How can companies communicate the positive environmental impact of a product to increase consumers´ willingness to purchase green products?

This thesis investigates the role of storytelling in relation to a product made from upcycled ocean plastic. A quantitative survey was performed in cooperation with Ope AS which is leading a research project on upcycling ocean plastic. Through the project, Ope has produced their first product made out of 100% ownerless ocean plastic, and the survey was based on consumers’ willingness to pay that product. Two in-depth interviews of the founders of Ope were performed to get an insight into the idea behind using ocean plastic as material. This thesis takes a critical look at how we can replace the take-make waste practice with a closed loop. In a closed loop there is minimal waste and resources are used again and again. This thesis provides an overview of current literature on consumer on Circular Economy, green marketing and value creation, as well as theories on storytelling and consumer behaviour. Consumption is a big contributor to many environmental issues such as resource degradation, Co2 emissions and water shortage. Recycled material is available but is at a disadvantage when competing with cheap virgin material. The aim of this project was to see whether a non-material value can be added to a product through its positive environmental impact, and whether this added value can be communicated to consumers through storytelling. Environmental concern is rising among consumers, and this thesis argues that consumers can be part of the solution instead of the problem. Based on the data and analysis presented, this thesis argues that there is a positive correlation between awareness and concern for the environment to green purchases. Storytelling proved to be an effective way of communicating a story, but only a certain group of respondents were influenced by the message. The data showed clear tendencies where those who expressed concerns for plastic pollution also displayed the highest increase in willingness to pay for the product. Based on the analysis, those who did not express an increased willingness to pay can be placed in two groups. Those who seem to be aware and concerned but did not trust that this product or this company would do anything to fix the problem, and those who did not seem to acknowledge that plastic in the ocean as a big problem. More research on what creates value, and how companies can communicate to consumers the added value that comes with a green product is required. When we buy products that are not “green”, nature is paying the price. If we include the benefits of the environment into the calculation, we can finally talk about the actual value of a product

Evaluation of a biogas plant in Adeiso, Ghana

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the function, stability and performance of the biogas plant at HPW Fresh & Dry Ltd. in Adeiso, Ghana. The study showed that the process was functioning, with an adequate average organic loading rate and methane content of the biogas. However, the digesters had low alkalinity and were sensitive to disturbances, and the uneven feeding caused considerable pH and biogas flow variations. The influent consisted of 47 % fruit waste and 53 % water. At eight times during the project period, poultry manure was added. The feeding occurred mainly between 8 am and 5 pm, ranging from 0 to 20 m3 per digester and day. The average daily feeding to one digester was 9.1 m3 which gives an organic loading rate varying between 0 and 5.5 kg ODM per m3 and day. The average value was 2.6 kg ODM per m3 and day. The methane content of the biogas varied between 39 % to 61 %, with an average of 51 % in Digester 1 and 50 % in Digester 2. The methane content decreased during the day due to the feeding. The H2S content was as high as 1900 ppm in the beginning of the period, probably due to accidental addition of sulphur containing preservatives to the digesters. The concentration decreased steadily as a result of process recovery. From the two digesters combined the total biogas flow was estimated to values between 24 and 59 m3/h. The flow increased generally during the day, which is explained by the feeding pattern. The pH of the influent varied between 3.6 and 5.2 with an average value of 4.0. The pH increased when poultry manure was added. The pH of the digestate was 6.6-7.1 with an average of 6.9 in both digesters. The temperature ranged from 31 to 34°C with an average of 33°C and was higher in the end of the period. Generally, the pH decreased during the day, due to the feeding pattern. On days with more feeding, the pH decreased more. The pH was higher and more stable in the end of the project period, which is due to higher alkalinity and/or higher temperature. The alkalinity was low, the bicarbonate alkalinity was measured weekly to values between 2 000 and 3 300 mg HCO3/l, while the total alkalinity ranged from 3 300 to 4 300 mg HCO3/l. However, the alkalinity increased during the period, probably due to the addition of poultry manure. The nutrient content in the substrates was low, giving a high C/N ratio. This implies a nitrogen shortage in the digesters. Also, the ash content in the poultry manure was high, making it desirable to replace it with another source of nitrogen. From the findings of the study recommendations on further development of the plant were made. These included a more even feeding, an improved mix of substrates and monitoring of operation parameters

User involvement in Swedish residential building projects: a stakeholder perspective

One factor influencing quality in the building industry is the ability of users, such as residents, to identify and express their requirements for the product, i.e. the residential building. However, the handling of communication with users in building projects has been insufficiently specified and studied. Drawing on a study of user involvement in building project design, production, and management, this paper examines user involvement in Swedish residential projects. To map current perceptions and approaches, building industry actors met in four focus groups. Group participants were asked to reflect on the definition of users, communication handling, how information from users is used, and challenges and opportunities in user involvement. Our initial emphasis was front-end activities, but focus group results revealed that user involvement was a continuous process extending from project initiation to evaluating the finished project as a basis for future projects. Discussions indicated confusion about who constituted users in various situations but, regardless of level of experience, focus group participants agreed on the importance and potential of user involvement and on the need for specific methods to acquire useful input

Terapeuttisen harjoittelun vaikutus purentaelimistön ja yläniskan koettuun kipuun ja elämänlaatuun

Opinnäytetyön tarkoituksena oli kartoittaa tutkimushenkilöiden purentaelimistön ja yläniskan koettua kipua sekä elämänlaatua ennen kahdeksan viikon terapeuttista harjoittelua ja sen jälkeen. Tavoitteena oli tuottaa toimeksiantajalle uutta tietoa purentaelimistön toimintahäiriön hoitoon ja lisätä fysioterapeuttien sekä hammaslääkäreiden moniammatillista yhteistyötä purentaelimistön toimintahäiriöiden hoidossa. Lisäksi tavoitteena oli tuoda tutkittua tietoa alalle, syventää omaa tietämystä purentaelimistön toimintahäiriöstä sekä terapeuttisesta harjoittelusta sen hoitokeinona. Tutkimusongelmina oli selvittää, millaista on tutkimushenkilöiden purentaelimistön ja yläniskan koettu kipu sekä elämänlaatu ennen terapeuttista harjoittelua ja sen jälkeen. Tutkimuksen teoriatiedon rakentamisessa hyödynnettiin ICF-mallia. Tutkimus toteutettiin määrällisenä tutkimuksena. Tutkimusjoukko koostui neljästä naisesta, joilla oli purentaelimistön sekä yläniskan kipua. Tutkimushenkilöt suorittivat kahdeksan viikon harjoittelujakson kotiharjoitteluna, joka sisälsi purentaelimistöön sekä yläniskaan kohdistuvia harjoitteita. Aineisto kerättiin tutkimuksen alussa sekä lopussa VAS-mittarin, 15D-elämänlaatumittarin, kipupiirroksen sekä harjoituspäiväkirjan avulla. Saatu aineisto käsiteltiin Microsoft Excel-taulukkolaskentaohjelmalla. Aineisto analysoitiin hyödyntämällä indeksiarvoja ja keskiarvolukuja. Tutkimustulosten perusteella terapeuttinen harjoittelu vähensi tutkimushenkilöiden purentaelimistön ja yläniskan koettua kipua. Koetun kivun väheneminen näkyi tutkimushenkilöiden elämänlaadun ja toimintakyvyn kohenemisena. Tutkimusaineiston pienuudesta johtuen tutkimustulosta ei voi yleistää, mutta tämän tutkimuksen mukaan kotona toteutettu terapeuttinen harjoittelu soveltuu purentaelimistön toimintahäiriöiden oireiden hoitoon.The purpose of this thesis was to study perceived pain in masticatory system and upper neck of the research subjects, and the quality of life before and after eight weeks of therapeutic exercises. The aim was to produce new information for the commissioner for the treatment of TMD and to develop multi-professional cooperation of physiotherapists and dentists in the treatment of temporomandibular disorders. Further, the aim was to contribute to the research in the field, and deepen our knowledge in temporomandibular disorders and therapeutic exercise. The aim of the research was also to determine how the masticatory system and upper neck pain as well as quality of life were perceived by the research subjects before and after therapeutic exercises. The research questions were set out to clarify the level of pain experienced as well as quality of life of the subjects' masticatory system and upper neck both before and after therapeutic exercise. ICF-model was utilized in the building of the theoretical frame-work of the thesis. The research method of the thesis is quantitative and the research group consisted of four women who had pain in their masticatory system and upper neck area. The research subjects conducted eight weeks of home exercises, which included exercises for the problem areas. The research data were collected at the beginning and end of the research through VAS-analog, 15D-life quality meter, pain drawing and exercise diary. Microsoft Excel was used to tabulate the results at the start and in the end of the study. The change in the results was analyzed by utilizing index values and average numbers. The results show that therapeutic exercise decreased the perceived pain in masticatory system and upper neck of the research subjects. The decreasing of pain resulted in better quality of life and better functionality. The results of the study cannot be generalized due to the small size of the data. According to this study therapeutic exercises at home are suitable as a treatment of temporomandibular disorders

Influence of Pinholes on Water Vapor and Oxygen Permeation of Packaging Foil and Films

Controlling of moisture and oxygen permeation through the packaging material is essential in most packaging applications. With multilayer structures of different barrier materials, there is possibility to create desired barrier properties to the package. The challenge is to plan appropriate barrier level, e.g. WVTR and OTR, theoretically to the package before producing the package. Furthermore, in specific packages there is a need to control the permeation e.g. respiration in vegetable packages. Typically foils and polymer films have high barrier properties, therefore, permeation can be controlled by producing artificial pinholes in these kinds of packages. Influence of artificial pinholes in aluminium foils and plastic films on water vapour and oxygen permeation was determined in this study. Results show clear correlation between the size and number of pinholes and gas permeation. Water vapour and oxygen permeation increase significantly when there are pinholes through the structure. It was observed that the greater the RH difference between inside and outside the sample in WVTR measurement, the greater the permeation was through the pinholes. Additionally, it was found that the effect of pinholes on the oxygen permeation on aluminium foil can almost be eliminated by using polyethylene coating on top of aluminium foil

THE SMART METER AS A BOUNDARY OBJECT - INSIGHTS FROM AN EMPIRICAL CASE

Smart meters are often understood as central devices in the smart, flexible and sustainable electric grid, enabling consumers to adapt their electricity use to current supply. In this study we are interested in how different actors in a Swedish context understand the smart meters and fit them into their locally situated practices and contexts, and we analyze the smart meters with the concept of boundary objects as an analytical lens with the purpose of describing and explaining tensions between actors in intended and actual use of smart meters. The case study builds on empirical material from policy documents, web pages and user forums, and include the Swedish government, authorities, grid operators and electricity suppliers as well as consumers. The main conclusions are that consumers were not included in the design and roll-out of the smart meters, resulting in that the available information requires consumers to be active and resourceful experts

Can We Buy Time? Evaluation of the Government’s Directed Grant to Remediation in Sweden

The interim targets of the Swedish environmental quality objective “A non-toxic environment” emphasize that remediation of contaminated sites should progress at a high speed. Since remediation is an expensive venture, it is valuable to gain knowledge about where in the remediation process government funding affects the pace of progress the most. In this paper we analyze how government funding, in the form of a directed grant, affects the pace of progress in four different states of the remediation process. The estimation is performed in a simultaneous sequential duration model in which a site has to exit a state to be eligible for inclusion in the following state. We control for a number of variables that may also affect the pace of the remediation process, such as the municipal tax base and the site’s level of contaminants. Although there is heterogeneity between the sites that contribute to making remediation a slow process, our analyses show that the directed grant positively affects the probability of leaving the first and third states. We identify the third state (i.e., the time between the end of a thorough risk classification and the inception of on-site remediation)as the remediation process’ bottleneck. Even if the directed grant can speed up the process in this state, the effect is minuscule compared to the amount of directed grants needed to do so.

Seroepidemiology of selected transboundary animal diseases in goats in Zambia

Transboundary pathogens of goats present significant constraints to the livelihoods of millions of farmers in countries such as Zambia. Consequently, this study aimed to investigate the seroprevalence of Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae (Mccp), foot and mouth disease virus (FMDV), Brucella spp., Crimean Congo haemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV), and Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) in Zambian goats. Another aim was to identify associations between seroprevalence and different predictor variables, such as trade and border proximity. From September to October 2019, 962 serum samples were collected from goats in seven Zambian districts, four of which have an international border while the remaining three do not. A questionnaire survey was conducted with each household, focusing on trade routines, management strategies and herd disease history. Animal-level seroprevalence adjusted for herd-level clustering was 8.2 % (95 % confidence interval [CI] 7.5-9.0) for Mccp, 12.9% (95% CI 12.0-13.7) for FMDV, 13.0 % (95% CI 12.1-13.9) for Brucella spp., 3.3 % (95% CI 2.8-3.7) for CCHFV, and 0.4 % (95 % CI 0.3-0.7) for RVFV. The association between herd-level seroprevalence and border proximity and trade appeared negligible, with the exception of selling goats at least twice a year which was identified as a potential risk factor for Brucella spp. (OR 4.1, 95 % CI 1.1-16.0, p = 0.040). In addition, a positive association between herd-level seroprevalence of FMDV and a herd size of 21 goats or more (OR 3.3, 95 % CI 1.0-11.1, p = 0.049) was detected. Also, positive associations between animal-level seroprevalence of Brucella spp. and increasing age (OR 7.7, 95 % CI 1.5-40.7, p = 0.016), and CCHFV and keeping pigs in the household (OR 2.7, 95 % CI 1.0-7.1, p = 0.044), were found. For FMDV (OR 3.8, 95 % CI 1.4-10.9, p = 0.011) and Brucella spp. (OR 4.5, 95 % CI 1.2-17.3, p = 0.031) on the other hand, animal-level seroprevalence was significantly higher in households without pigs. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to describe the presence of antibodies for CCPP and CCHF in the Zambian goat population. While the association between seroprevalence and trade and border proximity generally appeared negligible, it is recommended that their influence is further evaluated in future studies, preferably through in-depth longitudinal studies incorporating impacts of different biosecurity measures and trade variations, linked to for example seasonality and trade peaks

How do marine mammals alter their behavioral responses due to tourist interactions/activities?

Purpose: How do marine mammals alter their behavioral responses due to tourist interactions/activities? Methods: This study is a literature review where relevant secondary data had been used to obtain information from Oria. The data has then been analyzed and disused to answer the problem statement. Results: The result of this thesis includes 13 studies, three studies about whales, five about pinnipeds, and five about dolphins. The studies explore the behavioral effects tourist activities have on the animals. The studies include activities like swim-with, marine mammal-watching, and food provisioning. Conclusion: The findings in this thesis show that marine mammals alter their behavior due to tourist interactions. Behavior responses like stress and avoidance were the most common short-term effects and were mostly due to high vessel traffic. The study also found some long-term effects like change in habitat during high tourism seasons and change in population size due to the stressful environment. This study also found some management strategies that should be implied at marine tourist sights to minimize the impacts and make the sight as sustainable as possible.Purpose: How do marine mammals alter their behavioral responses due to tourist interactions/activities? Methods: This study is a literature review where relevant secondary data had been used to obtain information from Oria. The data has then been analyzed and disused to answer the problem statement. Results: The result of this thesis includes 13 studies, three studies about whales, five about pinnipeds, and five about dolphins. The studies explore the behavioral effects tourist activities have on the animals. The studies include activities like swim-with, marine mammal-watching, and food provisioning. Conclusion: The findings in this thesis show that marine mammals alter their behavior due to tourist interactions. Behavior responses like stress and avoidance were the most common short-term effects and were mostly due to high vessel traffic. The study also found some long-term effects like change in habitat during high tourism seasons and change in population size due to the stressful environment. This study also found some management strategies that should be implied at marine tourist sights to minimize the impacts and make the sight as sustainable as possible

Demokrati i den digitala sfären. En kvalitativ studie om invånardialog på Helsingborgs stads Facebooksida

I det här arbetet behandlas invånardialog på det sociala mediet Facebook. Jag har genomfört en studie av hur Helsingborgs stad använder sin Facebooksida för att föra en dialog med invånarna samt hur denna dialog ser ut i praktiken. Genom att göra en kvalitativ intervju med officiella representanter för Helsingborgs stad, en kvalitativ innehållsanalys av dialogen på sidan och granska styrdokument har jag fått en bild av hur kommunen använder sin Facebooksida för att föra en dialog med invånarna samt hur de förhåller sig till de olika regler, riktlinjer och policys som finns kring dialog och kommunikation med invånarna på sociala medier. Resultatet av studien har visat att Helsingborgs stad använder sin Facebooksida främst för att erbjuda information och service till invånarna. Sidan ger också möjlighet till en ostrukturerad dialog mellan invånare och kommunen, mellan invånare själva samt i vissa fall mellan invånare och beslutsfattare. Även om Helsingborgs stad oftast inte använder sin Facebooksida för en traditionell invånardialog, där staden för en dialog med invånarna kring deras åsikter och synpunkter i en viss fråga, så används den ändå som ett demokratiskt verktyg med flera olika funktioner.In this study I have adressed the topic of citizen dialogue on the social network Facebook. I have conducted a study of how the city of Helsingborg use their Facebook page to communicate with the citizens and how they relate to the different rules, guidelines and policies that exist about dialogue and communication with the citizens on social media. The result of the study has shown that the city of Helsingborg use their Facebook page mostly for offering information and service to the citizens. The page also offers a possibility of an unstructured dialogue between the citizens and the city, between citizens themselves and in some cases between citizens and decision makers. Even though the city of Helsingborg rarely use their Facebook page for a traditional, structured citizen dialogue, where the city communicates with the citizens in order to recieve their views and opinions in a certain matter, it is still used as a tool for democracy with several different functions