Circular Economy in Home Textiles: Motivations of IKEA Consumers in Sweden

(1) If policy-makers and businesses are to encourage consumers to participate in circular consumption systems, knowledge is needed about what motivates consumers to choose different disposal options. This paper aims to shed light on what motivates consumers to engage in circular home textile disposal practices. (2) Quantitative data was collected through a survey of members of the IKEA Family programme (N = 238), and logistic regressions were carried out to complement the quantitative analysis. Qualitative data was collected in semi-structured interviews with a total of 24 Swedish consumers. (3) Our findings show that donating and discarding are the most common options for handling home textiles, followed by reusing/storing, repairing, and reselling. Regression results indicate that environmental concerns, convenience, and economic reasons are the dominant motivations in choosing a disposal option. Prosocial behaviour and normative issues play a lesser role. (4) We recommend that policy-makers and businesses work to increase convenience of consumers’ participation in circular product practices, and continually communicate environmental benefits of circular disposal options. Businesses and policy-makers aiming to make circular consumption more attractive also need to ensure economic benefits for consumers.

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Space configurations for empowering university-community interactions

Science and Public Policy ◽

10.1093/scipol/scz022 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 46 (5) ◽

pp. 689-701 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Jens Dorland ◽

Christian Clausen ◽

Michael Søgaard Jørgensen

Keyword(s):

Science And Technology Studies ◽

Qualitative Data ◽

Ideal Space ◽

Community Interactions ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Societal Challenges ◽

Relational Perspective ◽

Local Contexts ◽

Shed Light ◽

The Ideal

Abstract Some see universities as a possible source of solutions to enable a sustainable transition and overcome societal challenges. Findings from three multisite case studies of Desis Labs, FabLabs, and Science Shops shed light on how universities can help empower communities and solve societal challenges locally. Adopting a sociotechnical and flat relational perspective inspired by science and technology studies (STS), we focus on the material and spatial aspects of how these spaces are configured, thereby ensuring practical relevance for policy makers and practitioners. Applying an analytical generalization methodology, we condense the qualitative data into a typology of three ideal space-types (i.e. affording, mediating, and impact-oriented) that represent specific configurations of actors, researchers, students, communities, spaces, infrastructure, equipment, facilitators, etc. The ideal space-types empower communities in different ways, require different resources to create and operate, and translate differently into specific local contexts.

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Complexity, Conflict, and Uncertainty: Smartphone Use and the Efficacy to Learning on University Students in EFL Classrooms

Studies in English Language Teaching ◽

10.22158/selt.v9n3p79 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. p79

Author(s):

Lilian Ya-hui Chang

Keyword(s):

University Students ◽

Quantitative Data ◽

Qualitative Data ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Class Time ◽

Positive Side ◽

Mixed Feelings ◽

Smartphone Use ◽

Shed Light ◽

Do So

The use of smartphones among university students is like a double-edged sword (Qi, 2019), on the positive side, it can boost academic performance; on the negative side usage (or the restriction of it) can detract from learning. The studies offered seem to create a dichotomy: smartphone use during class is either positive or negative. This paper, however, aims to reveal how students’ smartphone use in the classroom is an intricate, conflicting picture that has several layers of complexity creating a confusing picture for the instructor as to how, when, or why to use smartphones in the classroom. In order to explore Taiwanese university students’ potential conflicting viewpoints on the smartphone uses during class time, this study collects both quantitative and qualitative data for data analysis. All the questionnaire respondents used their smartphones during class time. The main reason they do so is due to learning purposes (e.g., check English words online, participate in class activities). However, it is interesting to note that the most frequent uses for the students are for personal reasons, e.g., check the time, check personal messages. Moreover, quantitative data shows that 2/3 of the participants in this study believed that it is all right to use their smartphone during the class, because being able to check information online aids their learning during the class. On the other hand, about 1/3 of the students believed that cellphone use is a distraction for them during the class. Semi-structured interviews also reveal that the interviewees expressed that they have mixed feelings about the appropriateness of the use of smartphones during class. Hopefully, these data can shed light on how teachers approach students’ smartphone uses policy in class.

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Examining the opportunities and challenges of the Kra Canal: a PESTELE/SWOT analysis

Maritime Business Review ◽

10.1108/mabr-02-2021-0011 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Po-Hsing Tseng ◽

Nick Pilcher

Keyword(s):

Design Methodology ◽

Qualitative Data ◽

Swot Analysis ◽

The Political ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Content Type ◽

Political Economic ◽

First Time ◽

Analytical Frameworks

PurposeMuch literature considers future impacts of the Kra Canal on shipping times and on individual countries. In this paper, the authors consider the maritime business potential of the Kra Canal for companies, ports and countries.Design/methodology/approachBased on a combination of a review of the extant literature, quantitative data from relevant calculations and qualitative data from semi-structured interviews with experts (n = 20) from four countries in the region, this paper contextualises the business potential of the Kra Canal through a PESTELE (political, economic, social, technological, environmental, legal and ethical) analysis before outlining a more targeted SWOT (strengths weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis to consider the potential for maritime business.FindingsThe PESTELE analysis reveals that there are a number of challenges related to the construction and possibility of the Kra Canal being built such as its impact on the political balance within the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) region. The SWOT analysis shows that the potential of the Kra Canal for maritime business is significant, and that the strengths and opportunities of increased route possibilities and reduced sailing times outweigh any weaknesses and threats.Originality/valueMost studies into the Kra Canal focus on highly specific research targets or provide a particular perspective (e.g. historical). This paper, by drawing on two commonly used analytical frameworks, considers the canal for the first time from a wider context perspective as well as a specifically business one. Recommendations are made for policy makers and maritime businesses on the basis of the results.

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Environmental Benefits of Precision Agriculture Adoption

ECONOMIA AGRO-ALIMENTARE ◽

10.3280/ecag2019-003004 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 637-656 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Marco Medici ◽

Søren Marcus Pedersen ◽

Giacomo Carli ◽

Maria Rita Tagliaventi

Keyword(s):

Environmental Impacts ◽

Precision Agriculture ◽

New Technologies ◽

Environmental Benefits ◽

Herbicide Application ◽

Pesticide Application ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Application Rates ◽

Biodiversity Policy ◽

Lime Application

The purpose of this study is to analyse the environmental benefits of precision agriculture technology adoption obtained from the mitigation of negative environmental impacts of agricultural inputs in modern farming. Our literature review of the environmental benefits related to the adoption of precision agriculture solutions is aimed at raising farmers' and other stakeholders' awareness of the actual environmental impacts from this set of new technologies. Existing studies were categorised according to the environmental impacts of different agricultural activities: nitrogen application, lime application, pesticide application, manure application and herbicide application. Our findings highlighted the effects of the reduction of input application rates and the consequent impacts on climate, soil, water and biodiversity. Policy makers can benefit from the outcomes of this study developing an understanding of the environmental impact of precision agriculture in order to promote and support initiatives aimed at fostering sustainable agriculture.

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Students' Independent Professional Activity in Pedagogical Practice

Journal of Teacher Education for Sustainability ◽

10.2478/v10099-009-0053-y ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 38-58

Author(s):

Aina Strode

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Comparative Analysis ◽

Empirical Study ◽

Qualitative Data ◽

Academic Staff ◽

Professional Activity ◽

Pedagogical Practice ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Criteria And Indicators ◽

Study Process

Students' Independent Professional Activity in Pedagogical PracticeThe topicality of the research is determined by the need for changes in higher education concerned with implementing the principles of sustainable education. The article focuses on teacher training, highlighting the teacher's profession as an attractive choice of one's career that permits to ensure the development of general and professional skills and an opportunity for new specialists to align with the labour market. The empirical study of students' understanding of their professional activity and of the conditions for its formation is conducted by applying structured interviews (of practice supervisors, students, academic staff); students and experts' questionnaire. Comparative analysis of quantitative and qualitative data and triangulation were used in case studies. As a result, a framework of pedagogical practice organisation has been created in order to form students' independent professional activity. The criteria and indicators of independent professional activity have been formulated and suggestions for designers of study programmes and organisers of the study process have been provided.

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Smart Cities in Turkey: Approaches, Advances and Applications with Greater Consideration for Future Urban Transport Development

Energies ◽

10.3390/en12122308 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 12 (12) ◽

pp. 2308 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Can Bıyık

Keyword(s):

Urban Areas ◽

Planning Process ◽

Smart Cities ◽

Radical Change ◽

Urban Transport ◽

Transport Systems ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Comprehensive Survey ◽

Future Vision

The smart city transport concept is viewed as a future vision aiming to undertake investigations on the urban planning process and to construct policy-pathways for achieving future targets. Therefore, this paper sets out three visions for the year 2035 which bring about a radical change in the level of green transport systems (often called walking, cycling, and public transport) in Turkish urban areas. A participatory visioning technique was structured according to a three-stage technique: (i) Extensive online comprehensive survey, in which potential transport measures were researched for their relevance in promoting smart transport systems in future Turkish urban areas; (ii) semi-structured interviews, where transport strategy suggestions were developed in the context of the possible imaginary urban areas and their associated contextual description of the imaginary urban areas for each vision; (iii) participatory workshops, where an innovative method was developed to explore various creative future choices and alternatives. Overall, this paper indicates that the content of the future smart transport visions was reasonable, but such visions need a considerable degree of consensus and radical approaches for tackling them. The findings offer invaluable insights to researchers inquiring about the smart transport field, and policy-makers considering applying those into practice in their local urban areas.

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An Investigation of the Socio-Economic Benefits of Small-Scale Gold Mining in Malawi

Mining ◽

10.3390/mining1010003 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 19-34

Author(s):

Tiyamike Haundi ◽

Gift Tsokonombwe ◽

Steven Ghambi ◽

Theresa Mkandawire ◽

Ansley Kasambara

Keyword(s):

Gold Mining ◽

Indigenous Communities ◽

Economic Benefits ◽

Gold Rush ◽

Basic Knowledge ◽

Small Scale ◽

Low Literacy ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Key Stakeholders ◽

The Government

In the recent years, there has been a surge in artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) in various districts of Malawi. Reports of a gold rush have emerged in various districts, including Mangochi, Lilongwe, Balaka, and lately in Kasungu. There has been persistence by many indigenous communities participating in ASGM activities, yet little is being done by the government to formalize and support the sub-sector. The purpose of this study was to investigate the benefits of artisanal small-scale gold mining in Malawi and expose the shortfalls so that key stakeholders and policy makers are well informed. A quantitative approach which used semi-structured questionnaires was used and the data was analyzed using Microsoft excel and Statistical Packages for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The study shows that ASGM is characterized by people with low literacy levels, who use traditional tools (low-tech) and use methods fueled by lack of capital, and deficiency of basic knowledge of mining and geology. The study found that the government could achieve substantial socio-economic development from the sector by: (1) revising the current artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) legislation so that it embraces the customary practices whilst safeguarding the environment and improving the tax collection base; (2) providing support in form of mining related training and education to these communities; (3) leading in transfer of modern technologies for improved extraction; (4) supporting ASM cooperatives in securing credit facilities from financial institutions; and (5) closing the existing knowledge gap for ASM related issues through introduction of mining desk officers in district councils.

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Interpersonal Predictors of Suicide Ideation and Attempt Among Early Adolescents

Professional School Counseling ◽

10.1177/2156759x211018653 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 25 (1) ◽

pp. 2156759X2110186

Author(s):

Emily Sallee ◽

Kok-Mun Ng ◽

Abraham Cazares-Cervantes

Keyword(s):

School Counselors ◽

Logistic Model ◽

Suicide Ideation ◽

Adolescent Suicide ◽

Early Adolescents ◽

Interpersonal Theory ◽

Interpersonal Theory Of Suicide ◽

School Settings ◽

Logistic Regressions ◽

Shed Light

Despite the growing epidemic of suicide ideation and attempt in adolescents, there is a lack of theory-based, empirical research to shed light on these issues in this population and inform school counselors’ preventive and responsive practices. We utilized Joiner’s Interpersonal Theory of Suicide (IPTS) to examine the extent to which the interpersonal constructs of perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness predicted adolescent suicide ideation and attempt by conducting two binomial logistic regressions on archival data from the 2017 eighth-grade Oregon Healthy Teens Survey. Six of the seven selected proxy items were statistically significant in each logistic model, with slight variance between the two. Our findings suggest that the interpersonal constructs of the IPTS are applicable to early adolescents and may be used to inform suicide prevention and intervention efforts among this population in school settings.

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Rainwater Harvesting Potentials in Commercial Buildings in Dhaka: Reliability and Economic Analysis

Hydrology ◽

10.3390/hydrology8010009 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 9

Author(s):

Md. Rezaul Karim ◽

B. M. Sadman Sakib ◽

Sk. Sadman Sakib ◽

Monzur Alam Imteaz

Keyword(s):

Water Demand ◽

Rainwater Harvesting ◽

Economic Benefits ◽

Commercial Buildings ◽

Environmental Benefits ◽

Capital City ◽

Balance Model ◽

Climate Conditions ◽

Rainwater Tank ◽

Catchment Areas

Despite numerous studies on residential rainwater tank, studies on commercial rainwater tank are scarce. Corporate authorities pay little heed on this sustainable feature. With the aim of encouraging corporate authorities, this study presents the feasibility and economic benefits of rainwater harvesting (RWH) in commercial buildings in the capital city of Bangladesh, where water authority struggles to maintain town water supply. The analysis was conducted using a daily water balance model under three climate scenarios (wet, dry and normal year) for five commercial buildings having catchment areas varying from 315 to 776 m2 and the storage tank capacity varying from 100 to 600 m3. It was found that for a water demand of 30 L per capita per day (lpcd), about 11% to 19% and 16% to 26.80% of the annual water demand can be supplemented by rainwater harvesting under the normal year and wet year climate conditions, respectively. The payback periods are found to be very short, only 2.25 to 3.75 years and benefit–cost (B/C) ratios are more than 1.0, even for building having the smallest catchment area (i.e., 315 m2) and no significant overflow would occur during monsoon, which leads to both economic and environmental benefits. Though the findings cannot be translated to other cities as those are dependent on factors like water price, interest rate, rainfall amount and pattern, however other cities having significant rainfall amounts should conduct similar studies to expedite implementations of widescale rainwater harvesting.

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Teaching Global Citizenship in a Muslim-Majority Country: Perspectives of Teachers from the Religious, National, and International Education Sectors in Pakistan

Religions ◽

10.3390/rel12050348 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (5) ◽

pp. 348

Author(s):

Muhammad Azeem Ashraf ◽

Samson Maekele Tsegay ◽

Jin Ning

Keyword(s):

International Education ◽

Global Citizenship ◽

National Curriculum ◽

Economic Benefits ◽

Great Role ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Sustainable Peace ◽

Muslim Majority ◽

Islamic Identity ◽

Islamic Values

Pakistan is a Muslim-majority country, and religion plays a great role in the life of society. This study examines how teachers from the religious, national, and international education sectors realize the concept of global citizenship education (GCE) in Pakistan. Based on 24 semi-structured interviews, this study found differences among the teachers’ understandings of the concept of GCE and its characteristics. Teachers from the national and religious curriculum sectors viewed GCE as a threat to Islamic values, whereas those from the international curriculum sector regarded GCE as an opportunity for improving the economic development and image of Pakistan. Moreover, the teachers from the religious sector argued for the cultivation of Islamic identity instead of GCE. However, the teachers from the national curriculum sector noted the economic benefits of GCE and were keen on global citizenship principles that do not conflict with national and Islamic values. The different perceptions held by teachers from the three educational sectors indicate the need for more work on GCE to narrow the conflicting agendas and broaden the understandings within Pakistani society. Creating common ideas within these different sectors of education is significant for developing sustainable peace within the divided society.

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