The Largest Environmental Movement: Recycling and Consumption Work in Sweden

By sorting their waste for recycling, Swedes are told that they are part of 'Sweden's largest environmental movement' (Avfall Sverige, 2008). Recycling in Sweden is understood as an environmental action by all parties within society (including consumers, municipalities, and producers) and the country is proud of its identity as a world-leader on environmental issues. The system for recycling in Sweden asks a lot of the consumer who must not only sort their waste into different fractions but transport it to the appropriate bring station. Yet the country achieves high rates of materials (33 per cent) and biological recycling (15 per cent) and they proudly proclaim to recycle 99 per cent of their waste, with their belief that incineration with energy recovery is a form of recycling (Avfall Sverige, 2012). This paper explores how recycling has developed as an everyday ethical practice, considering the role of different institutions in the promotion of recycling and responsible waste management. This paper has been developed as part of an ERC-funded project, 'Consumption Work and Societal Divisions of Labour', whose key aim is to demonstrate the role that consumers play in the labour process, using comparative methods. In the case of recycling, by sorting their waste, consumers play an integral role in the division of labour within waste management in Sweden and their role differs substantially to the role of consumers in England (the other country in which recycling consumption work has been explored, see Wheeler, 2013). This paper illustrates how the consumer is encouraged to perform this work, drawing attention to what the work actually comprises. It also uncovers the organisations that shape this distinctive system of provision and moral economy of recycling

The dirty man of Europe? Rubbish, recycling and consumption work in England

England has been described as 'the dirty man of Europe'. However, the country's household recycling rate has been steadily increasing in the last decade, achieving a recycling rate of 42 per cent in 2011/12 compared to just 12 per cent in 2001/2 (DEFRA, 2012). This paper explores the combination of factors that have led to the growth of interest and participation in recycling activities by households, businesses, governments and the third sector. It charts the development of waste management policy and practice in England in order highlight how and why recycling has become incorporated into consumer?s everyday household routines. This paper has been developed as part of an ERC-funded project, 'Consumption Work and Societal Divisions of Labour', whose key aim is to demonstrate the role that consumers play in the labour process, using comparative methods. In the case of recycling, by sorting their waste, consumers play an integral role in the division of labour within waste management in England and their role differs substantially to the role of consumers in Sweden (the other country in which recycling consumption work has been explored, see Wheeler, 2013). This paper illustrates how the consumer is encouraged to perform this work, drawing attention to what the work actually comprises and the implications of its successful accomplishment for the labour processes that follow

'We're all Fairtrade consumers now!? An exploration of the meanings, moralities and politics of Fairtrade consumption

The Fairtrade movement in the UK has witnessed impressive growth over the last ten years. Fairtrade products are now available beyond the dedicated network of church halls and Oxfam shops and through the mainstream retail sector. Whilst this growth has been widely represented as the result of thousands of individual citizen-consumers ?voting? for fairer trade, this thesis tells a different tale. Moving away from accounts of consumption that rely on models of conscious, expressive and reflexive choice, the study demonstrates the importance of paying attention to the increasing institutionalisation of forms of collective Fairtrade purchasing, as well as the ways in which orientations towards consumer goods are guided by levels of commitment to varied social practices. Based within a Fairtrade town ? a place with a community of Fairtrade supporters who are actively campaigning to switch the systems of collective provision within the town to Fairtrade-only lines ? and employing a range of mixed-method research techniques, this thesis uniquely pays attention to both the ?Fairtrade supporter? and the ?non-Fairtrade supporter?. In so doing it highlights why attempts to change people?s behaviour through the provision of information alone are unlikely to be successful. Consumers are not infinitely malleable and the practices that guide their routine consumption are supported by a whole range of collective structures, including cultural norms and discourses, institutional frameworks and infrastructures of provision. These are not easily transformed through interventions aimed at the individual level, in other words individuals? behaviours, attitudes and choices. The thesis also contributes to debates about levels and types of citizen-engagement, interrogating the assumption that those who do not engage in Fairtrade consumption behaviour are apathetic or lack certain types of knowledge. Instead the findings suggest that citizen-consumers are capable of expressing reasoned objections and scepticism to the model of individual responsibility that is being directed towards them

Acoustic Measurements of Lithium-Ion Battery Electrode Films

This research investigates the use of acoustic measurements as an alternative means of non-destructive quality control for Li-ion battery films. The goal of this research is to enable accurate, non-destructive inspection of the battery electrode as it is being manufactured, so that problems can be identified and addressed early on. Here we report on our efforts to distinguish between films with different mechanical properties using acoustic resonances and surface acoustic wave (SAW) velocity. We were able to differentiate between films of various coating thicknesses using resonance measurements. We also used resonance measurements to monitor a material as it dried. SAW velocity measurements need further work for successful implementation

Turkish aid agencies in Somalia: risks and opportunities for building peace

Turkey has become a more visible global actor over the past decade. Its growing aid budget, which made it the world’s third largest humanitarian donor in 2013, has increasingly been focused on conflict-affected states. Since 2011, through the deployment of high numbers of aid workers to Mogadishu, the Turkish government and Turkish non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have markedly expanded aid operations in Somalia. Through a joint research project with Istanbul Policy Center (IPC) conducted in 2014, Saferworld has sought to explore Turkish aid to Somalia and understand what the implications might be for peace and stability in Somalia. Described by Somali stakeholders as tangible, visible and of high impact, aid from Turkey has been broadly welcomed. Nonetheless, as the experience of other international donors over the past two decades has shown, aid can have unintended effects for peace and conflict in Somalia. Alongside providing an overview of Turkey-Somalia relations, the research has identified the ways in which aid from Turkish agencies has been at risk of unintentionally fuelling conflict dynamics. Recommendations have been identified for how both official and civil society aid agencies can address these risks and capitalise on existing opportunities to contribute to lasting peace in Somalia. The research also includes a specific set of recommendations for policymakers seeking to further develop the Turkish government’s foreign policy concept of humanitarian diplomacy

EMPREENDEDORISMO DIGITAL: UM ESTUDO SOBRE O USO DA TECNOLOGIA COMO GERAÇÃO DE NEGÓCIOS NAS STARTUPS EDUCACIONAIS

Este artigo  versa sobre como  a tecnologia da informação  (TI) influência no  aumento da qualidade da atividade empreendedora. Devido à nova realidade brasileira que se apresenta em um universo complexo e multifacetado, acaba exigindo grande flexibilidade do empreendedor para se conectar com o cliente através de aplicativos e dispositivos móveis que passam a ser acessíveis à sociedade brasileira, garantindo flexibilidade e novas relações de negócios em atividades tradicionais como a educação ou outras atividades do terceiro setor . Neste sentido o estudo objetiva explicar como a política de tecnologia da informação auxilia na  melhoria  dos  serviços  em  uma  organização  educacional.  Com  base  em  pesquisa quantitativa como método um “Startup” foi utilizado como objeto de estudo e validou o aumento  da  produção  dos  serviços  educacionais  através  da  publicação  de  aplicativos propostos na ESPEDUC, desta forma a meta de divulgação para oferta e demanda de publico foi atingida através de uma política de geração de produtos e acessos móveis digitais a futuros e atuais clientes

GOVERNANÇA DE TECNOLOGIA DA INFORMAÇÃO: ESTUDO SOBRE A RELAÇÃO ENTRE A TI E A GOVERNANÇA CORPORATIVA NAS ORGANIZAÇÕES

O artigo reflete sobre a aplicação da tecnologia da informação ao setor estratégico das organizações, em especial aos conselhos administrativos de organizações “S.A” e a evolução deste segmento como fator competitivo de mercado. Neste contexto a t.i acaba obrigatoriamente a se adaptar a códigos de conduta como o “Código das Boas Práticas” de Governança Corporativa.   Neste sentido o desenvolvimento de mecanismos e sistemas de informação rápida e acessível ao nível de conselho (Board) tende a gerar decisões mais assertivas podendo aumentar de maneira considerável o lucro das organizações de capital privado, esta é uma tendência que pode se consolidar no Brasil futuramente

The National CKD Audit: a primary care condition that deserves more attention.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a common condition, with an estimated prevalence in the UK of around 5–7%, and a GP recorded prevalence in the England Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) in 2017 of 4.1%,3 which is higher than the prevalence of coronary heart disease. The majority of people with CKD are detected and managed in primary care rather than by kidney specialists. Early identification in primary care, particularly among populations with risk factors such as diabetes and hypertension, enables appropriate management of blood pressure, cardiovascular risk and lifestyle factors. There is evidence that progression of CKD can be delayed by such interventions, and that implementation of these interventions can be improved by use of quality improvement tools in primary care. However CKD as a long-term condition has not had an easy ride. Since its definition in 2002 there have been concerns about overdiagnosis, described as ‘when people without symptoms are diagnosed with a disease that ultimately will not cause them symptoms or early death’, and anxieties about the disclosure of early-stage CKD to patients, along with the work of reassurance and increased monitoring that this might entail. This debate within general practice has left some practitioners uncertain about the importance of naming, coding and managing CKD in primary care