鈥淲e鈥檙e both overproducing and overconsuming. And everyone knows that this is untenable. Nobody could have missed that. It鈥檚 as simple as that,鈥� states Marianna Lena Kambanou, assistant professor at Link枚ping University.
In Sweden, we have what it takes: a good infrastructure for waste sorting and waste collection stations. But also other things such as an ability to cooperate and aid for innovation. Still, only seven to eight percent of the Swedish economy is circular. In other words, we are wasting resources.
Marianna Lena Kambanou gestures with her hands, palms up, shaking them a little. She is aware that the concept of 鈥渃ircular economy鈥� can be difficult to grasp.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a vision, but an explicitly stated vision of the EU and its member states. We need to use our resources in a much smarter way. This applies to everything from what to produce and how and what material to use, to how we use and reuse things.鈥�
She is part of a Link枚ping University research group working jointly with businesses and entrepreneurs to develop functional methods to support a circular economy.
鈥淲e鈥檙e testing ideas and business models. Customers are important. We need to find models where customers are interested in reuse. As researchers, we study recurring patterns and methods that can be applied to several different operations.鈥�
According to Marianna Lena Kambanou, we need to talk more about how circular economy and green transition will affect us.
Will some jobs cease to exist?
鈥淵es, and that鈥檚 one of the things our society must discuss. But there will be new jobs also. A simple example: a ban on plastic straws may lead to people working at the straw factory being made redundant. So, its production of paper straws increases. This could be better from an environmental perspective. But in the long run we need to cut down on all disposable products, and on consumption as a whole.鈥�
Similar reasoning exists concerning reuse of already existing products. If you use a table two to three times longer before you scrap it for recycling, maybe fewer newly produced tables are needed.
鈥淏ut this could result in the emergence of many new services. It all hinges on the table no longer wanted by 鈥渢he family X鈥� re-entering the system instead. Only as a last resort should it be broken into pieces and recycled.鈥�
Such a circular model creates new services, and thereby also new jobs:
鈥淭he table must be transported to someone who will clean, repair and paint it and then maybe list it for sale. Or maybe repurpose it. And then it will perhaps be sent by courier to a buyer. New services are created along the way.鈥�
This is where research comes in. Circular economy is about getting the most out of the resources. The transition has to be turned into good business.
鈥淭he customer must want the products. Otherwise, there鈥檚 no market. And the processes must work without generating too high costs. It might even be cheaper to buy the item new. That鈥檚 why these models must be developed.鈥�
Together with her group, she has for instance studied the possibility of reusing workmen鈥檚 clothing.
鈥淲e鈥檝e looked at different flows for cleaning and distributing workmen鈥檚 clothing. The concept works, for instance, when it comes to hospital shrubs. But in this case, there wasn鈥檛 much interest and it was difficult to make it a profitable business.鈥�
They have changed their business model, and are now studying clothes repair.
鈥淭his could generate more interest. We also see a massive shortage of tailors in Sweden, which could become an important factor in a circular economy, as there鈥檚 so much waste in textile industry.鈥�
Through an EU Horizon 2020 project, named CORALIS, the LiU researchers collaborate with three major industrial clusters in Italy, Spain and Sweden. It鈥檚 about how industries could share each other鈥檚 residual products. The LiU researchers鈥� task is to study pricing and how to draw up agreements between the industries.
鈥淥ne man鈥檚 waste may be another man鈥檚 gold. But there are challenges. One is that it鈥檚 not certain that access to residual products can be guaranteed, as that production is irregular,鈥� says Marianna Lena Kambanou.
The group she is working in consists of various competencies, such as eco design, management/industrial organisation and manufacturing processes. And there are many nationalities among the researchers.
鈥淛apan, Germany, Ghana, Sweden 鈥� Greece. We are an international group. It feels very good and gives us many perspectives on these rather complex issues. I enjoy that. I鈥檇 never want to be in a monocultural setting,鈥� she says.
She herself was born in England and grew up in Greece. Her grandparents came from Sweden and England. She did a Bachelor鈥檚 degree in Management Science and Technology in Athens, then a Master鈥檚 degree in Environmental Management and Policy in Lund and then a PhD at Link枚ping University.
Why did you take an interest in circular economy?
鈥淚鈥檓 seriously concerned about the future. Climate anxiety, you could say. I鈥檝e chosen to use my working life to try to do my bit so that we can move in the right direction. Here at Link枚ping University, research is connected to trade and industry. I鈥檓 well-versed in entrepreneurship, and that part of circular economy. That鈥檚 where I can contribute something.鈥�
In Sweden, we have what it takes: a good infrastructure for waste sorting and waste collection stations. But also other things such as an ability to cooperate and aid for innovation. Still, only seven to eight percent of the Swedish economy is circular. In other words, we are wasting resources.
Marianna Lena Kambanou gestures with her hands, palms up, shaking them a little. She is aware that the concept of 鈥渃ircular economy鈥� can be difficult to grasp.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a vision, but an explicitly stated vision of the EU and its member states. We need to use our resources in a much smarter way. This applies to everything from what to produce and how and what material to use, to how we use and reuse things.鈥�
She is part of a Link枚ping University research group working jointly with businesses and entrepreneurs to develop functional methods to support a circular economy.
鈥淲e鈥檙e testing ideas and business models. Customers are important. We need to find models where customers are interested in reuse. As researchers, we study recurring patterns and methods that can be applied to several different operations.鈥�
According to Marianna Lena Kambanou, we need to talk more about how circular economy and green transition will affect us.
Will some jobs cease to exist?
鈥淵es, and that鈥檚 one of the things our society must discuss. But there will be new jobs also. A simple example: a ban on plastic straws may lead to people working at the straw factory being made redundant. So, its production of paper straws increases. This could be better from an environmental perspective. But in the long run we need to cut down on all disposable products, and on consumption as a whole.鈥�
Similar reasoning exists concerning reuse of already existing products. If you use a table two to three times longer before you scrap it for recycling, maybe fewer newly produced tables are needed.
鈥淏ut this could result in the emergence of many new services. It all hinges on the table no longer wanted by 鈥渢he family X鈥� re-entering the system instead. Only as a last resort should it be broken into pieces and recycled.鈥�
Such a circular model creates new services, and thereby also new jobs:
鈥淭he table must be transported to someone who will clean, repair and paint it and then maybe list it for sale. Or maybe repurpose it. And then it will perhaps be sent by courier to a buyer. New services are created along the way.鈥�
This is where research comes in. Circular economy is about getting the most out of the resources. The transition has to be turned into good business.
鈥淭he customer must want the products. Otherwise, there鈥檚 no market. And the processes must work without generating too high costs. It might even be cheaper to buy the item new. That鈥檚 why these models must be developed.鈥�
Together with her group, she has for instance studied the possibility of reusing workmen鈥檚 clothing.
鈥淲e鈥檝e looked at different flows for cleaning and distributing workmen鈥檚 clothing. The concept works, for instance, when it comes to hospital shrubs. But in this case, there wasn鈥檛 much interest and it was difficult to make it a profitable business.鈥�
They have changed their business model, and are now studying clothes repair.
鈥淭his could generate more interest. We also see a massive shortage of tailors in Sweden, which could become an important factor in a circular economy, as there鈥檚 so much waste in textile industry.鈥�
Through an EU Horizon 2020 project, named CORALIS, the LiU researchers collaborate with three major industrial clusters in Italy, Spain and Sweden. It鈥檚 about how industries could share each other鈥檚 residual products. The LiU researchers鈥� task is to study pricing and how to draw up agreements between the industries.
鈥淥ne man鈥檚 waste may be another man鈥檚 gold. But there are challenges. One is that it鈥檚 not certain that access to residual products can be guaranteed, as that production is irregular,鈥� says Marianna Lena Kambanou.
The group she is working in consists of various competencies, such as eco design, management/industrial organisation and manufacturing processes. And there are many nationalities among the researchers.
鈥淛apan, Germany, Ghana, Sweden 鈥� Greece. We are an international group. It feels very good and gives us many perspectives on these rather complex issues. I enjoy that. I鈥檇 never want to be in a monocultural setting,鈥� she says.
She herself was born in England and grew up in Greece. Her grandparents came from Sweden and England. She did a Bachelor鈥檚 degree in Management Science and Technology in Athens, then a Master鈥檚 degree in Environmental Management and Policy in Lund and then a PhD at Link枚ping University.
Why did you take an interest in circular economy?
鈥淚鈥檓 seriously concerned about the future. Climate anxiety, you could say. I鈥檝e chosen to use my working life to try to do my bit so that we can move in the right direction. Here at Link枚ping University, research is connected to trade and industry. I鈥檓 well-versed in entrepreneurship, and that part of circular economy. That鈥檚 where I can contribute something.鈥�
