projects, experiences and insights by global experts.

This book provides useful insight into how academics from diverse disciplinary backgrounds, such as science, engineering, technology, social science, policy, design, architecture, built environment, business, and management, have been conducting research into how to realise net zero emissions to address climate change. This book explores the ways in which countries around the world have pledged to achieve net zero emissions through decarbonisation processes. It presents the highest calibre research and impact activities carried out in the UK, Europe, North America, Australia, Asia, and Africa. Such activities include conceptualisation, opportunity identification, specific case studies, demonstration of proof of concepts, provision of evidence, education of the general public, and knowledge transfer to companies. Further to this, the chapters also bring to light personal career journeys to net zero by current and future international research leaders. From this book, readers will gain a full understanding of net zero research via multiple disciplinary pathways, be inspired by personal accounts, and will learn key methodologies, including quantitative and qualitative approaches. The diversity of authors and topics make the book widely applicable to a range of fields, and it will be of great interest to researchers, students, practitioners, and decision makers working towards the goals of net zero and decarbonisation.

In today’s business world, firms and policymakers all utilize circular economy. However, there is a lack of knowledge on how circular economy systems work, which technologies are used, which partners firms should look for, which agreements are required to pursue circular economy, how circular economy interacts with legislation, and what benefits it provides. Additional study on the opportunities and challenges of circular economy is required to ensure business leaders are well informed. Cases on Circular Economy in Practice considers how circular economy systems are implemented and managed in practice, which strategic alliances firms pursue, and how they are coordinated through negotiation and agreements. The book also considers the technologies that circular economy systems use to achieve circularity and how performances are measured in terms of economic, social, and environmental pillars. Covering topics such as blockchain technology, smart cities, and circular business, this reference work is ideal for managers, business owners, industry professionals, researchers, academicians, scholars, practitioners, instructors, and students.

There is widespread rhetorical agreement that the fashion industry must get itself onto a more sustainable footing. What does this mean in practice, and how can sustainability be achieved in different regions around the world? This book brings together expert scholars and reflective practitioners via a network of dialogue and exchange to help drive forward a sustainable future for the fashion industry. With a focus on technological innovation, the contributions to this book provide a range of case studies from design thinking, through digital clothing and inclusive fashion. This book will be of interest to researchers and scholars in the fields of circular business and the fashion industry, and provides a unique resource for readers seeking to understand more about the need for responsible fashion and how technology might be able to help.

Sustainable development approaches cannot be met unless waste management is addressed as a priority. Waste Recovery and Management: An Approach Toward Sustainable Development Goals presents a comprehensive examination of environmental pollution and health hazards caused by differing types of waste, its recycling and other e-waste management strategies, and potential political and legal interventions. It also presents the available carbon-recycling methods and investigates how these might be applied to reinforce waste management in industrialized countries as well as developing and emerging economies. Each chapter includes valuable data and case studies that serve as practical guidance for academicians, researchers, and stakeholders for quantifying the impacts of waste, and for planning integrated solid waste collection and treatment systems, thereby working toward sustainability at a global level. Features: Covers both traditional and new technologies for identifying and categorizing the sources and nature of various types of waste Provides methods for the safe disposal of municipal solid wastes, plastic waste, bio-medical wastes, hazardous wastes, and e-wastes Explains practical measures to cover the broad spectrum of everyday applications of waste management for environmental sustainability Contains a focused discussion of the current scenario and future research directions for different types of waste in each chapter

Design Materials and Making for Social Change spans the two interconnected worlds of the material and the social, at different scales and in different contexts, and explores the value of the knowledge, skills and methods that emerge when design researchers work directly with materials and hold making central to their practice. Through the social entanglements of addressing material impacts, the contributors to this edited volume examine homelessness, diaspora, migration, the erosion of craft skills and communities, dignity in work and family life, the impacts of colonialism, climate crisis, education, mental health and the shifting complexities in collaborating with and across diverse disciplines and stakeholders. This book celebrates the role of materials and making in design research by demonstrating the diverse and complex interplay between disciplines and the cultures it enables, when in search of alternative futures. Design Materials and Making for Social Change will be of interest to scholars in materials design, textile design, product design, fashion design, maker culture, systemic design, social design, design for sustainability and circular design.

Sustainable Fashion, Migrants, Embroidery: Ateliers of 'Social Integration' tells of community-led 'solidarity ateliers' engaged in sewing and embroidery activities which, in the Global North and Global South, are providing a vital alternative to neoliberal and neo-colonial fashion paradigms. On encountering several ateliers solidaires/sartorie sociali during her immersive fieldwork, for which she travelled to Morocco and Southern Italy, and contrasting her findings with her knowledge of parallel and analogous initiatives in London, Alessandra Lopez y Royo suggests that despite their different outlook and approach these ateliers can be inscribed within an ever-growing economy of solidarity and sharing. With a uniquely combined focus on sustainability, fashion and migration, Lopez y Royo examines how the ateliers foreground a powerful social inclusion agenda, encouraging migrants (and refugees) to collaborate, exchange knowledge, and foster communities on a level playing field with locals. Questioning widely accepted notions of 'empowerment' and 'social integration', and drawing on her background in archaeology and material culture studies, Lopez y Royo uses micro-studies to illuminate a broader path to a more inclusive, sustainable, and socially conscious industry, presenting a fresh perspective on repurposing and upcycling. In a world grappling with the need to shift away from fast fashion's wasteful practices, this thought-provoking exploration shows how slow-growth 'solidarity ateliers' can challenge the widely accepted notions of both 'fashion' and 'social integration'.

This book tackles the complex topic of implementing innovation and the successful application of advanced technology in the construction industry. It provides a practical guide for the transformation of the industry by detailing appropriate and effective implementation methods, required skill sets and structural changes necessary to facilitate the practical and innovative application of technology. The construction industry is behind other industries in its level of innovation and adoption of technology, and is of critical importance to many of today’s global challenges, such as climate change, global warming and resource scarcity. There is therefore a need for smarter and more efficient ways of managing available resources. This book elaborates on how the innovative application of technology could offer hope for the construction industry in it’s imperative to rise to current and future global challenges. It includes the real-world case studies of innovative projects that go beyond the current state-of-the-art academic research, and have improved productivity, quality and performance in the construction sector. This book provides readers from both industrial and academic backgrounds with a comprehensive guide on transforming the construction industry with the efficient and effective implementation of technologies and modern methods of construction.

Recycling is an act of collecting and processing items that would otherwise be discarded as waste in order to create a new product. Recycled material is being used in an increasing number of today’s products. Waste management is primarily concerned with a wide range of wastes, including industrial, biological, household, municipal, organic, biomedical, and radioactive wastes. Human activity, such as the mining and processing of basic resources, generates waste and poses health problems that can emerge both indirectly and directly. Waste mismanagement is a serious problem on an individual and a governmental level. Nowadays, the waste disposal business is struggling to adapt to globalized consumerism, a system in which things are manufactured on one continent, purchased and used on another, and disposed of on yet another. Therefore, remediation is often subject to a variety of legal criteria, but it can also be based on evaluations of human health and environmental concerns in cases where no statutory standards exist or when standards are advisory. This book discusses recycling strategies and technologies to find solutions to waste management. Chapters address such topics as biodegradable waste, the circular economy, managing industrial and nuclear waste, and much more.

The theme of this book is sustainable e-waste management through effective amalgamation of information and communication technologies (ICT) and green recycling technologies to ensure development of intelligent, smart, and sustainable systems. It encompasses multidisciplinary interventions, including recent case studies from OEMs and IT industries as well as e-waste recyclers, and explores interdisciplinary research and industry–academia collaborations towards the development of smart and sustainable systems for e-waste management. Features: Covers the application of smart and intelligent systems for e-waste management Explores recent advancements from the technological aspect – both recycling and ICT Reviews supply chain criticalities for e-waste Aims at cleaner production and intelligent systems for a green digital economy Includes real-life case studies reflecting industry standards and the current paradigm This book is aimed at graduate students and researchers in environmental engineering, waste management, urban mining, circular economy, waste processing, electronics and telecommunication engineering, electrical and electronics engineering, and chemical engineering.