Source: TUD & WUR
Collectie
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Artikel
The Global Warming Impact of Applying Bio-Based Insulation Materials in Residential High-Rises in Amsterdam
In light of the changing climate and the need for urban densification in the Netherlands, this study analyzes the potential global warming impact (GWI) of implementing bio-based insulation materials (BBIMs) in high-rises in Ams- terdam. A literature and market review led to the identification of straw, grass, hemp, flax, wood-fiber, and cellulose insulation as the most relevant BBIMs in the Dutch context because of local availability and potential scalability. From an expert interview on fire-safety constraints of BBIMs, it was concluded that a 12 mm layer of gypsum fiberboard is needed to ensure fire safety in high-rise buildings for insulation materials which do not meet fire-safety class A1/A2. The GWI of the BBIMs was compared with stone wool, glass wool, expanded polystyrene (EPS) and extruded polystyrene (XPS) through a dynamic Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The results consistently demonstrated optimal GWI performance for the plant-based BBIMs, while XPS and cellulose typi- cally had the highest GWI. In a building case study, cumulative radiative forc- ing values between 1.61e−8 W m−2 yr (cellulose) and −1.66e−8 W m−2 yr (straw) were found in 2222. For the insulation of all 97.500 residential high- rise buildings which are to be built in Amsterdam until 2050, these values were 2.50e−6 W m−2 yr (XPS) and −2.59e−6 W m−2 yr (straw). Annual emissions savings of up to 587 tons of CO2-equivalents were projected when switching from XPS to straw insulation. In working towards its 2050 climate neutrality goals, the city of Amsterdam is advised to stimulate the implementa- tion of BBIMs in all buildings, focusing on straw, grass and hemp in prefabri- cated façades.
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Artikel
Constraining and enabling factors that influence core practices embedded within the supply processes of circular building hubs
The construction industry's substantial consumption of materials, CO2 emissions, and construction and demolition waste underscore the pressing need for change. One promising solution is the reuse of secondary building components, which has the potential to significantly mitigate these environmental impacts. Circular Building Hubs (CBHs) have emerged as a novel business concept that could facilitate the collection and processing of these components, thereby promoting their reuse. However, effectively scaling up their opera- tional secondary building component supply processes (supply processes) requires changes in the practices embedded in these processes.
Therefore, this exploratory research aimed to identify the extend to which constraining and enabling factors influence the scalability of core practices embedded in supply processes of these CBHs. The core practices are those considered to be essential for the CBH concept. As such, it intended at contributing to new and more comprehensive understanding on the effects of these factors and thereby contribute to the devel- opment and scaling up of these processes. Hence, the main research question is as follow: ‘What are core practices embedded within the secondary supply processes for circular building hubs, and to what extent are involved constraining and enabling factors influencing the scalability of these practices?’ -
Artikel
(Re)defining waste
This research provides an analysis and overview of the tools available to a municipal government to design a governance strategy aimed to enhance the circularity of an urban system. This analysis is performed by means of sources found in literature and by comparing two case studies: Bucaramanga and Amsterdam. Bucaramanga is chosen due to its current solid waste challenge as a result of the problems caused by the local sanitary landfilling site. Amsterdam, on the other hand, is taken as a best practice. From the analysis of Amsterdam lessons are derived that are considered valuable for other urban areas aiming for a higher level of circularity. Additionally, a framework is provided to assess and quantify the circularity of an urban system. By means of the selected circularity indicators in this framework, the level of circularity of the two case studies could be quantified and compared. It is argued that this framework provides a valuable first assessment of circularity and is suitable for both data-rich and data-poor urban areas. It is concluded that the current urban metabolism in terms of municipal solid waste management of Bucaramanga is highly linear. Furthermore, the objectives and activities as currently formulated by the municipal government of Bucaramanga are considered to be too general to tackle this challenge effectively. Lessons obtained from Amsterdam and derived from the performed scenario analysis and governance research are provided and are argued to be valuable to Bucaramanga in constructing a governance strategy towards circularity. Generally, this research provides a number of tools and recommendations that can be used for the analysis and enhancement of circularity in MSW management. By doing this is it contributes to reducing the risk on environmental and public harm as a result of inadequate MSW management. Additionally, the opportunities and limitations of transitions towards a circular economy are explored, providing lessons that can be used by urban systems interested in this transition.
Author: Sya Hoeke
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Artikel
Temporal Complexity, how time influences life cycle assessments of bio-based materials
Environmental harm is an influencing factor in policymaking, as climate pressures are frequently on the global agenda. An important tool to guide decision-making in the construction industry is the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology, where the quantification of environmental harm is realised. In the method, an estimation of numerous environmental impact indicators can be made by assessing the various life cycles of a product, material, or process. Bio-based materials have been considered a valuable option to mitigate climate change. However, the LCA methodology appears to disregard certain characteristics of the material that could potentially improve their corresponding results. With the growth of bio-based materials, atmospheric carbon is stored as biogenic carbon and subsequently released at the end-of-life, the last life cycle phase of a material. The current methodology is unable to credit such storage, as it models all emissions through the life cycle as if they occurred at the same time. This research aims to explore the various options to comprehend, assess, and credit the storage of biogenic carbon. First, the different approaches to assess the storage of biogenic carbon, that are described in the literature, are assessed. Second, various methods to credit the timing of emissions in the LCA methodology will be elaborated upon. Third, the different currently active European standards are described. For biogenic carbon assessment, three methods were described: the 0/0 method, the -1/1 method, and the dynamic method. Here it was concluded that, respectively, complexity and accuracy increased, making practical implementation difficult but potentially valuable. Especially, the dynamic approach is shown to be a promising tool to accurately assess temporalities within the life cycle of a product. For possible crediting mechanisms, three methods were discussed: the Moura-Costa, Lashof, and ILCD crediting methods. Each method was based on specific assumptions, which resulted in varying credit strengths. In general, each crediting mechanism answered the demand for crediting delayed emissions, but to decide whether one of the methods is better suited than the other, further research is necessary. It is found that the organisational complexity of standardisation within the European Union influences possible alterations in the LCA. However, the research can conclude that the methodology is currently unable to capture the benefits of biogenic carbon storage, and by looking into potential crediting mechanisms, this limitation can be answered. Depending on the demand of our climate and, therefore, of policymakers, possible crediting mechanisms for the storage of biogenic carbon can be considered to be implemented through the LCA methodology.
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Artikel
Sewer Water Harvesting to Support Urban Green Spaces
This research has investigated how Sewer Water Harvesting (SWH) can be applied to provide a
climate-proof fresh water source to support Urban Green Spaces (UGS) in Amsterdam. SWH is the
process of extracting raw municipal sewage from the sewer and locally treating this to provide fit-forpurpose water in a dense urban environment while treatment residuals are discharged back into the
sewer. SWH can help to meet the increasing water demand of UGS in Amsterdam, which experience
exacerbated dry periods as a result of climate change, while conventional water sources are unlikely to
meet this demand.The overall aim was to provide a conceptual design example of how SWH could be applied in
the Amsterdam context to uncover what kind of impact can be achieved and advise on how SWH can
be implemented From an analysis of potential applications, irrigation of UGS during dry periods was
selected for the focus of the study. Suitable locations were identified, from which the Vondelpark was
selected as study area for this research. Quality requirements for irrigation water and discharge of
treatment residuals were determined. The water demand of the study area was determined by
modelling the soil moisture balance using transformed weather data, taking into account climate
change. Based on these requirements, a conceptual design of an SWH-unit comprised of fine
screening, MF, NF and UV steps. To evaluate this potential impact for Amsterdam as a whole, the
findings from the study area were extrapolated. The cost of SWH were compared to alternative water
sources and the potential direct economic benefits. This demonstrated that costs of SWH are
acceptable and can be further decreased. Furthermore, the potential impact on plant and soil health was
evaluated. Interviews with stakeholders identified barriers and opportunities of SWH and resulted in
some recommendations for larger scale implementation.The results of this research indicate that SWH can provide a new and reliable water source
during dry periods to support UGS. SWH-units can be designed as mobile and modular units that can
for a large part be operated and monitored remotely. The results further demonstrate that potential
negative environmental effects can be prevented or mitigated and SWH can even improve the plant
and soil health of UGS. From an engineering perspective, challenges related to the water quality are
unlikely to be insurmountable. However, three aspects still require a significant amount of time and
investment before SWH can be implemented on a larger scale. These are: (1) the lack of regulatory
framework, (2) the unresolved responsibility for operation and (3) extensive water quality testing and
environmental impact assessment. To accelerate innovation it is recommended to start as soon as
possible with addressing these remaining issues. Commercial operation of SWH can provide an
interesting opportunity, all the more so because SWH can also be used for household or industrial
applications. The involvement of a wider variety of stakeholders can further help to overcome the
remaining barriers.Author: Jan-Joris van der Plas
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Artikel
Accelerating the implementation of green roofs
Innovative strategies are required to increase urban resilience in the face of the increasing impacts of climate change, such as heat stress and flooding. With many benefits, including improved social well- being, increased biodiversity, temperature reduction, and water management, green roofs have emerged as a potential solution to combat climate change.
However, the components currently used in green roofs often compromise their environmental performance, undercutting their potential benefits. This research suggests that biobased and circular materials, which have less environmental impact, could be more environmentally friendly alternatives.
Therefore, these materials can potentially improve the environmental impact of green roofs, aligning more closely with their intended purpose of combating climate change. This research question combines two main components of this research.Author: Vera Brugman
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Collectie
Strategieën voor circulair beheer van zonnepanelen op Amsterdamse daken
Mathijs Stockvisch heeft onderzoek gedaan naar circulaire strategieën om end-of-life beheer van zonnepanelen op Amsterdamse daken op te schalen. Het doel van dit onderzoek is om de circulariteit van afgeschreven zonnepanelen in Amsterdam te verbeteren door de barrières voor circulair beheer en oplossingsrichtingen hiervoor te identificeren. Dit creëert een beter idee van de rol en de mogelijkheden van steden om toekomstige PV-afvalstromen te verkleinen. Dit biedt stof om na te denken over hoe de ambitieuze doelen van Amsterdam om zowel een klimaat-neutrale als een circulaire stad te zijn in 2050 kunnen worden geïntegreerd.
Dit is een collectie bestaande uit zijn scriptie en een artikel vanuit EnergieLab Zuidoost. -
Artikel
The housing construction chain in motion
This thesis attempts to understand the barriers and enablers that the actors in housing construction experience in the transition to a circular housing construction system, in order to find out what they need to make CCB the standard in new-build. Accordingly, the aim is to understand what support actors in the housing construction system require to accelerate the transition to a circular system based on CCB. The focus of this thesis is limited to CCB in housing construction in the Netherlands. It includes all phases of housing construction, from land to planning, to design, construction, use and maintenance, since circularity requires an integral view encompassing all these phases. The final objective is to deliver a practical tool that present-day actors in housing construction could use if they engage in CCB and wish to accelerate the transition to a circular system. The following main research question is posed: What do actors in the internal socio-technical system require to accelerate the transition to a circular system based on circular and conceptual building, and how could these requirements be implemented?
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Artikel
Barriers and drivers for product reuse
The built environment in the Netherlands is responsible for 50% of the national raw material usage and 36% of national CO2 emissions. Moreover, almost 40% of all the waste in the Netherlands is related to the construction- and demolition sector. Reuse of construction products has the potential to reduce resource depletion and CO2 emission. Although in literature and practice, attention has been given to the importance of reusing products to close material streams in the built environment, the implementation of reuse in practice is limited. There are still many barriers to implementing product reuse in practise. Attention has been given to what these reuse barriers and drivers are in the building sector. However, limited attention has been given in literature and practice to barriers and drivers for product reuse from infrastructural assetsin the urban context. Moreover, only a small number of studies focused on barriers and drivers in different countries, but no studies were found that examined the Dutch context. Therefore, this research aimed to identify the barriers and drivers to reusing products from assets in the Dutch infrastructural sector.
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Artikel
Value chain development of the cruise industry to stimulate sustainable regional development in port cities
With a lack of tourism management, the constant growth of the tourism sectorcan lead to uncontrolled development where areas are being invaded by mass tourism, causing multiple challenges within touristic regions. With the characteristic of cruise tourism that it brings large numbers of people to a city at set times, socio-economic and environmental impacts of the industry are intensified, creating a higher risk for irreversible damage.
Based on the above-stated problem statement and research objective, this thesis aims to contribute to the socio-economic status of the residents of Bonaire within the aim of a Blue Destination by answering the following research question: “What linkages can be established between the cruise tourism industry and the local community of Bonaire in order for cruise tourism to contribute to sustainable regional development?” -
Artikel
Adaptive reuse 'De Hallen'
The main aim of this thesis was to explore how stakeholders’ values on sustainability and value-based decision-making for adaptive reuse of industrial heritage have evolved through time. The research utilizes case study De Hallen, as an example of industrial heritage in Amsterdam. Based on a case study, literature research, direct observation and qualitative interviews, the potential of adaptive reuse of industrial heritage in sustainable transitions was explored.
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Artikel
A blueprint to Monitor & Evaluate the impact of sustainability solutions in redevelopment projects of the public space.
The precise causes for the limited learning and lacking comprehensive implementation of sustainable solutions beyond the redevelopment pilot projects in the public space are unknown. In addition, the concept of monitoring and evaluation is necessary to learn from these redevelopment pilot projects. Resulting in the following research question:
What is causing that sustainability transitions are not implemented in redevelopment projects, and how can a robust and effective Monitor and Evaluation (M&E) blueprint be composed to learn from pilot redevelopment projects, enabling the broader implementations of sustainable solutions?
The research question combines the two main components of the study, identifying what causes sustainable solutions part of the sustainability transitions is not implemented within redevelopment projects of the public space—and secondly composing and developing a robust, systematic, and integral Monitor and Evaluation blueprint that managers of redevelopment projects can use to monitor and evaluate applied sustainability solutions. Addressing the research question within the given time frame is not conceivable. Therefore, this study has an explorative nature, which means that the study provides preliminary results which require further verification. -
Artikel
MSc Thesis AMS Institute - Organic waste management in urban areas
In this research the barriers and enablers of organic waste sorting are investigated to find recommendations for interventions to become a more circular society. This is investigated with the help of a qualitative vignette approach with the help of different scenarios based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1991a), The Motivation, Opportunity, and Ability framework of Ölander and Thøgersen (ölander & ThØgersen, 1995), and the behavior change wheel (Michie, van Stralen, & West, 2011). Eleven citizens of urban areas are interviewed about their perception on ten different scenario’s. Next to the overview of barriers and enablers in organic waste sorting, eight different recommendations are found to increase the organic waste sorting practices in urban areas; Economic incentives, Waste Education; Clear Labeling on packaging; Free biobags/bins; Clean sorting stations; Implementing At-home organic waste shredders; easy wins in the Hospitality Industry and lastly, Gamification.
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Artikel
MSc Thesis AMS Institute - Meeting points: Understanding assemblages of township community engagement with the circular economy in Cape Town
For many years it has felt as if global societies sought unity through the coherence of people. In recent times, difference is being acknowledged and discussions now celebrate the separate and distinct identities that make up our communities. Despite these developments in thinking, ideas of global urban agendas are still often seen, as if the problems of one city are somehow the same as another. This is particularly recognisable in global adoptions of circular economic transitions.
The circular economy concept is frequently presented as a solution to globalised issues of over consumption and environmental degradation and is often framed as being adaptive to the specific problems of a space or configuration. The newness of the concept in urban solutions means that frameworks for its deployment are still emerging and best-practices are yet to be agreed upon. Particularly between countries of different economic levels, the contextual adaptation of circular strategies is by no means well developed. Despite this, ideas of accelerating circular economic adoptions are visibly promoted in many global regions. As such, circular economic transitions are visible in cities across the world, often without proper frameworks for the analysis of contextual problems, social dynamics or system configurations. Many observers comment on a missing social component to circular economic transitions.
Instead of seeing the circular economy as a uniform or transposable model, in this study the concept is being approached as being defined by the many pluralities of the urban. I seek to locate it within complex socio-material dynamics in South-Africa as a means to explore transitions and their efficacy.
References can be found inside the document.Want to read more about this topic?
Recently, an article was published about the history of the circular economy.
Visit the page here.
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Artikel
MSc MADE AMS Institute - Design guidelines for self - repair from a practice perspective
This thesis aims to find a solution for the growing amount of products that are discarded worldwide. The main objective of this research is to find design guidelines for designers from a practice perspective. This to encourage consumers to do self-repair which in turn will foster a transition towards a Circular Economy. This is done by giving a literature review enriched with 20 semi structured interviews with repairers and non-repairers. The result of the research consists of 10 design guidelines, comprised of literature and the empirical findings, to be used by designers in order to design for unofficial self-repair focused on household electronic equipment.
References can be found inside the document.Author: Jonas Roozenburg.
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Artikel
MSc Thesis AMS Institute - The futures of pharmaceutical residue presence in Amsterdam’s canals
Pharmaceutical residue presence in the Amsterdam canals is considered an emerging wicked problem due to its complex interrelated factors, multi-stakeholder involvement and scientific insecurities. This thesis aims to help anticipatory management to safeguard the surface water quality from future pharmaceutical residue presence by conducting a participatory explorative scenario planning study.
References can be found inside the document.Author: Bob Sikkink
In a step-by-step iterative methodological approach data was obtained by a literature study, semi-structured interviews and three step-specific additional data collection methods. The semi-structured interviews were conducted with a selection of thirteen representative stakeholders. Moreover, the current state was determined, influential drivers and trends were identified and future scenarios created. Lastly, eleven measures were evaluated on scenario suitability. The results show that the current pharmaceutical residue state in the canals is hard to assess due to contradicting findings and many blinds spots. For the drivers a selection of 22 was made across seven domains (health, demographic, economic, societal, technological, ecological and political). The accompanying trends guide the exploration from the current state to four highly contrasting, long-term and diverging scenarios for 2050. The set of scenarios describes four unique yet plausible future Amsterdams in word and image, each with varying pharmaceutical residue presence situations. To anticipate to the various futures ‘end-of-pipe’ measures are advised as the basis of the anticipation strategy, but a continuous effort for an integrated chain approach with supporting measures is recommended. The scenarios can serve as a tool and help a constructive discussion on how to anticipate to various pharmaceutical residue presence futures.
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Artikel
MSc Thesis AMS Institute - Future proof sewers An analysis of the circularity of the sewer system in Amsterdam
As a response to the Paris climate agreement from 2015 waterboards and the municipality of Amsterdam formulated the ambitious climate goals to use 50% less new raw materials, reduce carbon emissions and a 100% circular constructed sewer system by 2030. This research is therefore focused on the improvement of the circularity of the sewer system in Amsterdam.
References can be found inside the document.Multiple methods were used to answer the research question. Literature research was used to define the concepts of the sewer system, circularity and asset management. In this research the sewer system is defined as the objects that store and transport waste and storm water. Circularity is defined as the contribution made to the circular economy, by minimizing the environmental impact. This contribution is quantified with the Environmental Cost Indicator (ECI). The ECI translates the environmental impact of an object towards a single score. The lower the score, the lower the environmental impact and therefore the higher the contribution to the circular economy. Asset management is defined as the coordinated activities required to realise value from assets. Examples of such activities are cleaning, replacement, repair and upgrade of assets. The method of Environmental Performance Calculation (EPC) was used to calculate the environmental impact of the materials that are used for the sewer system. The EPC calculations were done with the program DuboCalc with life cycle assessments from the materials. Interviews were used to research the decision process for the sewer asset management in Amsterdam. Finally a co-creation session was conducted with sustainability experts, asset managers and project engineers from Waternet to investigate potential improvements for the circularity of the sewer system.
Author: Lauri Schippers
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Artikel
MSc Thesis AMS Institute - Planning Degrowth: An explorative study into the value of a degrowth approach for sustainable urban planning in Amsterdam
Sustainable urban planning aims to decrease the ecological footprint of cities while maintaining or increasing social welfare, however it does not consider limits to economic growth and therefore undermines its own ambition. The upcoming field of degrowth offers a theoretical answer to this dilemma but the degrowth lens has only scarcely been applied to existing cities and the field of urban planning. This thesis addresses these gaps by exploring to what extent a growth mindset underpins planning in the city of Amsterdam and what the need and potential for degrowth could be in sustainable urban planning for the city’s future. The qualitative research design includes a document analysis of degrowth proposals for urban planning, a historical analysis of urban planning focusing on degrowth precedents and finally interviews with respondents related to sustainable urban planning and degrowth.
References can be found inside the document.An urgent necessity for a degrowth approach in sustainable urban planning in Amsterdam is demonstrated in this research. Currently, issues of global and long-term social and environmental impact are not sufficiently addressed. Degrowth can respond to these issues with a broad pallet of proposals from the planning process itself, to the design of public space and large economic policy changes. An overview of these degrowth proposals for sustainable urban planning shows that a degrowth implementation faces big obstacles. An example project such as the re-localization of the food system of Amsterdam can be a valuable showcase for a degrowth approach in sustainable urban planning.
Please find the link to this document on our Figshare repository here.
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Artikel
MSc Thesis AMS Institute - InCIRC: Opportunities to Close Resource Loops in the Construction Sector of Singapore
In the case of an import-dependent country like Singapore, the built environment can serve as a valuable reservoir of secondary resources, underlaying fundamental importance for the nation's circular economy ambitions. This paper argues that linking supply and demand estimations to the drivers behind downcycling and upcycling of construction and demolition waste is necessary, in order to unveil realistic opportunities for secondary resource utilization. The primary motivation in this study has been to deploy a bottom-up approach to quantify the entire stock and flows of concrete for buildings and roads within Singapore, in a quest to unveil windows of opportunity where closing resource loops is realistic.
References can be found inside the document.Fast urbanization has led to significant extraction of material resources, which end up stocked for a long time in the built environment. The circular economy (CE) approach is gaining increased attention in the sustainability agenda for its framework focused on decoupling economic growth from the consumption of finite resources. This paradigm shift towards a circular, resource-efficient economy requires a comprehensive knowledge of the flows and material stocks (MS) in buildings and infrastructure. Studies often are restricted to building infrastructure, despite the qualitative relevance of roads. Roads are a significant driver behind the demand for low-value reuse of construction & demolition waste (CDW) with direct effects over the overall supply and demand of secondary resources.
Author: Anthony Meijer
Please find the link to this document on our Figshare repository here.
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Artikel
MSc Thesis AMS Institute - Recognizing value Exploring the potential of the community land trust as a model for circular area development
Cities are pushing the transition towards a circular economy. Current perspectives on circularity in area development have a strong focus on economic and technical measures. However, a broader perspective on circular area development is needed, which is more conscious of the way cities are used and valued by its inhabitants. This research has investigated barriers and drivers for the implementation of circular area development processes in general and the Community Land Trust (CLT) model in particular, in order to explore the CLT’s potential contribution to circular area development.
References can be found inside the document.Interviews with professionals resulted in the preliminary conclusion that land policy is experienced as a crucial link to facilitate circular and inclusive values by means of the CLT model. However, current land policies are not fit to facilitate the needs of the CLT model. A new normative and financial narrative for land policy needs to be in place in order to open-up decision-making which is able to accommodate inclusive and circular initiatives. This research thus argues that the potential contribution of the CLT model to inclusive circular area development is threefold. First, the CLT model is able to empower cooperative thinking. This way, cooperatives can become a stronger partner next to the public and private sector, which contributes to citizens valuing and feeling collective responsibility towards used and maintained urban resources. Second, the CLT model contributes as an alternative land development narrative which can inspire mechanisms that enhance the circular transition, for example by integrating policies, energizing professionals and demolishing municipal silos. Third, the CLT model can facilitate more full and complete usage of urban space, which takes existing values as a starting point for development and contributes to more democratic and just area development processes.
Author: Jelle Burger
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Artikel
MSc Thesis AMS Institute - The European Union Conflict Minerals Regulation: Company and governance strategies in Amsterdam
This report is made as a master thesis for the master Metropolitan Analysis, Design and Engineering (MADE). In this thesis the following main question will be answered: How can companies and governance implement the European conflict minerals regulation 2017/821? The European Union conflict minerals regulation (EU CMR) is introduced because of the link between consumer products and the social, economic and environmental consequences in developing countries. The aim of this thesis is to investigate the awareness of the challenges of EU regulation on conflict minerals and to find an approach to address them. This research uses the quadruple helix as a theoretical framework to understand the connection between governance, industry, academia and civil society. EU CMR for consumer electronics is important in an smarter world with smart cities in order to make the world more sustainable.
References can be found inside the document.Author: Gwen Spil
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Artikel
MSc Thesis AMS Institute - The Reuse of Building Products
The following research explores how the Disposition Decisions on used building products are influenced by the product’s characteristics, the nature of the applicable VRPs and the financial difference between new and used products. It combines different research methods to develop a practical tool. The research focused on five building products: Steel construction beams, timber beams, lowered ceiling tiles, insulation material and sanitary appliances.
References can be found inside the document.In the construction industry, most waste is downcycled into foundations for infrastructure. However, reusing these products in their original state and function could be a major step towards a more circular built environment. Several key concepts are important in this field of research. The Disposition Decision is the moment when the owner of a used product decides what happens to it. The result could be to incinerate the product to recover energy, to Recycle the product’s materials, or to Reuse the product. In order to Reuse a product, a Value Retention Process (VRP) might be necessary. VRPs are aimed at bringing the product back into a usable state. The VRPs considered in this thesis are Direct Reuse, Repair, Refurbish, Remanufacture and Repurpose. The Recycle option is also within the scope of this research. The entire process of retrieving a used product, transporting and applying a VRP or disposing it, is referred to as Reverse Logistics.
Author: Sam van Hooff
Want to know more about this topic?
If you are interested in the reuse of building products, the Circuar Urban Wood project is definitely worth reading about. This project focusses on the implementation of a circular use of wood in the city of Amsterdam.
Visit the project here.
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Artikel
MSc Thesis AMS Institute - Participative Innovation Towards a Circular City
Cities increasingly embrace the concept of a circular city as a goal of sustainable develop ment. In order to transition towards a more circular city, deep structural change is needed. Co-creation is gaining traction as a method of citizen participation to involve citizens in this transition, but the ambiguous term is used in many different ways in various domains. The danger of using a term in different ways is that the meaning can diminish. Therefore, this study aims to develop an approach for co-creation that is specified on the context of tran sitions towards more circular cities.
References can be found inside the document.Based on a literature study and qualitative interviews, the potential of co-creation in circularity transitions was explored. The organizational and citizen perspective was analyzed by interviewing organizations and citizens that participated in co creation. Based on the analysis of the responses, three core elements were identified that could strengthen co-creation in the context of circularity transitions: it should foster niche developments on a local scale, it should have clear boundaries, and it should be linked to a bigger network. As a final step, a concept is presented that explores how the three core elements could be applied in practice. The results indicate how co-creation can be used in the transition towards a circular city. Further research is needed to identify factors that could develop the concept into a feasible approach of co-creation.
Author: Lotte Geeraedts
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Artikel
MSc Thesis - Towards circulation of bio-based resources in Amsterdam high-rises
Transition from a linear use of resources and waste production to circular flows with sustainable management of resources, will allow cities to increase sustainability in social, economic and ecological ways for future generations. This thesis concludes that in order to reach a circular waste management system, an instructional communication to be used within the current scope and a redesigned food waste grinder within a fully circular flat would be needed.
References can be found inside the document.Author: Marita de Vries
Want to know more about this topic?
If you are interested in the reuse of building products, the Circuar Urban Wood project is definitely worth reading about. This project focusses on the implementation of a circular use of wood in the city of Amsterdam.
Visit the project here.
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Artikel
Msc Thesis - Redeveloping urban waste streams through local production networks for circular textile- and apparel innovation
This thesis investigates opportunities for creating local production networks for the textile- and apparel industry in Amsterdam, based on circular economy principles. The focus of the study is local waste streams in metropolitan regions, defining waste streams as input for circular textile- and apparel development. The main research question is “What are potential local production network (LPN) models for circular textile- and apparel innovation in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area?”
As current fibres and textiles in the fashion industry are characterized by their polluting nature, and innovative circular fibres lack data on their environmental impact, an action research approach is used in order to discover the potential of circular fashion from textile waste streams in Amsterdam. Whilst, design, knowledge and technical innovation are available locally, stakeholders in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area seem to have much difficulty in finding the right partners and direction for the circular transition. For local production to make an impact in the global fashion value chain, more collaboration and strategy is needed to guide circular fashion developments in a direction to upscale innovation. Through implementing design for circularity, mapping available resources, improved textile waste collection systems, automated sorting systems and pilots for innovative feedstock recycling methods circular fashion can be improved locally. However, this transition can only disrupt the current industry when research from knowledge institutes, experience from practitioners and policy from governmental organizations join forces and collaborate for a circular fashion future.
References for this thesis can be found inside the document.Authors: Dieuwertje de Wagenaar
